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Client Review

"The best lawyer ever me and all my friend always call him for anything I recommended 100%."

Rating: 5/5 Stars
Written by:  Cesar C. 
Date Published: Feb. 24, 2015
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• July 9, 2015, the Florida Supreme Court rules that the Defense has the Burden in pre-trial Stand Your Ground hearings. See Jared Bretherick v. State of Florida. 

• October 21, 2015, the Florida Senate Criminal Justice Committee voted on for a proposal shifting the burden of proof in “stand your ground” cases to the prosecution.Read more here. 

• Fleeing Felon and Deadly Force: Florida allows private citizens to use force, including deadly force, when such force is necessary to stop the escape of a fleeing felon! The use of such force is justifiable if it appears to the citizen to be reasonably necessary to prevent the felon's escape. See Nelson By and Through Bowens v. Howell, 455 So.2d 608 (Fla. 2D DCA, 1984)

​Contact Us

Daytona: 140 South Beach St., Suite 310, Daytona Beach, FL 32114
Winter Park:  2281 Lee Rd., Suite 102, Winter Park, FL 32789       
Clearwater:    235 N. Garden Ave., Clearwater, FL 33755
Lake Mary: ​1540 International Pkwy, Suite 2000, Lake Mary, FL 32746

(407) 270- 3724          josh@joshadamslaw.com

"Use of force in defense of person.—A person is justified in using force, 
except deadly force, against another when and to the extent that the 
person reasonably believes that such conduct is necessary to defend 
himself or herself or another against the other’s imminent use of 
unlawful force."

In Florida, a person can even use deadly force and does not have a duty to retreat if:

(1) He or she reasonably believes that such force is necessary to prevent imminent death or great bodily harm to himself or herself or another or to prevent the imminent commission of a forcible felony; or

​(2) Under those circumstances permitted pursuant to s. 776.013.

776.013 Home protection; use of deadly force; presumption of fear of death or great bodily harm.

—(1) A person is presumed to have held a reasonable fear of imminent peril of death or great bodily harm to himself or herself or another when using defensive force that is intended or likely to cause death or great bodily harm to another if:

(a) The person against whom the defensive force was used was in the process of unlawfully and forcefully entering, or had unlawfully and forcibly entered, a dwelling, residence, or occupied vehicle, or if that person had removed or was attempting to remove another against that person’s will from the dwelling, residence, or occupied vehicle; and(b) The person who uses defensive force knew or had reason to believe that an unlawful and forcible entry or unlawful and forcible act was occurring or had occurred.(2) The presumption set forth in subsection (1) does not apply if:(a) The person against whom the defensive force is used has the right to be in or is a lawful resident of the dwelling, residence, or vehicle, such as an owner, lessee, or titleholder, and there is not an injunction for protection from domestic violence or a written pretrial supervision order of no contact against that person; or

(b) The person or persons sought to be removed is a child or grandchild, or is otherwise in the lawful custody or under the lawful guardianship of, the person against whom the defensive force is used; or

(c) The person who uses defensive force is engaged in an unlawful activity or is using the dwelling, residence, or occupied vehicle to further an unlawful activity; or

(d) The person against whom the defensive force is used is a law enforcement officer, as defined in s. 943.10(14), who enters or attempts to enter a dwelling, residence, or vehicle in the performance of his or her official duties and the officer identified himself or herself in accordance with any applicable law or the person using force knew or reasonably should have known that the person entering or attempting to enter was a law enforcement officer.

(3) A person who is not engaged in an unlawful activity and who is attacked in any other place where he or she has a right to be has no duty to retreat and has the right to stand his or her ground and meet force with force, including deadly force if he or she reasonably believes it is necessary to do so to prevent death or great bodily harm to himself or herself or another or to prevent the commission of a forcible felony.

(4) A person who unlawfully and by force enters or attempts to enter a person’s dwelling, residence, or occupied vehicle is presumed to be doing so with the intent to commit an unlawful act involving force or violence.

(5) As used in this section, the term:

(a) “Dwelling” means a building or conveyance of any kind, including any attached porch, whether the building or conveyance is temporary or permanent, mobile or immobile, which has a roof over it, including a tent, and is designed to be occupied by people lodging therein at night.

(b) “Residence” means a dwelling in which a person resides either temporarily or permanently or is visiting as an invited guest.

​(c) “Vehicle” means a conveyance of any kind, whether or not motorized, which is designed to transport people or property.