Do I have to talk to the police?

You generally are not required to provide information when law enforcement approaches you for questioning. You have a constitutional right to remain silent, which protects against self-incrimination. Whether to speak with police should be carefully considered, ideally after consulting legal counsel.

Does it look bad if I don’t cooperate with the police?

No. You may invoke your right against self-incrimination. In a jury trial, choosing to remain silent cannot be used as evidence of guilt, and jurors are instructed not to treat silence as an admission of wrongdoing.

Yes. Clearly and consistently state that you want a lawyer before speaking with law enforcement. The Sixth Amendment protects the right to counsel, and an attorney can help you understand the process, protect your rights, and avoid statements that may harm your defense.

Isn’t honesty the best policy?

Police questioning is focused on gathering evidence. Even honest, well-intentioned answers can be misunderstood or used against you. Consult an attorney before giving a statement so you can protect your interests and avoid unintentionally undermining your defense.

Can the police lie to me?

Yes. Police may use deception during investigations, including false or misleading statements intended to obtain evidence or a confession. Understanding your rights is important; ask for a lawyer before answering investigative questions.

Can I say no to a police officer asking to search my car?

Yes. You may politely refuse consent to a vehicle search. Under the Fourth Amendment, an officer generally needs consent, probable cause, or a warrant. Remain respectful and calm, do not physically resist, and seek legal advice about the specific circumstances.

Do the police have to read me my Miranda rights?

It depends. Miranda warnings are generally required when a person is in custody and subjected to interrogation. If required warnings are not provided, statements obtained during custodial interrogation may be excluded, depending on the circumstances.

What should I do if I get stopped by the police?

Remain calm and respectful. Exercise your right to remain silent, do not consent to searches, and do not answer investigative questions without counsel. Ask whether you are free to leave; if not, request a lawyer. Afterward, document the details of the encounter.

Can I just ask the judge to dismiss the charge or charges?

Generally, no. Judges have limited legal grounds to dismiss criminal charges. A defense attorney can evaluate the evidence, procedure, and applicable law to identify any valid basis for dismissal or other relief.

What if I know someone who received less time than the State is offering me for the same or worse charges?

Every case is different, and outcomes depend on the facts, history, evidence, charges, lawyers, prosecutors, and judges involved. Provide the person’s name and case number to your attorney so the comparison can be investigated.

What’s the worst thing that can happen in my case?

The answer depends on the individual charges and facts and should be discussed in a private consultation. Generally, a misdemeanor can expose a person to as much as one year in jail or probation and a fine often up to $1,000. Felony cases can involve substantially greater incarceration and financial consequences, restitution, court costs, employment effects, and restrictions on licenses and professions.

Legal Disclaimer and Terms of Use

Effective Date: January 1, 2026

Last Updated: August 10th, 2026

1. Acceptance of These Terms

The following disclaimers and terms of use (the “Terms”) govern your access to and use of www.pearlandthompsonlaw.com and all associated subdomains, pages, forms, and content (collectively, the “Website”), which is published by Pearl & Thompson, Attorneys at Law (the “Firm”), a criminal defense law firm maintaining a bona fide office at 811 S. Missouri Avenue, Lakeland, Polk County, Florida 33815.

By accessing, browsing, downloading from, or submitting information through the Website, you acknowledge that you have read, understood, and agreed to be bound by these Terms. If you do not agree to these Terms in their entirety, you must discontinue use of the Website immediately.

2. No Legal Advice

All content appearing upon the Website, including narrative descriptions of practice areas, blog articles, frequently asked questions, statutory summaries, procedural overviews, and general commentary regarding Florida criminal law, is provided for general informational purposes only. Such content does not constitute legal advice, is not a substitute for the advice of a licensed attorney, and must not be relied upon as a basis for action or inaction with respect to any legal matter.

