San Antonio Criminal Defense Lawyer

King Law Group defends adults and juveniles charged with misdemeanors and felonies across Pasco County, Pinellas County and the wider Tampa Bay area, and the firm’s practice is focused solely on criminal defense. Anyone searching for a San Antonio criminal defense lawyer should know one thing first: King Law Group is a Florida firm. It does not practice in Texas, and Texas courts, statutes and procedures are different from what this firm handles.

The name matters because there is a San Antonio in Florida, a small community in Pasco County, and many people who type this phrase live there or have a family member who was arrested nearby. If your case comes out of San Antonio, Florida, or any other part of Pasco or Pinellas, the courts that decide it sit in Dade City and New Port Richey, and the prosecutors who review it work for the Sixth Judicial Circuit. That is the territory this firm works every day.

If you are looking for Texas representation, you will need a lawyer licensed there.

Why Choose King Law Group for Pasco County Criminal Cases

King Law Group is a criminal defense firm led by founder Cameron King, a former felony prosecutor for the Sixth Judicial Circuit, which covers Pasco and Pinellas Counties. The firm represents people in Pasco County and its communities, including San Antonio, Dade City, New Port Richey, Port Richey, Hudson, Bayonet Point, Holiday, Trinity, Elfers, Jasmine Estates and Beacon Square, and across Pinellas County in Clearwater, Largo, Dunedin, Palm Harbor, Tarpon Springs and St. Petersburg. Cases are handled from pre-arrest investigation through trial and record sealing, and the firm answers its phone 24/7.

Cameron King earned both his undergraduate business degree and his law degree at Florida State University. As a prosecutor he handled thousands of cases, from murder, manslaughter and armed robbery to DUI, drug possession and domestic violence. He later practiced criminal defense at a prominent litigation firm before dedicating his work to defending people in his own community. That history is practical. He has sat where the State Attorney’s Office sits, so he knows how an arrest gets reviewed, which evidence prosecutors lean on, and what it takes to move them toward a reduction or dismissal.

Clients describe him as honest, straightforward and quick to return calls, and several say he explained every step until their charges were resolved. Not every case is about proving innocence. Sometimes the best result is a reduced charge, a withheld adjudication, or a pretrial diversion program that ends in dismissal. The firm looks for that option and pursues it, and where the facts support it, files motions to suppress evidence or takes the case to trial. The first consultation is free.

Charges This Pasco and Pinellas Criminal Defense Attorney Handles

• DUI: A first conviction carries a fine of $500 to $1,000, up to 6 months in jail, and a license revocation of at least 180 days and up to one year. A second conviction allows up to 9 months, and a second within five years of the first means at least five years of revocation. If a death results, DUI manslaughter is at least a second-degree felony.
• Breath test refusal: Under Florida’s updated implied consent law, even a first refusal of a breath or urine test is a second-degree misdemeanor, and the refusal also brings a one-year license suspension for a first refusal, 18 months if there is a prior suspension or refusal fine.
• Theft crimes: Florida’s felony theft line is $750. Petit theft under $100 is a second-degree misdemeanor, $100 up to $750 is a first-degree misdemeanor, and grand theft of $750 up to $20,000 is a third-degree felony. Taking a firearm or a motor vehicle is grand theft regardless of value.
• Drug crimes: Possession of 20 grams or less of cannabis is a first-degree misdemeanor, while possessing other controlled substances without a valid prescription can be charged as a felony depending on the drug and amount.
• Domestic violence: Simple battery is a first-degree misdemeanor, but domestic battery by strangulation is a third-degree felony. A guilty adjudication for intentionally causing bodily harm carries a minimum of 10 days in county jail for a first offense.
• Probation violations: A violation can lead the court to impose any sentence it could have imposed at the start of the case, so a technical slip can reopen the original exposure.
• Violent crimes and weapons offenses: Felony classes run from third-degree (up to 5 years) and second-degree (up to 15 years) to first-degree (up to 30 years, or life when a statute provides it).
• Juvenile offenses: Juvenile cases in Pasco are handled in circuit court, and the goals are different from adult cases, with diversion and record protection often central.

What Happens in the First Days After an Arrest in Pasco County

The first hours move fast. Someone arrested in Pasco is generally booked into the county jail in Land O’ Lakes. A first appearance before a judge usually follows within about 24 hours. The judge checks probable cause and sets bond or other release conditions. A lawyer can argue for lower bond or release without money bail at that hearing or at a later bond hearing.

Do not talk to investigators without counsel. You can decline questions politely, refuse consent to a search, and ask for a lawyer. Statements made before an arrest can be used just as easily as statements made after one.

Then the case sorts itself by seriousness. Misdemeanors and criminal traffic cases go to Pasco County Court. Felonies and juvenile cases go to Pasco Circuit Court. Pasco has two judicial centers: the West Pasco Judicial Center in New Port Richey and the Robert D. Sumner Judicial Center in Dade City. For someone from San Antonio, Florida, the Dade City courthouse is often the one that matters, and this firm appears in both.

Keep every document you receive: the arrest paperwork, bond papers, notices to appear and any license suspension notice. Write down what you remember while it is fresh. Stay off social media about the case. Skipping a court date is one of the most damaging mistakes, because it adds a new problem to an existing one.

