Our community is safer when we prioritize the safety of victims, build strong partnerships with law enforcement, criminal justice stakeholders, and community agencies, and work together to efficiently and responsibly utilize the resources of the criminal justice system.
Victim Assistance Program
813-272-6472
[email protected]
The Victim Assistance Program was established by Hillsborough County in 1985 to strengthen victim support and advocacy in this county. Florida Law provides a cadre of services designated to support victims and their families. Victims of crimes have the legal right to access this community of support. There are no fees for our services and we are available to assist any crime victim who is a resident of Hillsborough County or who was a victim of a crime occurring in Hillsborough County.
Please feel free to contact our office should you need anything, including questions or concerns about a pending case. Our Victim Assistance Program is available to you now, as the prosecution proceeds, and even after the case is closed.
At first appearances and at bond hearings, the Court will determine whether a defendant qualifies for a bond, the appropriate bond amount, and any additional conditions which are needed to protect public safety and insure that the defendant appears for court.
Too frequently, a defendant is charged with an act of domestic violence. Those acts of domestic violence can be precursors to fatalities resulting from domestic violence. Our office aggressively seeks the relinquishment of firearms from domestic violence defendants through bond conditions, plea agreements, terms of probation, and entry into diversion programs. This applies to any defendant who is prohibited by law from owning a firearm; and any defendant who has been charged based on probable cause with having committed an act of domestic violence. Through the Disarming Domestic Abusers (DDA) initiative, the State Attorney's Office utilizes information obtained by law enforcement to identify defendant's at first appearance who are likely to possess or have custody of a firearm. By requesting the relinquishment of the firearm to law enforcement as a condition of release, we hope to reduce domestic violence, help victims overcome the overwhelming, paralyzing fear that comes with having an abusive, armed partner, and potentially save lives.
Effective January 1, 2024, Florida Statute §907.041 was amended to require the State to file Motions for Pre-Trial Detention on defendants arrested for certain dangerous crimes. Florida law continues to allow the State to also pursue pre-trial detention for other offenders who meet certain criteria and who pose a danger to the community. These laws provide a mechanism for keeping certain dangerous offenders in custody pending resolution of their cases while still providing them with due process. Once the motion is filed, the court must the motion for hearing within 5 days. At the hearing, the State seeks to establish that the defendant meets the criteria to be held without bond pending a resolution of the case.
Communication between law enforcement agencies and our office is key to building strong prosecutions. Bridging the Badge is an opportunity for members of our office to find common ground with deputies and establish open lines of communication. The program consists of small group meetings between SAO13 and law enforcement officers at their districts, ridealongs with law enforcement by prosecutors, and a reverse ridealong where law enforcement officers go to court with ASAs to learn more about how our porsecutors handle cases and the challenges they face.
Our Sales Tax Restitution program supports our community and our state by bringing business owners who have fallen behind in their required sales tax payments back into compliance with the law. This problem-solving approach allows business owners to stay in business—still providing jobs to their employees and selling their products to the community—while holding them accountable and collecting the tax revenue they owe to the State of Florida.
In partnership with the Florida Department of Revenue, selected businesses are offered an informal hearing on their debt and how to resolve it. If the business owners sign an agreement and commit to the Sales Tax Restitution program, they make an initial deposit and are then placed on a payment plan to pay the amount they owe over a set period of time. Business owners who successfully complete the program are not prosecuted and the matter remains confidential. Owners who fail to comply may be prosecuted under Florida Statutes §§212.14 and 212.15.
Launched in the 2003–04 fiscal year, our office is one of only eight in Florida to offer this alternative to prosecution as part of Florida’s Tax Collection Enforcement Diversion Program. To date, the Hillsborough State Attorney’s Office has collected more than $15 million in owed sales tax revenue, delivering the funds to the State of Florida.
A portion of the recovered revenue supports a Florida program that helps adults with significant disabilities get jobs and earn the income and satisfaction that come with working in a job they love. The James Patrick Memorial Work Incentive – Personal Attendant Services & Employment Assistance (JP-PAS) Program provides a monthly stipend for disabled adults so they can get professional assistance with personal care needs, allowing them to get and keep a job in the community.
For more information on the program, contact Cari Taylor, the Hillsborough State Attorney’s Office Sales Tax Restitution Coordinator, at [email protected] or (813) 274-1769.
Our Worthless Check Unit provides assistance to victims of worthless checks. Our Worthless Check Diversion Program seeks to collect restitution for the victim while providing education to prevent future worthless checks.