Criminal law is fact-intensive and jurisdiction-specific. The application of a statute, rule of procedure, evidentiary principle, or sentencing provision depends entirely upon the particular facts of the matter, the charging decisions of the prosecuting authority, the county and division in which the matter is pending, the individual’s prior record, and numerous other variables. General information cannot account for these variables. No individual should act upon, or refrain from acting upon, any information appearing on this Website without first obtaining individualized counsel from a licensed attorney concerning the specific facts of that individual’s matter.

3. No Attorney-Client Relationship

No attorney-client relationship is created by any of the following:

Your review of, or reliance upon, any content appearing upon the Website.
Your completion and submission of a contact form, consultation request, or other electronic form appearing upon the Website.
Your transmission of electronic mail, text message, voicemail, direct message, or social media communication to the Firm or to any of its attorneys or staff.
Your participation in a free case evaluation or initial consultation, whether conducted by telephone, video conference, or in person.
Any response, acknowledgment, or preliminary communication issued by the Firm in reply to an inquiry.

An attorney-client relationship with the Firm is established only after the Firm has completed a conflict-of-interest check, has expressly agreed in writing to undertake the representation, and a written engagement agreement has been executed by both the client and the Firm. Until each of these conditions has been satisfied, the Firm owes you no duty of representation, has undertaken no obligation to act on your behalf, and assumes no responsibility for the protection of your legal rights or the preservation of any deadline.

4. Confidentiality of Unsolicited Communications

Please do not transmit confidential, sensitive, or potentially incriminating information to the Firm through any web form, electronic mail message, text message, voicemail, or social media channel until an attorney-client relationship has been established in writing.

Unsolicited communications transmitted to the Firm before an engagement has been confirmed may not be protected by the attorney-client privilege or the work-product doctrine, may be reviewed by administrative personnel, may be subject to disclosure, and may in certain circumstances be discoverable. Furthermore, the receipt of unsolicited information regarding a matter in which the Firm represents or has been consulted by an adverse party may preclude the Firm from accepting your representation. Information conveyed by a prospective client remains subject to the limited protections of Rule 4-1.18 of the Rules Regulating The Florida Bar, but those protections are materially narrower than the protections afforded to an established client.

Electronic mail and text messages traverse networks that are not necessarily secure. Communications originating from or directed to a correctional facility should be presumed to be monitored, recorded, and retained. The Firm cannot guarantee the confidentiality or security of any communication transmitted through an unsecured or third-party channel.

5. Jurisdiction, Licensure, and Unauthorized Practice

The attorneys of the Firm are licensed to practice law in the State of Florida. The Firm’s practice is confined to criminal defense in the state courts of Florida, principally in Polk County and the remainder of Central Florida, and to such other matters and forums as the Firm may expressly undertake in writing.

Nothing upon this Website is intended to constitute, and nothing upon it shall be construed as constituting, the solicitation of legal business in, or the practice of law within, any jurisdiction in which the Firm’s attorneys are not admitted to practice or otherwise authorized to appear. The Firm does not seek to represent any person in any jurisdiction where this Website would fail to comply with applicable laws or rules of professional conduct. Content addressing the law of jurisdictions other than Florida, where any appears, is general in nature and is not offered as advice regarding the law of that jurisdiction.

6. Attorney Advertising

The Website constitutes attorney advertising and lawyer communication within the meaning of Subchapter 4-7 of the Rules Regulating The Florida Bar. It has been prepared with the intention of complying with Rules 4-7.11 through 4-7.22, including the requirements governing required content, permissible content, deceptive and inherently misleading statements, and potentially misleading statements.

The hiring of a lawyer is an important decision that should not be based solely upon advertisements or upon written information regarding an attorney’s qualifications and experience. Before you decide, you are entitled to request and receive free written information about the qualifications and experience of the attorneys under consideration. You are encouraged to interview more than one attorney, to verify the licensure and disciplinary history of any attorney with The Florida Bar, and to satisfy yourself independently as to that attorney’s suitability for your matter.

