Legal Question in Criminal Law in Florida

Re: misdemeanor charge

Most of the judges in Pinellas County are pretty easy to deal with. Sometimes, you can just ask the judge or the prosecutor, "What am I looking at if I just plead no contest?" They'll give you a straight answer. If you don't like what you hear, you can plead not guilty and hire a good criminal lawyer. There's usually no penalty for pleading not guilty then changing your plea to no contest at a later hearing date when you get a lawyer.

You might also want to ask the prosecutor about pre-trial intervention, which will cause you to receive a probation-like sentence but, once you complete the sentence, your charges will automatically be dismissed.