South Florida Criminal Defense Lawyer Blog
Florida courts permit those charged with a crime to avoid a conviction with a “withheld adjudication”.
You can truthfully answer “no” to the question: “Have you been found guilty of a felony?” if the criminal court in Florida “withheld adjudication”
But…..in Federal court a “withheld” adjudication is considered a finding of guilt.
If you are facing federal removal proceedings (deportation) over a conviction you have in Florida for a crimiinal charge you should contact a criminal lawyer in South Florida and ask about having your Florida plea withdrawn. There is a procedure to withdraw a plea IF your plea directly results in deportation and you were not advised by the judge at your sentencing of the possible immigration consequences.