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Fort Lauderdale Sex Crimes Defense
Broward County is Florida's Seventeenth Judicial Circuit. A sex-offense case from Fort Lauderdale, Hollywood, Pembroke Pines or anywhere else in the county is prosecuted by the Seventeenth Circuit State Attorney's Office and heard at the Broward County Courthouse, 201 SE 6th Street.
After an arrest, people are usually processed through the Broward Sheriff's Office Main Jail and Central Intake, 555 SE 1st Avenue. First appearance is held in Courtroom 04155 in the courthouse's West Wing, on weekdays at 9 a.m. and 12:30 p.m., and can be attended in person or by Zoom. Florida Rule of Criminal Procedure 3.130 requires that hearing within 24 hours of arrest. In a sex-offense case, the judge there usually sets bond and no-contact conditions.
Chad Seibel is a former Florida prosecutor (Assistant State Attorney, Ninth Judicial Circuit, 2013–2016) who now defends people charged with serious felonies across Florida. His office is in Kissimmee, and consultations and meetings can be arranged in Fort Lauderdale by appointment.
Charges we defend
Sexual battery (§ 794.011, Fla. Stat.) — Sexual battery
Lewd or lascivious offenses involving a person under 16 (§ 800.04) — Lewd or lascivious
Online solicitation and traveling to meet a minor (§ 847.0135) — Online solicitation
Child sexual abuse material, formerly called child pornography (§ 827.071) — Learn more
Failure to register as a sex offender (§ 943.0435) — Failure to register
Voyeurism and sexting · Indecent exposure · Human trafficking · Romeo and Juliet cases
If you have been contacted by detectives
Do not agree to an interview, a "controlled" phone call or a polygraph without a lawyer. Many sex-offense cases are built on statements made before an arrest. Say "I want a lawyer" and stop answering questions.
Who prosecutes sex offenses in Broward County
The Seventeenth Circuit State Attorney's Office lists a Sex Crimes Unit in its contact directory. Sex-offense cases are often assigned to prosecutors who handle them regularly, which is one reason an early, organized defense matters.
Pretrial Services in Broward County
The Broward Sheriff's Office runs a Pretrial Services Division designed to divert criminal defendants from pretrial incarceration. Its staff interview defendants before their first hearing, check their backgrounds and recommend qualified defendants for release. Released defendants may be placed on standard supervision, intermediate supervision, or electronic monitoring and house arrest, the most intensive level, with curfews and 24-hour GPS monitoring.
Looking up a Broward County case
The Broward County Clerk of Courts offers a public online case search that covers felony and traffic-and-misdemeanor cases, among others; a party-name search requires both a last and first name. The Broward Sheriff's Office posts charge and bond information through its online BSO Arrest Search and lists (954) 982-6924 and (954) 982-6925 for charge and bond information; the information window in the Main Jail lobby is open 24 hours a day.
Frequently asked questions
When is first appearance in Broward County?
Weekdays at 9 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. in Courtroom 04155 (West Wing) of the Broward County Courthouse, in person or by Zoom.
Can a lawyer from Kissimmee handle a Fort Lauderdale case?
Florida lawyers can practice in any Florida circuit court. Ask any lawyer how they will handle hearings and meetings in your county.
Is the consultation confidential?
Yes. What you tell a lawyer in a consultation is confidential.
Will I be supervised if I'm released before trial?
Possibly. The Broward Sheriff's Office Pretrial Services Division supervises released defendants at levels ranging from standard check-ins to electronic monitoring and house arrest, depending on what the judge orders.
Call or text 407-846-8008 for a free, confidential consultation. Office: 517 W. Bryan St., Kissimmee, FL 34741 · Office line 407-530-4920. Consultations and meetings available throughout Florida by appointment.