Affidavit of First Class Mailing
Notice of Receipt of Worthless Check Demand Letter
Worthless Check Third Party Affidavit
Worthless Check Affidavit
Worthless Check Affidavit (sample)
Requirements for Filing
Adult Pre-Arrest Diversion Program (APAD)
The Hillsborough County criminal justice community established the Adult Pre-Arrest Diversion Program (APAD) in July 2017. APAD allows individuals with minimal or no criminal history who commit an eligible misdemeanor offense to enter into an agreement where they accept responsibility, receive sanctions such as drug treatment or anger management, pay restitution and costs, and don’t re-offend. If they successfully complete the program, no charges are filed. If they fail, the case is referred to our office for prosecution. This cost-saving program is intended to improve public safety by reducing recidivism while addressing the offender’s underlying behavior and give individuals who’ve made minor mistakes another chance.
Juvenile Arrest Avoidance Program
Hillsborough County launched the Juvenile Arrest Avoidance Program, commonly referred to as the juvenile civil citation program. on August 1, 2017. This program is an evidenced-based alternative to the arrest and detention of juveniles for first-time minor offenses, allowing for early intervention into delinquency, and holding youth accountable with targeted and immediate sanctions. In 2019, the program was expanded to include additional eligible offenses, including addressing instances of family violence.
Misdemeanor Intervention Programs (MIP)
The Misdemeanor Intervention Program (MIP) is a diversionary program for first time offenders. A defendant can only enter MIP with the consent of the Office of the State Attorney. Defense counsel should contact the assigned Assistant State Attorney to determine eligibility for their client. The MIP application can be downloaded here:
Reducing Impaired Driving Recidivism (RIDR)
Hillsborough County has consistently been ranked the worst or near the worst in Florida for DUI crashes, injuries, and fatalities. Given the dangers of impaired driving and the importance of reducing recidivism to promote long-term community safety, the State Attorney's Office established the Reducing Impaired Driving Recidivism (RIDR) initiative. RIDR seeks to aggressively target and reduce impaired driving by imposing enhanced sanctions like alcohol monitoring devices and DUI education programs on first-time, non-aggravated DUI offenders. RIDR also promotes consistency in the prosecution of DUI cases by eliminating the incentive for offenders to refuse to provide a breath sample during investigation.
Drug Education and Treatment Reducing Recidivism (DETRR)
DETRR, which stands for Drug Education & Treatment Reducing Recidivism, gives low-risk drug offenders who are accused of no other serious crimes an off-ramp out of the downward spiral of drug use, arrests, and incarceration. DETRR is limited to drug possession cases for low-risk, non-violent offenders; it is not allowed for drug dealers, violent offenders, or anyone deemed high-risk. Treatment and rehabilitation are more effective and less expensive than jail or prison. Additionally, this approach benefits the community beyond the criminal justice system by improving health outcomes and employment opportunities, both of which reduce the burden on taxpayers.
Under DETRR, if offenders successfully follow the prescribed drug treatment or drug education program and stay arrest-free for six months, the drug possession charge will be dismissed. DETRR is only an option for low-risk offenders who are not accused of any serious crime beyond using drugs. Participants who reoffend face escalating consequences, including the possibility of traditional prosecution and incarceration.
Adult Post-Adjudication Drug Court
The Adult Post-Adjudication Drug Court is designed to treat and assist those individuals whose drug and alcohol problems have resulted in being charged with a 3rd-degree felony. Individuals who have prior non-violent felony convictions and do not score mandatory state prison are eligible for this court.
Mental Health Court (MHC)
For too long, our criminal justice system has failed those suffering from mental illness. Annually, an estimated 2 million people with mental illness are booked into jails in our country—many for non-violent offenses. Our office is firmly committed to reducing the number of incarcerated criminal defendants with serious mental illnesses. We worked with the Thirteenth Judicial Circuit to establish a Mental Health Court (MHC) to oversee cases with individuals who have mental health challenges. MHC allows individuals charged with certain crimes to participate in a diversion program which incorporates a treatment plan into the sanctions. Defendants who are charged with third-degree felony offenses and found incompetent to proceed are transferred to MHC, where a judge oversees their competency restoration training by various community agencies. In addition, defendants who have serious mental health illness now have the opportunity to receive extensive treatment and learn how to manage their illness with judicial oversight. MHC allows individuals for whom incarceration may be their only option to receive psychiatric treatment and extensive case management. The goal for these individuals is to identify, manage, and treat their mental illness so that they do not return to the criminal justice system. For forms and information on Mental Health Court, click here.
Veterans Treatment Court
Our Veteran’s Treatment Court (VTC) is a problem-solving court that has become a national model for handling the unique issues facing veterans in our criminal justice system. VTC holds veterans accountable for their actions while simultaneously addressing underlying issues like PTSD, unemployment, homelessness, and drug and alcohol abuse. Working closely with the Thirteenth Judicial Circuit Court and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, our office has implemented a phase-based system of treatment that matches the best practice model mandated by the Florida Supreme Court for problem-solving courts. Because of its success, our VTC is expanding as more veterans are being identified as suitable candidates for this specialty court, and we are seeking additional funding from the Florida Legislature to continue to grow this program to meet the needs of the servicemen and women in our community.