Orlando Criminal Law Attorney Will Rise to Your Defense

Assertive in advocating for your rights

Getting arrested can be a horrifying experience. It can affect every aspect of your life, including your employment, the relationship you have with your family, and your entire future. Your freedom — or even your life — may be at stake. Armed with 27 years of experience in criminal defense, The Law Offices of Tad A. Yates, P.A. will protect your rights and help you attain the best possible result for your case.

Giving your case methodical and thorough investigation

Mr. Yates is devoted to protecting his clients’ freedom. He challenges the prosecution to prove its case and seeks to eliminate or reduce any potential sentence. He knows that witnesses may lie on the stand, that crime scenes can be compromised, and that police officers can make mistakes. He personally speaks with witnesses to gain a full understanding or your case and carefully examines the State’s evidence. He also pores over police records and retains experts to challenge the prosecution’s theories if it aids in your defense.

Zealously defending you against prosecution

Mr. Yates aggressively represents clients charged with all types of offenses, including:

Criminal defense resolutions at the pretrial stage

The vast majority of criminal cases do not go to trial. We can resolve many cases during the pretrial phase through skillful negotiations with prosecutors. The result can be:

  • Dismissal of charges — A prosecutor may be convinced to dismiss the case against you for several reasons.  Key evidence or witness testimony necessary to prove the case against you may be missing. Dismissals may also be based on the interests of justice.  A good lawyer will work to educate the prosecutor about his client in hopes of persuading the prosecutor that dismissal is appropriate.  Dismissals can also result from illegal police activity, unreasonable delays in bringing prosecution, and other violations of due process.  Dismissal is the most positive outcome possible for an arrested person, though the record of the arrest doesn’t go away without expungement.  If your case is dismissed, Mr. Yates can assist you in moving to have your record of arrest expunged.
  • Diversionary programs — First time offenders are often eligible to participate in a pretrial diversion program or a deferred prosecution program.  In many non-violent cases, the State is willing to sign a contract guaranteeing dismissal of a case in the event that a defendant stays out of trouble for a certain period of time and successfully completes certain conditions such as community service or self-improvement classes.
  • Plea bargains — In many cases, Mr. Yates will help you to avoid trial by coming to an agreement with the prosecutor about resolution of your case. In these situations, a client may plead guilty or no contest to a charge or even a lesser offense than originally charged in exchange for the prosecutor’s agreement to a more lenient sentence.

Mr. Yates actively pushes for effective solutions that can avoid prosecution or mitigate punishments.

Making pretrial motions to exclude evidence

Mr. Yates routinely challenges the constitutionality of police procedures used to obtain evidence. If the police resorted to unlawful means, the resulting evidence can be excluded from your case, which can make all the difference when working out a plea bargain or even seeking dismissal of charges.

Unlawful police procedures that Mr. Yates frequently challenges include:

  • Improper traffic stops — Police must have a legal basis for stopping a car, such as a traffic violation or erratic driving. If the police illegally stopped your car, your case could be dismissed or valuable evidence in the case might be suppressed (thrown out).
  • Stop and frisk — As with traffic stops, police must have reasonable suspicion to stop someone on the streets and to do a pat-down frisk.
  • Warrantless searches of homes or vehicles — Police do not need a warrant for every search, but they do need probable cause of illegal activity. If an object is in plain sight or an exigency requires cops to act immediately, a search is permissible. Evidence seized during an illegal search is not admissible at trial.
  • Failing to Mirandize asuspect — When police arrest a suspect, they must inform the person of his or her constitutional rights, such as the right to remain silent and the right to have an attorney present at questioning. Any statement made absent those warnings may be inadmissible at trial.
  • Denying counsel to a suspect — Once a suspect asks to have a lawyer, police must cease all questioning until a lawyer is provided.
  • Compelling a suspect to speak — Pressuring a suspect to answer questions in violation of his right to remain silent likewise will work to invalidate any statement made.

If the police violated your constitutional rights by these tactics or any others, Mr. Yates is prepared to take remedial actions.

Exploring all viable defenses to criminal charges

In most criminal cases, several defenses are possible that can be asserted in the pretrial stages. They include:

  • Alibi —If you can prove by credible evidence that you were somewhere else when the crime was committed, you can’t be convicted.
  • Entrapment — This defense asserts that the police induced you to commit a crime you had not contemplated.
  • Self-defense — You have the right to defend yourself from attack. However, you must show that you were not the aggressor, that you had reasonable fear and that your actions went no further than what was necessary to stop the attack. Similar to self-defense, you might be immune from prosecution under Florida’s “Stand Your Ground” law.
  • Reasonable defense of a third party — Similar to self-defense, you may show that your actions were necessary to prevent danger to another person.
  • Lack of intent — Certain crimes require knowledge of wrongdoing. If, for example, you borrowed someone’s coat and there were drugs in the inner pocket, you would not be in “knowing possession” of the drugs.

Defenses such as these may provide leverage in pretrial discussions and a fighting chance at trial.

