If you know a University of Tampa or University of South Florida (USF) Student who has been arrested and charged with a crime it is imperative that you contact an experienced criminal defense attorney immediately. As a student, the accused will face both criminal penalties as well as potential penalties at the University level, including suspension or expulsion from school.
Our firm has represented hundreds – if not thousands – of students over the past 25 years. Some of the most common crimes we see students charged with include:
DUI
Petit Theft (Retail Theft)
Underage Drinking
Sexual Battery (Rape)
Possession of Marijuana
Possession of Drug Paraphernailia
One of the lawyers on our staff, Frank Kerney, has been working with USF as a volunteer legal aid attorney since 2013. During that time Mr. Kerney has dealt with students facing a wide variety of issues on campus, as well as the administrative issues the students faced at the University level. According to Mr. Kerney, "aggressive representation against the criminal charge may only be half the battle for a student. He or she may be facing expulsion from school as a result of the incident. Therefore, it is imperative that the student act swiftly and have an experienced advocate on his or her side to help prepare for any hearings he or she may face with the school itself."
Mr. Kerney went on to add that "not all students will face penalties at the University level. Most likely if the event occurred on campus there will be some hearing with the school. Unfortunately, the school does hear about off-campus incidents as well which may mean a university level penalty regardless of where the crime allegedly occurred. Obviously, your attorney's first goal should be to help your student avoid a conviction; however the secondary goal must be to avoid penalties at the university level.
The bottom line: if your student is charged with a crime, hire an attorney with experience representing students. "Students face a unique set of issues. They are on their own for the first time and this is a situation that may haunt him or her for life if it is not handled properly."
If you know a student charged with a crime, call the law firm of Taracks & Associates today for a free, confidential consultation. We have an attorney on call 24/7 who can take your call and offer guidance into the situation.