Time limits also exist for the State. A prosecution for a first-degree felony generally must start within 4 years, any other felony within 3 years, and a first-degree misdemeanor within 2 years. Charges involving death, along with life and capital felonies, have no such limit, and some sex and child-abuse offenses against minors follow special rules. Do not count on the clock to save a case; call a lawyer instead.

How These Cases Typically Resolve

Most cases do not go straight to trial. They move through arraignment, discovery, motions and negotiation, and the early weeks often decide the shape of everything else. Defense work in this stretch means reviewing the stop or arrest for constitutional problems, challenging how evidence was collected, and testing whether the State can prove each element.

Outcomes vary widely. Charges may be dropped, reduced, resolved through pretrial diversion, or ended with a withheld adjudication. The distinction matters: Florida treats a plea of guilty or no contest as a conviction for fine purposes even when adjudication is withheld, but a withheld adjudication can keep the record eligible for sealing later.

Record cleanup is part of the plan. A person can seal or expunge only one arrest record, must first obtain a certificate of eligibility from FDLE, and must attest to never having had a record sealed or expunged in Florida before. If adjudication was withheld, expunging generally requires the record to have been sealed for at least 10 years first. Certain offenses cannot be sealed at all, so the decision about how to resolve a case should account for this early.

Questions People Ask About Criminal Defense in San Antonio and Pasco County

Does King Law Group represent people in San Antonio, Texas?

No. The firm is a Florida criminal defense practice. It handles cases in Pasco County, Pinellas County and the Tampa Bay area, including San Antonio, Florida. For a Texas charge you need a Texas-licensed lawyer.

Which court hears my case if I was arrested in San Antonio, Florida?

Misdemeanors and criminal traffic cases go to Pasco County Court, and felonies go to Pasco Circuit Court. Pasco has courthouses in Dade City and New Port Richey, and your case is assigned to one of them. We can tell you which once we see the charging papers.

What happens at first appearance?

A judge confirms there was probable cause for the arrest and sets conditions of release, which may include bond, a no-contact order or other limits. It usually happens within about 24 hours of booking. Having a lawyer involved early can influence those conditions.

Do I need a lawyer for a misdemeanor?

Often yes. A first-degree misdemeanor can mean up to a year in jail, probation, a fine of up to $1,000 and a permanent record. A lawyer can sometimes secure a dismissal, reduction or diversion that keeps the record eligible for sealing.

Should I talk to police if they want to question me?

No. Politely decline, do not consent to searches, and ask for a lawyer. Anything you say can be used, even before an arrest.

Can a first-time DUI be reduced?

It depends on the evidence. The stop, the field sobriety tests, the breath or blood result and how the arrest was documented can all be challenged. A conviction brings probation, a DUI program with a substance abuse course and evaluation, and a license revocation of at least 180 days, so these details matter.

Will refusing a breath test help my case?

Not in the way many people expect. A first refusal is now itself a second-degree misdemeanor and carries a one-year license suspension. The refusal also means there may be less direct evidence of alcohol level, but the State can still build a case from driving behavior and observations. This is a decision to discuss with a lawyer after the fact, not a safe harbor.

What does a probation violation put at risk?

Once a violation affidavit is filed and a warrant or notice to appear issues, the probation period stops running until the court rules. If the violation is found, the judge can impose any sentence available at the original sentencing. Technical violations, those that are not new crimes, are treated differently from new offenses, and some are handled by a notification letter in place of a warrant.

Can a criminal charge affect my immigration status?

Yes. Even lawful permanent residents can face removal for certain convictions, including drug, firearms and domestic violence offenses and crimes involving moral turpitude. Sometimes even a misdemeanor creates a problem, so immigration consequences should be weighed before any plea.

How long does a Pasco County criminal case take?

A simple misdemeanor may resolve in a few months. Felonies with contested evidence, forensic testing or trial settings can take much longer.

Can I get my record sealed or expunged afterward?

Possibly. You must first obtain a certificate of eligibility from FDLE, which is valid for 12 months once issued, and only one arrest record may be sealed or expunged. Dismissed charges and acquittals are the simplest cases. Withheld adjudications are typically sealed first, with expungement only after the 10-year wait.

Serving Criminal Defense Clients in San Antonio and Across Pasco County

King Law Group begins with San Antonio and the surrounding Pasco County communities, including nearby Dade City, where the Robert D. Sumner Judicial Center sits, and the Land O’ Lakes area that includes the county jail. Moving west, the firm represents clients arrested in New Port Richey and Port Richey, in Hudson and Bayonet Point to the north, and in Holiday and Trinity to the south. It also serves Elfers, Jasmine Estates and Beacon Square, and takes cases from every corner of Pasco.

Across the county line, the firm defends people in Tarpon Springs, Palm Harbor, Dunedin, Clearwater, Largo and St. Petersburg, along with the wider Tampa Bay area. Because Pasco and Pinellas share the Sixth Judicial Circuit, the experience of a former felony prosecutor applies on both sides of the line, whether the charge is a DUI, a drug case, a domestic violence arrest or a probation violation.

Speak With a San Antonio Criminal Defense Attorney in Pasco County

If you or someone close to you was arrested in San Antonio, Florida, or anywhere in Pasco or Pinellas County, call King Law Group any hour of the day. A San Antonio criminal defense attorney who knows how these cases are charged and negotiated in the Sixth Judicial Circuit can look at your facts, explain the charge and the possible penalties, and map out a plan.

Your first consultation is free. Call or reach out to the firm to talk through what happened and what comes next.