7. No Guarantee, Warranty, or Prediction of Outcome

Nothing upon this Website constitutes a guarantee, warranty, prediction, or assurance regarding the outcome of any legal matter. No attorney can lawfully or ethically guarantee a result. Statements regarding the Firm’s philosophy, experience, dedication, or approach are expressions of the Firm’s commitment to its clients and are not representations that a particular result will be obtained.

The outcome of a criminal matter is determined by facts, evidence, charging decisions, judicial rulings, jury determinations, statutory sentencing constraints, and numerous circumstances beyond the control of counsel. Every matter is different, and every matter must be evaluated upon its own facts.

8. Prior Results, Case Summaries, and Verdicts

Any description of a prior case result, dismissal, acquittal, reduction of charge, suppression ruling, or negotiated resolution appearing upon this Website is provided for illustrative purposes only. Prior results are not a guarantee, warranty, or prediction of a similar result in any other matter, and do not imply that similar results can be obtained for other clients in other matters.

Case summaries are necessarily abbreviated and omit facts, procedural history, and circumstances that materially affected the outcome. Client identifying details are omitted or altered as required by Rule 4-1.6 of the Rules Regulating The Florida Bar. The description of any matter is subject to the Firm’s obligations of client confidentiality and, where required, has been published only with the informed consent of the client.

9. Testimonials, Reviews, and Endorsements

Testimonials, client statements, reviews, star ratings, and endorsements appearing upon this Website or upon third-party platforms reflect the individual experiences and personal opinions of the persons who provided them. They are not representative of all clients, do not constitute a guarantee of any outcome, and should not be construed as a prediction of the result achievable in any other matter. Testimonials are published only where permitted by the Rules Regulating The Florida Bar. Reviews appearing upon third-party platforms are not controlled by the Firm, and the Firm is not responsible for their content, accuracy, or continued availability.

10. No Claim of Certification or Specialization

Unless a page of this Website expressly states otherwise, no attorney of the Firm claims to be certified, board certified, a specialist, or an expert in any area of law by The Florida Bar or by any other certifying organization accredited by The Florida Bar or the American Bar Association. Descriptions of the Firm’s practice as focused, concentrated, or limited to criminal defense are statements regarding the scope of the practice and are not claims of certification within the meaning of Rule 4-7.14(a)(4) of the Rules Regulating The Florida Bar.

11. Time-Sensitive Rights and Deadlines

Criminal matters are governed by strict and unforgiving deadlines. These include, without limitation, the periods of limitation prescribed by section 775.15, Florida Statutes; the speedy trial periods prescribed by Rule 3.191 of the Florida Rules of Criminal Procedure; the thirty-day period for filing a notice of appeal under Rule 9.140 of the Florida Rules of Appellate Procedure; the ten-day period for requesting a formal review of an administrative driver license suspension; the deadlines applicable to motions for postconviction relief under Rules 3.850 and 3.800; and the conditions and reporting requirements imposed by an order setting conditions of release, an order of probation, or a diversion agreement.

The failure to act within an applicable deadline may result in the permanent and irrevocable loss of substantial rights, including the right to contest a charge, to challenge a conviction, or to retain a driver license. The Firm assumes no responsibility for the preservation of any deadline unless and until it has been formally retained in writing. Any individual facing a criminal accusation should consult an attorney without delay.

12. Accuracy, Currency, and Completeness of Content

Statutes, administrative rules, rules of procedure, sentencing guidelines, and judicial interpretations are subject to amendment, repeal, and reinterpretation, and such changes may occur without notice. Content upon this Website, including blog articles and practice-area descriptions, reflects the state of the law as understood at the time of publication and may not reflect subsequent developments. The Firm undertakes no obligation to update, revise, or supplement any content following its publication, and the presence of content upon the Website is not a representation that it remains current.

While the Firm endeavors to ensure that all content is accurate, the Firm does not warrant the accuracy, completeness, adequacy, currency, or continued availability of any content, and expressly disclaims liability for any error, omission, typographical mistake, or outdated statement.

