Several clients were recently able to avoid conviction, or at least get their charges reduced, with the help of The Law Offices of Eric M. Matheny, P.A. Most of the charges involved in these cases were dismissed, meaning that the defendants were able to avoid damaging penalties such as jail time, prison time and loss of driving privileges. Miami-Dade County Criminal Defense Attorney Eric Matheny, who is a former prosecutor, accomplished these positive case results through his ability to identify important weaknesses in the allegations against his clients. Here is an overview of the various recent case victories Mr. Matheny has obtained:
Burglary: Three college students who went to Miami for spring break ended up getting accused of car burglary. The students were charged with multiple counts of this offense and were facing serious potential penalties—up to 15 years in prison for each defendant. Attorney Matheny was able to demonstrate to the intake prosecutor that his clients had no intent to commit a criminal offense. As a result, all of the clients' charges were dismissed at their arraignment.
Drug Possession: In another spring break case, the client had gone to Miami Beach and was arrested for charges of marijuana possession and cocaine possession. The drugs were found in the client's hotel room. A conviction in this drug possession case would have led to up to six years in prison and driver's license suspension lasting two years. Mr. Matheny was able to identify key problems in the case that strengthened his client's defense. It turned out that law enforcement officers had entered his client's hotel room without permission and without a search warrant. This signified a violation of the defendant's Constitutional rights since the individual had a valid expectation of privacy as a hotel guest who was staying overnight. After the lawyer used documentation and supporting case law to help argue his point that the officers performed an unlawful search, the prosecutor dismiss the charges at the arraignment.
Battery: This case involved a senior citizen who was charged with battery after a fight with another man in a store. The store's closed-circuit television ended up capturing the entire incident, and the senior citizen was facing a possible year in county jail. The man received legal counsel, but he was not satisfied with his lawyer. That was when he turned to Attorney Matheny. Within a day of taking on the client, Mr. Matheny had met with the prosecutor and got her to agree to dismiss the case. He did this by informing her that the senior citizen had a strong self-defense claim that could be used if the case went to trial. This was based on the size and age of the "victim." He was six-foot-seven compared to the senior citizen, who was five-foot-nine, and he was also 17 years younger than Mr. Matheny's client.
Indecent Exposure/Drug Possession: Attorney Matheny's client, who already had multiple felony convictions, was charged with felony possession of marijuana (more than 20 grams) and indecent exposure. Because the defendant was considered a repeat offender, that individual was subject to harsher sentencing. The client was facing a maximum sentence of six years in prison with possible sentence enhancements. Also, a conviction for indecent exposure charge could have led to the client being designated as a sex offender. While the case was still in the pre-file stage, Attorney Matheny was working to demonstrate that the law enforcement officer had not weighed the marijuana correctly, and that the indecent exposure was brief and accidental. The lawyer was able to get the indecent exposure charge dismissed and the marijuana drug possession offense bumped down from a felony to a misdemeanor.
Attorney Matheny is a highly knowledgeable legal professional who strives for the best case results possible for each of his clients. As a former prosecutor, he is well-positioned to approach criminal cases from all angles and to provide the most competitive legal representation. Contact the Law Offices of Eric M. Matheny, P.A.to learn about the firm and the services it provides.