Too many veterans end up in the criminal justice system carrying the weight of what their service cost them, whether that is post-traumatic stress, a brain injury, or the struggle of coming home. I am a St. Petersburg criminal defense and DUI attorney, and I represent servicemembers and veterans with the respect they have earned and with a real understanding of the options Florida’s courts have built for them. That includes Veterans Treatment Court, and it includes fighting a charge outright when that is the better path. This page explains how these cases work and how I can help.
“Rory went far above and beyond, and his results were remarkable. I am a disabled Vietnam veteran, and not only did he get my service and handicap acknowledged, my charges were reduced. I am forever grateful for his kindness and skill.”
Van D.
Veterans Treatment Court, and when it is the right path
Every judicial circuit in the Tampa Bay area runs a Veterans Treatment Court, a voluntary, court-supervised program for veterans and servicemembers charged with a misdemeanor or a felony. Instead of the ordinary path through the system, it pairs a dedicated judge with treatment through the Department of Veterans Affairs, regular supervision, and a mentor who is also a veteran, aimed at service-connected issues like post-traumatic stress, traumatic brain injury, and substance use. When someone completes the program, the result can be reduced or even dismissed charges. Eligibility runs through the State Attorney and depends on your service and the charge.
How Veterans Treatment Court can work
Whether veterans court is right for you is a real decision
Veterans Treatment Court can be the best thing that happens in a case, but it is not automatically the right choice, and entering it is not the only way to protect your future. The program takes real commitment over many months, and for some cases fighting the charge directly, or negotiating a different resolution, serves you better. That is exactly the kind of decision I help veterans think through, weighing the program against the strength of the evidence and what you want for your life, so the choice is yours and it is an informed one. My forensic approach to DUI and my trial background mean I can push hard on the government’s case whether or not veterans court is part of the plan. You can read more about my criminal defense and DUI defense work.
A charge can put more than your freedom at risk
For a veteran or an active servicemember, a criminal charge or a DUI can reach well beyond the courtroom, into a security clearance, a current or future job, and the benefits you earned through your service. Protecting those things is part of defending the case, not an afterthought, and it shapes the strategy from the first day, because a resolution that looks fine on paper can still cost you a clearance or a benefit if no one is thinking about it. I keep those stakes in view throughout, and I am careful and discreet about how a case is handled, so that the fight to protect your record is also a fight to protect everything that record touches.
Injury cases, and your family too
Veterans and their families get hurt in crashes and by others’ negligence like anyone else, and I represent them in those cases with the same commitment. The injuries that follow service, like a traumatic brain injury, can also make you or your family more vulnerable in a crash, and they deserve a lawyer who will take the full measure of the harm. If you or a loved one has been seriously injured, or a family member has been lost, I will fight for the full value of the claim, and a married spouse, including a same-sex spouse, has the right to bring their own claim for the companionship and support they have lost. You can read more on my personal injury and wrongful death pages.
The counties and courts I serve
I am based in St. Petersburg and represent veterans across the six Gulf Coast counties I serve, which are Pinellas, Hillsborough, Pasco, Manatee, Sarasota, and DeSoto. Those counties span three circuits, the Sixth in Pinellas and Pasco, the Thirteenth in Hillsborough, and the Twelfth in Manatee, Sarasota, and DeSoto, and each one runs its own Veterans Treatment Court. Knowing how each of those programs works, and the judges and prosecutors who run them, is part of getting a veteran the right result.
What to expect when you call
You will talk to me, not a screener, and the first consultation is free. I will listen to what happened and to what your service has been, give you my straight read on the case, and explain your options in plain terms, including whether veterans court makes sense for you. If you hire me, I handle your case personally from start to finish, and I treat you and your family with the respect you are owed at every step.
You served, and you deserve a lawyer who takes your case seriously and treats you with respect. I came up in the courtroom as a public defender, and I bring a forensic, science-driven approach to DUI and criminal defense along with real trial experience. I handle each case personally, I know the veterans court programs across Tampa Bay, and I am ready to go to trial when that is what a fair result requires. Learn more about my background.
Common Questions
Do you handle veterans’ criminal and DUI cases?
Yes. Criminal defense and DUI are the core of my practice, and I have represented veterans, including a disabled Vietnam veteran whose charges were reduced after his service was recognized. I bring that same commitment to every servicemember and veteran I represent.
What is Veterans Treatment Court?
It is a voluntary, court-supervised program in Florida for veterans and servicemembers charged with a misdemeanor or felony, pairing a dedicated judge with VA treatment, supervision, and a fellow-veteran mentor, often for service-connected issues like PTSD or a traumatic brain injury. Completing it can mean reduced or dismissed charges.
Am I eligible, and is it the right choice?
Eligibility runs through the State Attorney and depends on your service and the charge, and even when you qualify, veterans court is not always the best path. That is a decision to make with a lawyer who can compare it against fighting the charge outright.
Do you serve veterans across Tampa Bay?
Yes. I represent veterans across the six Gulf Coast counties I serve, which are Pinellas, Hillsborough, Pasco, Manatee, Sarasota, and DeSoto, spanning the Sixth, Thirteenth, and Twelfth Judicial Circuits, each of which runs a Veterans Treatment Court.
What will it cost to talk to you?
The first consultation is free. Criminal and DUI matters are handled on a flat or agreed fee, and injury cases are handled on contingency, so in an injury case you pay no attorney’s fee unless there is a recovery.
