Facts:
My client is a young man who has been struggling with mental health problems for several months. His mother has repeatedly tried to get him help, but he has refused. Instead, he began self-medicating by drinking alcohol. This only worsened the problem. His mother could not get him under control.
One night, he was out drinking and got into a fight with two other men. The Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office responded and arrested him for two counts of misdemeanor battery. He was highly intoxicated. While he was getting arrested, he allegedly tensed and braced and was charged with misdemeanor obstruction. He was taken to the Pinellas County Jail and then bonded out on the three misdemeanors.
The Case:
His mother hired me to help. We immediately set him up with a mental health counselor. Eventually, he kept getting worse and he had to be Baker Acted. The medication that he was given helped to stabilize him.
I supplied this material to the prosecutor and asked for the charges to be dismissed. Fortunately, neither of the men he was in the fight against wanted to prosecute the case.
The Result:
About two months after the arrest, all three charges were dismissed. The family is relieved because they are spending a lot of time and energy helping my client with his mental health. Criminal charges on top of what they were dealing with would have been a lot.