Aggravated Battery Investigation Resolved By Plea to Disorderly Conduct

My client was under investigation for an aggravated battery charge stemming from an altercation outside a bar in Downtown St. Petersburg. Video evidence showed my client using a bar stool as a weapon during the incident, where another individual appeared to possess a knife. The police initially believed our client used excessive force, potentially leading to serious criminal charges.

After becoming involved in the case, we successfully prevented our client from being arrested. Leveraging their lack of a prior criminal record, we negotiated with the prosecution, which agreed to file misdemeanor charges instead of pursuing aggravated battery. This avoided the significant risk of prison time and my client being booked. Initially, the prosecutor sought 30 days of jail time for a battery charge.

After reviewing discovery materials and presenting evidence that the alleged victim had a documented history of violence, we strengthened my client’s self-defense claim. To further demonstrate responsibility, we had our client complete an 8-hour anger management course.

Based on the alleged victim’s history of violence, and that the alleged victim possessed a knife during the altercation, I filed a motion to dismiss based on Florida’s “Stand Your Ground” law, arguing that my client acted in lawful self-defense when faced with an imminent threat from the knife-wielding individual. Following this motion, the prosecution agreed to reduce the charge to disorderly conduct with no jail time or probation achieving an outcome that preserved my client’s freedom and did not involve a plea to a violent charge.