Jacksonville Criminal Defense Attorney Blog
Speeds were so high that police called off the chase for an Orlando man driving erratically and topping 100 mph to get away from officers. The vehicle, though, was spotted a short time later and when the suspect tried to run on foot, he wasn’t nearly as elusive, according to a report in the Florida Times-Union. The man, who lives in Orlando, was eventually caught and charged with Duval County resisting arrest, along with fleeing and attempting to elude a law enforcement officer with disregard for safety and property.
Resisting arrest in Jacksonville is a misdemeanor, punishable by up to one year in the county jail, and that charge like stems from the foot chase. Where the suspect faces much more serious consequences is on the fleeing and eluding charge. There are varying degrees of severity on this charge and this Jacksonville Felony Crimes Case falls right in the middle. A simple fleeing and eluding an officer – essentially not pulling over or stopping when asked – is a third-degree felony punishable by up to five years in prison.
If, when doing so, the person “drives at high speed, or in any manner which demonstrates a wanton disregard for the safety of persons or property,” the charge becomes a second degree felony, as it is in this Jacksonville Traffic Case. Second-degree felonies have a maximum penalty of 15 years in state prison. If the driving has a wanton disregard for safety and causes a serious bodily injury or death – including to the officer the person is driving away from – the charge escalates to a first-degree felony. That charges carries a minimum mandatory sentence of three years in prison and a maximum of 30 years.
In this Jacksonville Traffic Case, the driver is charged with the Florida second-degree felony. He is accused of turning his car around in front of four lanes of traffic on a bridge, making an illegal U-turn and running a stop sign – just missing other vehicles along the way. Once police saw him on foot, the driver still tried to run away, unsuccessfully tried to hide in some bushes and has to be Tasered for officers to get handcuffs on him. The more a suspect tries to run or drive away from officers, the greater the chance the suspect will end up facing even more serious charges than he or she would have in the first place. Simply stopping when police tell you to stop can end up saving plenty of headaches – and Jacksonville Felony Charges – down the road.
If you or a loved one needs a criminal defense attorney in Jacksonville or the surrounding area, call The Mussallem Law Firm at (904) 365-5200 for a FREE CONSULTATION. Our Jacksonville Felony Crimes Attorney, Victoria “Tori” Mussallem, is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.