Being arrested for a crime in Orlando is overwhelming and often frightening. Whether you’re facing misdemeanor charges or serious felony accusations, the decisions you make in the hours and days after arrest can significantly impact how your case unfolds.
At Rentz Law, Attorney Carrie L. Rentz provides strategic, hands-on criminal defense for clients throughout Orange and Seminole Counties. With over 20 years of experience—including time as a former prosecutor—Carrie understands how the State builds criminal cases and knows how to challenge evidence, protect your rights, and pursue the best possible outcome at every stage.
How Rentz Law Can Help After an Arrest in Orlando
Local courtroom experience – Carrie regularly appears at the Orange County Courthouse (425 N. Orange Ave.) and the Seminole County Criminal Justice Center (Sanford), with practical knowledge of local judges, prosecutors, and court procedures.
Strategic, evidence-driven defense – Every case requires thorough investigation of the evidence, witness credibility, police procedures, and constitutional protections. Carrie personally handles every aspect of your defense from investigation through resolution.
Hands-on representation – Your case is managed directly by Carrie from start to finish, with no hand-offs to junior attorneys or case managers.
Communication your way – You have direct access to your attorney via phone, text, or email throughout your case.
Meet Your Criminal Defense Attorney
Carrie L. Rentz is a former prosecutor with over two decades of criminal defense experience in Central Florida. She understands how the State builds cases, evaluates evidence, and where weaknesses can be exposed. Carrie has defended clients facing charges from misdemeanor DUI and domestic violence to serious felonies including drug trafficking, armed robbery, and homicide. She approaches each case with thorough preparation, strategic thinking, and a commitment to protecting your rights.
20+ Years of Experience Serving Orange and Seminole Counties
Criminal Defense Practice Areas We Handle
Rentz Law defends clients facing a wide range of criminal charges throughout Orange and Seminole Counties. We provide focused, strategic representation tailored to your specific situation, from first-time misdemeanors to serious felony charges.
Violent Crimes
Violent crime charges carry some of the most severe penalties in Florida’s criminal justice system. We defend clients facing assault and battery, aggravated assault, robbery, carjacking, manslaughter, and murder charges. These cases often involve witness credibility issues, self-defense claims, and constitutional challenges to how evidence was obtained.
Learn more about our violent crimes defense →
Sex Crimes
Sex crime allegations carry severe penalties and lifetime consequences including sex offender registration. We provide discreet, aggressive defense for clients facing charges including prostitution, solicitation, rape, statutory rape, and other sex-related offenses. Many of these cases involve credibility disputes, false accusations, or situations far more complicated than the charges suggest.
Learn more about our sex crimes defense →
Drug Crimes
Florida’s drug laws impose serious penalties even for first-time offenders, with mandatory minimums in many trafficking cases. We defend clients facing charges for possession, sale, trafficking, and manufacturing of controlled substances including marijuana, cocaine, fentanyl, methamphetamine, and prescription drugs. Our defense strategies focus on challenging illegal searches, suppressing evidence, and pursuing diversion programs when available.
Learn more about our drug crimes defense →
DUI Defense
DUI arrests in Orlando are common, particularly along I-4, International Drive, and downtown entertainment districts. Even a first DUI carries license suspension, fines, and potential jail time. We challenge breath test results, field sobriety procedures, and traffic stop legality to protect your driving privileges and criminal record.
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Domestic Violence
Domestic violence charges trigger immediate no-contact orders and can separate you from your home and children. These cases often involve conflicting statements, heat-of-the-moment accusations, or custody disputes. We defend clients facing domestic battery, aggravated domestic battery, and violations of protective injunctions.
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Theft Crimes
Theft charges in Florida range from petty theft to grand theft and organized retail theft. Penalties vary based on the value of property taken and your criminal history. We defend clients facing shoplifting, burglary, robbery, fraud, and other theft-related charges throughout Central Florida.
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Juvenile Defense
Young people make mistakes, but those mistakes shouldn’t define their future. We represent minors facing criminal charges in juvenile court, focusing on diversion programs, sealed records, and outcomes that protect educational and career opportunities.
Learn more about our juvenile defense →
Probation Violations
Violating probation can result in the revocation of your original sentence and immediate incarceration. Whether the alleged violation involves new charges, missed appointments, or failed drug tests, we work to keep you out of jail and preserve your probation status.
Learn more about probation violation defense →
Injunctions / Restraining Orders
Being served with an injunction petition requires immediate attention. We represent respondents at injunction hearings and work to modify or dissolve orders that restrict your freedom of movement, contact with family, and access to your home.