13. Third-Party Links and Referenced Materials

The Website may contain links to third-party websites, statutes, court opinions, government resources, directories, and other external materials. Such links are provided solely as a convenience. The Firm does not control, monitor, endorse, sponsor, or assume responsibility for the content, accuracy, legality, security, or privacy practices of any linked resource, and the inclusion of a link does not imply any affiliation, association, or endorsement. Your access to any linked resource is undertaken at your own risk and is subject to the terms and policies of the operator of that resource.

14. Automated Features and Artificial Intelligence

Any chat interface, automated response feature, intake assistant, appointment scheduler, or similar automated tool appearing upon the Website is provided for informational and administrative convenience only. Such tools do not provide legal advice, are not attorneys, are not supervised in real time, and may generate information that is incomplete, outdated, or incorrect. Communication with an automated tool does not create an attorney-client relationship, does not constitute a privileged communication, and does not preserve any right or deadline. No individual should rely upon the output of any automated feature as a substitute for consultation with a licensed attorney.

15. Fees, Costs, and Statements Regarding Pricing

Statements upon this Website regarding flat fees, transparent pricing, the inclusion of trial within a quoted fee, or the absence of hidden fees are general descriptions of the Firm’s customary billing practices and are not offers, quotations, or binding commitments as to any particular matter. Fees vary according to the charge, the complexity of the matter, the county and court in which it is pending, the anticipated scope of investigation and litigation, and other case-specific factors.

The fee applicable to any engagement, the scope of the services included within it, and the treatment of costs and expenses, which are ordinarily separate from attorney fees, will be set forth in a written fee agreement furnished and executed before the commencement of representation, as contemplated by Rule 4-1.5 of the Rules Regulating The Florida Bar. Only that written agreement is binding upon the Firm.

16. Consultations

An initial consultation is offered without charge. A consultation is a limited conversation for the purpose of allowing the Firm to evaluate whether it is able and willing to undertake the representation, and for allowing you to evaluate the Firm. A consultation does not constitute legal representation, does not create an attorney-client relationship, and does not obligate either party to proceed. The Firm reserves the right to decline any representation for any lawful reason, including the existence of a conflict of interest, the unavailability of counsel, or the nature of the matter.

17. Emergencies and Urgent Matters

The Website is not monitored continuously and must not be used to report an emergency or an urgent, time-critical development in a pending matter. If you are experiencing an emergency, dial 911. If you have been arrested, are being questioned by law enforcement, or have an imminent court appearance, telephone the Firm directly at (863) 359-5238 or (813) 510-0151. The Firm does not guarantee a response to any Website submission within any particular period.

18. Intellectual Property

All content appearing upon the Website, including text, articles, graphics, photographs, logos, marks, page layouts, video, and the selection, arrangement, and coordination thereof, is the property of Pearl & Thompson, Attorneys at Law or of its licensors and is protected by United States copyright, trademark, and other intellectual property law. All rights not expressly granted are reserved.

You may view, download, and print individual pages of the Website for your own personal, non-commercial reference. You may not reproduce, republish, distribute, transmit, display, modify, create derivative works from, sell, license, frame, mirror, or otherwise exploit any portion of the Website, nor use any Firm name, mark, or logo, without the prior written consent of the Firm.

19. Prohibited Uses

You agree that you will not:

Use the Website for any unlawful purpose or in violation of any applicable federal, state, or local law.
Transmit any false, fraudulent, defamatory, harassing, threatening, obscene, or intentionally misleading information to the Firm.
Impersonate any person or entity, or misrepresent your affiliation with any person or entity.
Submit information on behalf of another person without that person’s knowledge and authorization.
Attempt to gain unauthorized access to the Website, its servers, or any related system or network, or to interfere with the proper operation thereof.
Employ any automated means, including robots, crawlers, scrapers, or data-mining tools, to access, collect, index, or extract content or personal information from the Website without prior written authorization.
Use the Website or any content appearing upon it for the purpose of developing, training, or fine-tuning any artificial intelligence or machine learning model without prior written authorization.
Transmit any virus, malware, or other malicious code to the Website or to the Firm.