When your future is on the line, call an experienced Florida attorney for a consultation

The Law Offices of Tad A. Yates, P.A. are prepared to aggressively advocate for your rights in the courtroom before and at trial, with an eye to pursuing the best outcome available given the facts of your case. Call 407-608-7777 or contact us online today to schedule a consultation.

attorney

Mr. Yates is a past-President of the Orange County Bar Association and the Legal Aid Society of the Orange County Bar Association. He previously served as Chair of the Judicial Nominating Commission for the 9th Judicial Circuit. 

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Testimonials

  • When I met Tad Yates, I was frantic, scared and misinformed about the legalities of my case. He quickly reassured me that everything was going to be alright and started at once preparing my defense. Every time I needed to speak with him, he was there to give advice and inform me the status of my case. As a result of his hard work, he managed to get my case dismissed and this blemish off my record. If you’re thinking of hiring or consulting with Mr. Yates, your in great hands.

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  • Tad is an excellent attorney. Due to a momentary lapse in judgement, I was put in a bad position and could not be more grateful that I hired Tad. From the moment I met Tad, I knew that I was in great hands! Tad explained to me all possible outcomes of the case and really helped put my mind at ease. In the end, I wound up with a very positive outcome and I owe it all to him. Tad was always available when I needed to speak with him and I couldn’t be happier that I hired him. Without the help and guidance of Tad, I’m not sure where I would be today. Tad is not only an amazing attorney, but an all-around great person!

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  • I do not have enough words to describe how amazing the experience with this attorney was. He works very hard to obtain the best results for his clients. I could not have asked for better services. I had exceptional fast results, I highly recommend this attorney. Thank you again, Tad Yates.

  • After consulting with several different highly recommended lawyers, I decided to hire Tad. It was a decision that would truly effect my life in a very profound way. Tad never promised results, he did however layout his experience and give me his word he would put all his effort into my case. I felt that was the honesty I deserved. He was sincere, honest, and reliable. Every time we attended court he seemed to hold a very good relationship with all the court's people. My case with Tad lasted about 9 months. There were many times I wanted to break down, not knowing what the results would ultimately be; however Tad always personalized my case and would constantly provide me with assurance of his efforts. He was always extremely accessible. This gave me a lot of peace. The results of my case ended up being extremely satisfying. I was looking at losing everything, for good. I now have my peace, my freedom, and I am currently very successful. Even after my case, Tad kept tabs with me and ensured I was doing as I should. There is a handful of people God put in my life of whom helped me get to the next level, there is no denying Tad is one of them.

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  • Tad came highly recommended. Set up a consultation and after meeting him, hired him immediately. Tad is extremely knowledgeable, efficient and truly cares. He was always available to speak and support during a very difficult situation. Although he has many clients, he always made us feel important and took the time necessary to ensure our questions were answered and that we were comfortable with strategy and next steps. He ultimately achieved the desired result and we are forever grateful.

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  • When I met Tad Yates, I was frantic, scared and misinformed about the legalities of my case. He quickly reassured me that everything was going to be alright and started at once preparing my defense. Every time I needed to speak with him, he was there to give advice and inform me the status of my case. As a result of his hard work, he managed to get my case dismissed and this blemish off my record. If you’re thinking of hiring or consulting with Mr. Yates, your in great hands.- A.

    I was referred to Tad by a friend of the family. They told me what he did for them and assured me that he would do the same for me. He exceeded my expectations from start to finish. He used his knowledge of the law, professionalism and relationship skills to have my case completely dropped. No plea deals what so ever. He never once doubted me however he did explain exactly what we had to overcome. If you find yourself in a situation that could impact you for the rest of your life, whether you did anything wrong or not I would encourage you to give him a call.

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Ratings & Reviews

  • google
    5.0/5.0

    Strongly recommend Tad Yates as an attorney as well as his office staff, Kathy. They are absolutely on top of their game. Very attentive, astute and courteous. The kindness and understanding shown by their office is incomparable. They have ...
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    — Louis .Tsantes

  • lawyers
    5.0/5.0

    Time spent in any legal process can be stressful. Tad is a great communicator and put me at ease with the process. His knowledge and plan of action where exactly what I needed. I would definitely recommend giving his office a call if you ar...
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    — Client

  • google
    5.0/5.0

    I was highly recommended by a former Circuit Judge in Orlando to contact Mr Yates. He immediately took my call and put me at ease immediately. After his investigation into the matter he agreed to take my case. I never met him in person and ...
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    — Farrell Gordon

  • google
    5.0/5.0

    If you're reading this and you have a case pending, you need to stop immediately and call Tad's office. Take it from someone who has been there, Tad is a consummate professional and highly skilled tactician who will get you the best possibl...
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    — Brenden McDaniels

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    5.0/5.0

    Tad is fantastic. Not only did he get my case dismissed in a timely manner, but he also made himself available over the holidays to provide advice and refer me to another law firm. He truly cares about his clients. I would highly recommend ...
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    — Leah