Learn more about injunction defense →
Expungement & Record Sealing
A criminal record can affect employment, housing, and professional licensing for decades. We help eligible clients seal or expunge criminal records, giving them a fresh start and removing barriers to opportunity.
Understanding Criminal Charges in Florida
Florida’s criminal justice system classifies offenses as either misdemeanors or felonies, with penalties ranging from fines and probation to decades in prison or life sentences.
Misdemeanors are less serious offenses divided into two categories: second-degree misdemeanors (up to 60 days in jail and $500 in fines) and first-degree misdemeanors (up to 1 year in jail and $1,000 in fines). Common misdemeanors include simple assault, battery, petit theft, DUI, and disorderly conduct.
Felonies are more serious crimes divided into five categories with escalating penalties. Third-degree felonies carry up to 5 years in prison, second-degree felonies up to 15 years, and first-degree felonies up to 30 years or life. Capital and life felonies carry potential life sentences or, in rare cases, the death penalty. Common felonies include drug trafficking, aggravated assault, robbery, burglary, and sexual battery.
Many criminal charges also carry collateral consequences beyond court-imposed penalties, including loss of voting rights, firearm prohibitions, immigration consequences, professional licensing restrictions, and barriers to employment and housing.
Criminal Cases in Orange County
According to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement’s Uniform Crime Reports, Orange County law enforcement agencies made over 17,000 arrests in the most recent reporting year across all crime categories. These arrests span the spectrum from misdemeanor offenses to serious violent felonies, with investigations conducted by the Orlando Police Department, Orange County Sheriff’s Office, Florida Highway Patrol, and municipal police departments throughout the county.
Common areas for criminal enforcement in Orlando include downtown nightlife districts along Orange Avenue and Church Street, high-traffic corridors like International Drive and Orange Blossom Trail, residential communities throughout Pine Hills and Parramore, college areas near UCF and Valencia, and tourist zones near Convention Center and theme park areas. Many arrests also result from traffic stops on I-4, SR 408, and Colonial Drive, as well as from domestic incidents in homes throughout Orange and Seminole Counties.
What Happens After a Criminal Arrest in Orlando?
Understanding the criminal justice process can help reduce anxiety and allow you to make informed decisions about your case.
Arrest and Booking – After arrest, you’ll be taken to the Orange County Jail or John E. Polk Correctional Facility (Seminole County) for booking, fingerprinting, and photographing. Depending on the charge, you may be released on a Notice to Appear, released on bond, or held pending first appearance.
First Appearance (≈24 hours) – A judge reviews probable cause for your arrest and may set bond conditions. In some cases, the judge issues no-contact orders or other pretrial restrictions. This is often your first opportunity to learn the specific charges against you.
Bond Hearing – If bond is denied or set too high, your attorney can request an Arthur hearing to argue for reasonable bond based on your ties to the community, lack of flight risk, and the specific facts of your case.
Arraignment – The formal reading of charges and entry of plea. Most defendants enter a not guilty plea at this stage, preserving all defense options.
Discovery and Investigation – Your attorney receives evidence from the State, including police reports, witness statements, forensic evidence, surveillance footage, body camera recordings, and expert reports. This is when your defense investigation begins in earnest.
Depositions – In felony cases, your attorney has the right to depose State witnesses under oath before trial, including law enforcement officers, alleged victims, and expert witnesses.
Pre-Trial Motions – Strategic motions to suppress illegally obtained evidence, dismiss charges based on insufficient evidence, or exclude unreliable testimony are filed based on weaknesses in the State’s case.
Negotiation – Many cases resolve through plea negotiations that result in reduced charges, lesser sentences, diversion programs, or alternative resolutions that avoid the most serious consequences.
Trial or Resolution – If your case proceeds to trial, a jury will hear the evidence and determine whether the State has proven its case beyond a reasonable doubt.
How We Defend Criminal Cases in Orlando
Criminal defense requires comprehensive investigation, strategic thinking, and aggressive advocacy at every stage. We start by analyzing every detail of your arrest: the circumstances leading to police contact, whether your constitutional rights were respected, how evidence was collected, and whether proper procedures were followed. This initial review often reveals violations that can result in evidence being suppressed or charges being dismissed.
Our independent investigation goes beyond what law enforcement examined:
- Interview witnesses who may provide alternative accounts
- Obtain surveillance footage from businesses and traffic cameras
- Analyze forensic evidence for errors or inconsistencies
- Review medical records that may support your defense
- Examine cell phone data, GPS records, and digital evidence
- Consult with forensic experts, medical professionals, and other specialists when needed
We look for inconsistencies, alternative explanations, and facts that police reports often miss or mischaracterize.
