Orlando Criminal Defense Lawyer
A criminal charge in Florida can follow you for years, into your job, your housing, your record, and your peace of mind. What you do in the first days often matters most. Clyde Lemon, a former Assistant Public Defender, defends people across Orange, Seminole, and Osceola counties against DUI, misdemeanor and felony charges, injunctions, traffic offenses, and in clearing past records. When you call, you reach Clyde, and Clyde is the one who walks into court with you.
Criminal Defense Services
Pick the matter closest to your situation to learn more.
DUI Defense
Protecting your license, record, and freedom against Florida DUI charges at every stage of the process.
Learn moreMisdemeanors & Felonies
Defense against misdemeanor and felony charges in Florida courts, from arraignment through trial.
Learn moreInjunctions
Defense against domestic violence, stalking, and repeat-violence injunctions in Florida courts.
Learn moreTraffic Tickets
Fight speeding tickets, careless driving, and moving violations to protect your driving record and insurance.
Learn moreSeal & Expungement
Clear your Florida criminal record to remove barriers to employment, housing, and licensing.
Learn moreWhat to do after an arrest in Florida
A few decisions early can change the outcome of your case:
- Say as little as possible. You have the right to remain silent and the right to a lawyer. Politely decline to discuss the facts until you have spoken with an attorney; what you say is evidence.
- Write down everything you remember while it is fresh: times, places, names, what officers said and did.
- Do not miss deadlines. A DUI arrest starts a 10-day clock to challenge your license suspension (below). Other charges carry their own court dates you cannot skip.
- Call a defense attorney quickly. Early intervention lets your lawyer preserve evidence, line up witnesses, and sometimes head off charges before they are formally filed.
Clyde keeps a 24/7 line for exactly these situations. For an arrest, a time-sensitive injunction, or a looming court date, the sooner the call, the more that can be done.
The Florida DUI 10-day rule
A DUI arrest in Florida triggers two separate cases: the criminal charge in court and an administrative action against your driver's license through the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles. You have only 10 days from the date of arrest to request a formal review hearing to challenge the license suspension. Miss that window and the administrative suspension takes effect automatically, regardless of what happens in the criminal case. Refusing a breath, blood, or urine test carries its own automatic suspension under Florida's implied-consent law. This is one of the most time-sensitive deadlines in Florida criminal law, and one of the first things Clyde addresses.
Misdemeanor vs. felony in Florida
The line matters enormously. Misdemeanors carry up to a year in county jail (first-degree up to one year; second-degree up to 60 days), plus fines and probation. Felonies are punishable by state prison and are graded from third-degree up to capital offenses, with sentencing driven by Florida's Criminal Punishment Code, your prior record, and the specifics of the charge. Both leave a record that can affect employment, licensing, and housing long after the case ends. Whether a charge is filed as a misdemeanor or felony, and whether it can be reduced, is often where defense work makes the biggest difference.
Charges Clyde handles
- DUI and BUI
- drug possession and related offenses
- theft and property crimes
- assault and battery
- domestic-violence charges
- firearms and weapons offenses
- probation violations
- traffic crimes, including driving on a suspended license
- post-case relief through sealing and expungement
If you are facing something not listed, ask. Clyde will tell you honestly whether it is a matter he handles.
Defending against Florida injunctions
An injunction (what many people call a restraining order) is a civil order with serious criminal consequences if violated, and it can affect your housing, your firearms rights, and your record. Florida recognizes several types: domestic violence, repeat violence, dating violence, sexual violence, and stalking injunctions. If you have been served with a petition, you have a narrow window before the hearing to prepare a defense. Clyde represents respondents at injunction hearings across Central Florida.
Clearing your record: sealing and expungement
A past arrest or charge can keep showing up in background checks even if you were never convicted. Florida law allows many records to be sealed or expunged, removing them from public access. Eligibility is specific. It generally depends on whether you were convicted, whether the charge is on a disqualifying list, and whether you have sealed or expunged a record before, and it requires a Certificate of Eligibility from the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. Clyde's pro bono work on record sealing, expungement, and voting-rights restoration earned him the 2025 Pro Bono Ambassador award from Community Legal Services of Mid-Florida; he brings that same work to paying clients.
Why a former public defender
Before opening C. Lemon Law, Clyde represented clients as an Assistant Public Defender with the Ninth Judicial Circuit. He has stood in the same courtrooms, in front of the same judges, across from the same prosecutors. He knows how the State builds cases, and how to take them apart. You work with Clyde directly, from the first call through resolution, with honest counsel about whether to fight, negotiate, or take a case to trial. The initial 30-minute consultation is free.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a lawyer for a Florida criminal charge?
Yes. Even a first-time misdemeanor can mean jail, fines, probation, and a permanent record. An experienced defense attorney can often negotiate reduced charges or a dismissal, and protect rights you may not know you have.
How soon should I contact an attorney after an arrest?
Immediately. Anything you say can be used against you, and a DUI arrest starts a 10-day clock on your license. Early involvement gives your defense the most options.
What is the difference between a felony and a misdemeanor in Florida?
Misdemeanors carry up to one year in county jail. Felonies carry potential state prison and are graded by severity. Both can have lasting effects on your record, employment, and housing.
What is the Florida DUI 10-day rule?
After a DUI arrest you have 10 days to request a formal review hearing to challenge the administrative suspension of your license. Miss it and the suspension takes effect automatically, separate from the criminal case.
What happens if I refuse a breath test in Florida?
Under Florida's implied-consent law, refusing a breath, blood, or urine test results in an automatic license suspension, and the refusal can be used against you in the criminal case.
Can a criminal charge be dropped or reduced?
Sometimes. Charges can be reduced or dismissed based on weaknesses in the evidence, constitutional violations (like an unlawful search), or negotiation. Whether that is possible depends on the specific facts.
What's the difference between sealing and expunging a record in Florida?
Both restrict public access to a record. Generally, expungement applies where charges were dropped or you were acquitted, and sealing applies where adjudication was withheld (no conviction). Both require a Certificate of Eligibility from FDLE.
Can I get an injunction against me dismissed?
Possibly. You have the right to contest a petition at a hearing and present evidence. Because the hearing comes quickly, prompt preparation matters.
Will a charge show up on a background check?
Often, yes. Even arrests that did not lead to conviction can appear until the record is sealed or expunged. That is why clearing eligible records matters.
Do you handle cases in Orange, Seminole, and Osceola counties?
Yes. Clyde practices across Central Florida, including the Ninth Judicial Circuit (Orange and Osceola) and the Eighteenth (Seminole).
Do you offer free consultations?
Yes. Clyde offers a free 30-minute consultation, plus a 24/7 line for urgent matters like a new arrest or pending court date. Longer consultations are available for a fee.
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