Jacksonville Criminal Attorney Blog

Our Jacksonville Criminal Attorney, Tori Mussallem, received a 5 star review from a former client. The client was arrested in Jacksonville for aggravated battery and through her work, Ms. Mussallem was able to get his charges dropped. The client said that our criminal lawyer was responsive, trustworthy, knowledgeable, and kept him informed through every step of the process.

When you are arrested anywhere, including Duval County, Nassau County, and Clay County, it can be a very stressful time. You need a criminal defense lawyer who not only understands the criminal law aspect of the case, but also understands your needs. At our Jacksonville criminal law firm, we understand that you are very scared about the possible outcome and want to be informed. Mussallem & Forbess is a criminal defense firm that handles 100% criminal law. Our defense lawyers are available to you 24 hours a day 7 days a week.

After an arrest in Jacksonville, different attorneys have different duties to our criminal justice system. The assistant state attorney is the person prosecuting the case. It is their job to bring the highest charge against a defendant that they think they can prove. They are encouraged to discuss the case with the Jacksonville criminal defense lawyer and to try to reach an agreement. The prosecutor, after the arrest, can drop the charges, make a recommendation to the judge about a sentence if the defendant enters a plea straight up to the judge, or agree to a specific sentence. The state attorney HAS to tell the judge all material facts known to them relating to the crime and relating to the defendant's criminal background.

The criminal attorney also has responsibilities. A criminal lawyer in Jacksonville cannot make a plea agreement with the prosecutor without the full consent of the client. The criminal defense lawyer has to tell the client all offers from the prosecutor and keep the client advised of all matters relating to the case. A good criminal defense law firm will be highly accessible. Our criminal law firm, Mussallem & Forbess, is available 24 hours a day 7 days a week. Problems don't just happen from 8:00 to 5:00. That is why one of our Jacksonville criminal defense lawyers is available anytime to discuss your case.

Jacksonville Criminal Defense Law Firm, Mussallem & Forbess, is proud to announce a glowing peer endorsement on Avvo.com. The endorsement came from a prior subordinate of Mr. Forbess, Douglas Chanco. Mr. Chanco is now a criminal defense lawyer in Georgia.

The endorsement is:

"If you are in need of legal representation, look no further than Ray Forbess. He was my first mentor when I was practicing under the law student practice act, and his guidance and leadership helped to shape me into the lawyer I am today. One of the main reasons that I became a criminal defense attorney was because of what Ray taught me--both the law and about defending constitutional rights. He is an excellent attorney, and I whole heartedly endorse his work."

If you or a loved one is arrested in Nassau County, Florida, it is important to know the jail information. Nassau County Jail phone numbers are:

Jail - 548-4002

Sheriff's Administration - 548-4000

Warrants in Nassau County - 548-4000

If you have been arrested in Nassau County, Florida, call our Nassau Criminal Attorneys at (904) 634-0900.

If you get arrested in Jacksonville on a criminal charge, before you bond out, call an experienced Jacksonville Criminal Lawyer NOW! The Jacksonville Criminal Defense Lawyer can look up all the appropriate information and can appear in first appearance court (J1) to address a bond reduction in Jacksonville. The Jacksonville Criminal Attorney will request that the person arrested in Jacksonville be released on their own recognizance (ROR) so the family and friends do not have to put up a bond to get that person released from jail.

If you have any questions about bond reductions in Jacksonville, call our Jacksonville Criminal Lawyers at (904) 634-0900.

Many Jacksonville criminal attorneys advertise that they are available 24 hours a day, but many times, if you call them after-hours, you will get an answering machine or answering service.

At Mussallem & Forbess, if you call our experienced criminal lawyers in Jacksonville at (904) 634-0900 after-hours or on the weekend, you will speak to a criminal lawyer. No machines, no answering service.

It is of the utmost importance to our Jacksonville Criminal Defense Firm that we provide you with the best, most prompt service in Northeast Florida.

This past year, Public Defender Offices all over Florida are in crisis. With the major budget cuts, individual assistant public defender's case loads are growing larger every day. In Miami, the public defenders caseloads are around 500!

The budget crisis has also effected the Jacksonville, Clay County, and Nassau County Public Defender's Office. While many public defenders are good lawyers, due to extremely large caseloads, it is difficult to give each criminal client and their families individual attention.

When you hire Mussallem & Forbess, our Jacksonville Criminal Law Firm, our Jacksonville Criminal Defense Lawyers are available to you and your family 24 hours a day.

If you have been arrested in Jacksonville, Clay County, Nassau County, or St. Johns County, contact our Northeast Florida Criminal Lawyers at (904) 634-0900.

Many criminal law firms claim they are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, but when you call them, you get an answering service.

At Mussallem & Forbess, you will speak with an experienced criminal defense lawyer at any time of day or night, seven days a week. That is our commitment to the citizens of Jacksonville who have been accused of a crime.

Our Jacksonville criminal attorneys represent those accused of crimes in Northeast Florida, including Duval County, Clay County, Nassau County, and St. Johns County.

There are many criminal defense lawyers in Jacksonville, Clay County, St. Johns County, and Nassau County. In that mix of attorneys, many advertise that they are "Former Prosecutors". That means that before they decided, for whatever reason, to start defending people charged with crimes, they devoted every work day to prosecuting them.

Some questions you could ask them are:

How long were you a prosecutor?

How many people have you put in jail?

How many people have you put in prison?

Have you ever prosecuted someone you thought may be innocent?

Did you always believe the police?

Even if you didn't believe the police on a case, did you prosecute the criminal charges anyway?

What made you switch sides?

At Mussallem & Forbess P.A., all of our Jacksonville Criminal Defense Attorneys are proud to say we have NEVER been prosecutors. We have always defended citizens who have been charged and arrested.

If you have any questions about criminal charges or if you have been arrested in Jacksonville, don't hesitate to call our Jacksonville Criminal Attorneys 24 hours a day 7 days a week at (904) 634-0900.

Jacksonville Criminal Defense Attorney, Ray Forbess, has represented thousands, prosecuted none. Mr. Forbess has spent his entire legal career representing those charged with committing crimes in Jacksonville, Clay County, Nassau County, St. Johns County, and all of Northeast Florida.

Jacksonville Criminal Lawyer, Tori Mussallem, has also represented thousands or people charged with crimes. She has never been a prosecutor, which means she never spent one day working to put people in jail or prison.

Both Tori and Ray have never been obligated to believe the police, as prosecutors do.

If you have any questions about criminal charges in Jacksonville or anywhere in Northeast Florida, call our Experienced Criminal Defense Lawyers at (904) 634-0900.