20. Disclaimer of Warranties

The Website and all content, materials, and functionality appearing upon it are provided on an “as is” and “as available” basis, without warranty of any kind, whether express, implied, statutory, or otherwise. To the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, the Firm disclaims all warranties, including the implied warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, title, accuracy, and non-infringement.

The Firm does not warrant that the Website will be uninterrupted, timely, secure, or free of error; that defects will be corrected; that the Website or the servers hosting it are free of viruses or other harmful components; or that any content will be accurate, complete, current, or reliable.

21. Limitation of Liability

To the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, neither the Firm, nor its attorneys, employees, agents, contractors, or licensors shall be liable for any direct, indirect, incidental, consequential, special, exemplary, or punitive damages, or for any loss of profits, revenue, data, goodwill, or opportunity, arising out of or in connection with your access to, use of, or inability to use the Website, your reliance upon any content appearing upon it, any unauthorized access to or alteration of your transmissions or data, or the conduct of any third party upon the Website, whether such claim is based in contract, tort, negligence, strict liability, statute, or any other legal theory, and whether or not the Firm has been advised of the possibility of such damages.

Certain jurisdictions do not permit the exclusion of implied warranties or the limitation of liability for certain damages. In such jurisdictions, the foregoing limitations shall apply to the maximum extent permitted by law. Nothing in these Terms is intended to limit or exclude any liability that may not lawfully be limited or excluded, including liability arising under the Rules Regulating The Florida Bar.

22. Indemnification

You agree to indemnify, defend, and hold harmless the Firm and its attorneys, employees, and agents from and against any claim, demand, loss, liability, damage, cost, or expense, including reasonable attorney fees, arising out of or related to your breach of these Terms, your misuse of the Website, your violation of any law, or your infringement of the rights of any third party.

23. Governing Law, Venue, and Dispute Resolution

These Terms and any dispute arising out of or relating to them or to the Website shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of Florida, without regard to its conflict of laws principles. You consent to the exclusive jurisdiction and venue of the state courts located in Polk County, Florida, or the United States District Court for the Middle District of Florida, Tampa Division, for the resolution of any such dispute, and you waive any objection based upon improper venue or forum non conveniens.

Nothing in this Section applies to, limits, or governs any dispute between the Firm and a client arising out of an executed engagement agreement, which shall be governed exclusively by the terms of that agreement and by the Rules Regulating The Florida Bar, including the fee arbitration procedures of Chapter 14 where applicable.

24. Severability, Waiver, and Entire Agreement

If any provision of these Terms is held to be invalid, illegal, or unenforceable, that provision shall be severed and the remaining provisions shall continue in full force and effect. The failure of the Firm to enforce any provision shall not constitute a waiver of that provision or of any other provision. These Terms, together with the Firm’s Privacy Policy, constitute the entire agreement between you and the Firm with respect to the Website, and supersede all prior or contemporaneous understandings regarding the same subject matter. These Terms do not supersede any executed engagement agreement.

25. Modification of These Terms

The Firm reserves the right to modify these Terms at any time and without prior notice. Modifications become effective upon posting to the Website with a revised effective date. Your continued use of the Website following the posting of modified Terms constitutes your acceptance of them. You are encouraged to review these Terms periodically.

26. Responsible Attorneys and Contact Information

The attorneys responsible for the content of this Website, as required by Rule 4-7.12 of the Rules Regulating The Florida Bar, are Michela Pearl and Jalen Thompson, each of whom is licensed to practice law in the State of Florida. The Firm maintains a bona fide office in Lakeland, Polk County, Florida. Inquiries regarding these Terms may be directed to:

Pearl & Thompson, Attorneys at Law
811 S. Missouri Avenue, Lakeland, Florida 33815
Telephone: (863) 359-5238 or (813) 510-0151
Electronic mail: Info@PearlandThompsonlaw.com
In-person meetings are conducted by appointment only.