Katz & Associates / Palm Beach Gardens

Palm Beach Gardens
Criminal Defense Lawyer

Before you plead, understand what can be challenged.

A criminal case can put your freedom, record and ability to work at risk. Katz & Associates helps people in Palm Beach Gardens understand those risks and respond with a defense. We review the charge and evidence, look for lawful challenges and explain your choices before a plea or trial. Start with the call, charge or court notice in front of you.

Call 772-933-5289 → Talk about your case

Serving Palm Beach Gardens and Palm Beach County

A place to start

Your side.
Your concerns.
Your defense.

You do not need a complete file or a legal argument to call. Tell us what happened and what you most need to protect.

Before the next decision

Police contact or a court date?
You can get help now.

If an investigator wants to speak with you, Katz can advise you about the interview before charges are filed. If you have been arrested, we can explain the charge, release terms and what is due next. Bring any notice you have. Early help can guide your response, but it cannot guarantee that charges will be avoided.

DUI: check both proceedings

A DUI case and an administrative license suspension are separate proceedings. For a suspension under section 322.2615, you have 10 days after the notice is issued to request formal or informal review. A later court date does not extend that deadline.

Florida license-suspension law
Understand the license deadline ↓

What hiring a defense lawyer should accomplish

What Katz can do
for your defense.

Our Florida criminal defense practice handles felony and misdemeanor cases, including DUI, drug, theft, fraud, assault, battery and domestic allegations.

Understand the risk

What is at risk, and what affects it?

Jail is a risk in many criminal cases. The charge, evidence, record and sentencing rules matter. We review those factors and explain the penalties that may apply to you. Release terms while a case is pending are separate from a sentence. Raise concerns about your record, driving, work or family contact before a plea. Immigration concerns may need separate advice.

Build the defense

Put your side of the story and your evidence to work.

A police report may not contain every fact that matters. Your messages, video or witnesses may fill a gap or challenge the account. Katz compares those details with the state’s case and reviews how evidence was obtained. You bring what you know; counsel works out what it may mean for the defense.

Weigh the choices

Understand an offer before you decide.

The evidence and law may support a challenge to the charge, a negotiated resolution or a defense at trial. Katz helps you compare the realistic paths before accepting a plea. We explain the proposed terms and possible penalties, including which counts would end and which would stay open. Diversion may be an option only if you qualify and get the required approvals.

While we review your options, keep following your release terms. Under Florida’s release-conditions law, another person’s invitation does not cancel a court-ordered no-contact condition. The court must change the order.
The State Attorney’s adult criminal process guide explains the court stages. Below, see how the hearing on your notice and its location affect preparation.

The work behind those choices

How Katz builds
your defense.

01

Define what the state must prove.

We start with the filed charge, not just the arrest label. Theft can involve an intent to deprive someone of property even for a short time. Battery can involve deliberate unwanted touching without visible injury. Knowing the legal elements helps identify which facts the defense needs to address.

02

Test the evidence and legal grounds.

In a DUI case, we examine the stop and testing. Actual physical control can matter even if no officer saw the car moving. For a drug charge, the search, test results, possession and any lawful prescription may matter. When supported by law, a motion to suppress seeks to keep evidence out. Success does not by itself dismiss the case.

03

Prepare the facts that are in dispute.

We compare records, witness accounts and the sequence of events. A receipt may show ownership; messages may show permission; a recording may change an account of a confrontation. Keep original records and flag video that could be erased. The aim is to identify what supports your defense and what still needs to be addressed before a hearing, plea or trial.

Talk about the defense you need →
Florida’s criminal procedure rules govern evidence and motions. Pretrial intervention law sets who can qualify and whose approval is needed.

Preparing for your Palm Beach Gardens case

What can happen
at your next hearing?

At arraignment, the court addresses the formal charge and your plea. An evidence hearing addresses a specific legal or factual issue. A non-jury trial is a trial before a judge, not an agreement to plead guilty. Katz can explain what your hearing is for, what needs preparation and which decisions need your input.

The State Attorney’s North County office lists misdemeanor, criminal traffic and DUI arraignments, plus non-jury trials, at the North County Courthouse. Misdemeanor jury trials go downtown under the County Court Division’s assignments. Our West Palm Beach criminal court guide explains that setting.

Not every Palm Beach Gardens case belongs at North County. Check your latest notice and any later court order for the place, time, courtroom and way to attend. Hiring a lawyer does not excuse attendance by itself. Keep the date while you arrange representation.

LOCAL COURT REFERENCE

North County
Courthouse

3188 PGA Boulevard
Palm Beach Gardens, FL 33410

Courthouse information →
Michael Katz Esq

Michael Katz

Founder, Katz & Associates

2005

Firm founded

The firm behind the work

Why bring your
case to Katz?

Consider Katz if you want the evidence and your choices explained together. The firm handles issues such as DUI testing, drug searches, conflicting witness accounts and disputed financial records. Our attorneys can examine the issue driving your case and help you weigh what to do about it.

Michael Katz founded the firm in 2005. Katz & Associates pairs that case review with attention to the concerns behind the charge, including work, driving and family. You should understand why a step is recommended and what risks remain before you decide.

Learn more about Michael Katz and the firm’s approach. When you call, we can discuss who would handle your matter, what the work involves and how fees work.

Details you may need along the way

Charges, license review and court records

These answers cover a few specific issues. Your case and the advice you need may differ.

You must answer the charge filed by the prosecutor in court. It may differ from the arrest report. Have counsel check the current filing, any changed charge and which counts remain open. Advice based on the arrest label may no longer fit if the charge has changed.

The State Attorney’s process guide describes the charging review.
Under section 322.2615, informal review uses only the materials submitted. Formal review lets a hearing officer receive evidence and hear witnesses. Neither is the criminal trial. A request for review does not by itself pause the suspension. Ask which review fits your issues. Also ask whether you can qualify for restricted driving under the rules that apply to your record.
An empty Court Events tab is not proof that no hearing is set. The Clerk’s eCaseView guidance says to check the docket for hearing notices. Compare them with your latest notice and any later order. The criminal court page explains record access, or call 561-355-2994 during listed weekday hours. The Clerk can help with case information; its general questions page explains why staff cannot give legal advice.

Before you decide whom to hire

What will we cover
when you call?

Start with what happened, the next date and the question you most need answered. We can discuss the help you need, the next decision and what representing you would involve. You do not need to sort out the legal argument first.

Call 772-933-5289 →

Before you commit, discuss who would handle the case, the fee and what it includes. Ask whether trial, an expert or a separate license matter would add costs, and which payment terms are available. The charge, evidence and work required affect the scope.

If you have them, keep your notice, release papers and a short timeline nearby. Missing papers should not stop you from calling. Contact Katz & Associates to discuss the help you need.

Tell us what you are facing

Request a case discussion

Leave your contact details and a brief description. If a court or license deadline is near, call rather than rely on a form response. Ask how to share private records safely.

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This is general legal information. For advice on your case, speak with a lawyer. Sending this request alone does not mean the firm represents you.