When the facts support it, we file strategic pre-trial motions challenging the legality of searches and seizures, the reliability of witness identifications, the admissibility of statements made to police, and the sufficiency of the State’s evidence. These motions can result in critical evidence being excluded or the entire case being dismissed before trial.
Throughout the process, we pursue every opportunity for favorable resolution—charge reductions that eliminate mandatory minimums, diversion programs that result in dismissal, alternative sentencing that emphasizes treatment over incarceration, and negotiated pleas that protect your record and future opportunities.
If your case proceeds to trial, we prepare a complete defense strategy focused on reasonable doubt:
- Strategic jury selection to identify jurors who will hold the State to its burden
- Aggressive cross-examination of State witnesses
- Challenges to the reliability of forensic evidence
- Presentation of defense witnesses and evidence
- Compelling closing arguments that the State has failed to meet its burden of proof
Throughout your case, you’ll have direct access to Carrie and receive regular updates about developments, deadlines, and decisions. Criminal charges are frightening and disruptive, and we understand the stress this places on you and your family. You’ll never be left wondering what’s happening or what comes next.
Your Right to Fair Representation
Being charged with a crime does not mean you are guilty. You have fundamental constitutional rights that must be respected throughout the criminal justice process. You have the right to remain silent and not incriminate yourself, the right to an attorney at every stage, the right to confront witnesses and challenge evidence, the right to present your own evidence and witnesses, and the right to a fair trial before an impartial jury.
Many criminal cases involve rushed investigations, unreliable witnesses, constitutional violations, or situations that are far more complicated than the police report suggests. Our role is to ensure the evidence—not assumptions—decides your case, and that the State meets its burden of proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
Navigating the Legal System in Central Florida
Criminal cases in Orlando proceed through the Orange County Courthouse’s Criminal Division, with cases assigned to specific judges based on charge severity and scheduling. Seminole County criminal cases are handled at the Criminal Justice Center in Sanford. Both jurisdictions have specialized divisions for domestic violence, drug court, mental health court, and veterans court that offer treatment-focused alternatives to traditional prosecution.
Carrie Rentz regularly appears in both courts and understands how different judges approach evidence, sentencing, and diversion programs. Some judges emphasize rehabilitation and treatment for first-time offenders, while others impose strict sentences. This local knowledge allows us to craft defense strategies and sentencing proposals that fit both your case and the court’s approach.
What Our Clients Are Saying
Carrie was extremely helpful in a difficult situation. She was detailed, easy to communicate with and provided a favorable result in the end. If your looking for a great attorney pick up the phone and call Carrie today!
Carrie is everything as advertised. She actually puts in time and effort to get to know you and shows true sympathy toward her clients. Great people skills and even better knowledge of the law. Highly recommended!
When I initially called Carrie I was hesitant, scared, and didn't know what to expect. I can tell you first hand, Carrie and her assistant are AMAZING. I would recommend to anyone and everyone. Good luck Carrie on your future endeavors, all the best.
I hired Mrs. Rentz for a legal issue I had in the Orlando area. Being from out of town, I use some references as a guide. Mrs. Rentz looked to be the right attorney. She is very caring and takes your issue very seriously.
This was by far the best experience i have had with a lawyer she always let me know what was going on with my case and always stayed positive while fighting for me in the courtroom. Just want to say i appreciate everything you have done for me and will definitely recommend you to anyone. If i could it would be 10 stars, thank you again
Carrie was wonderful to work with. She made the entire process so smooth for me and was always easy to get in touch with whenever I had any questions.
Carrie Rentz is an amazing lawyer. She is very informed and ready to answer any questions I have. She and her assistant reply to emails in a timely fashion and are both very friendly and knowledgeable. If you are looking for a lawyer I 100% recommend her.
Criminal Defense FAQs
Should I talk to the police after being arrested?
No. You have the right to remain silent, and you should exercise that right. Politely decline to answer questions and ask for an attorney. Anything you say can be used against you, even if you think you’re helping yourself.
Can I get my charges dropped?
It depends on the specific facts of your case. Charges can be dropped or dismissed if evidence is insufficient, if your rights were violated, if witnesses are unreliable, or if procedural errors occurred. Early legal intervention improves your chances significantly.
What is the difference between a misdemeanor and a felony?
Misdemeanors carry up to 1 year in jail, while felonies carry more than 1 year in prison. Felonies have more serious long-term consequences including loss of voting rights, firearm prohibitions, and greater impact on employment and housing.
How long will my case take?
Most misdemeanor cases resolve within 3–6 months, while felony cases typically take 6–12 months or longer depending on complexity. Cases that proceed to trial take longer than those resolved through negotiation.
Can I get a public defender?
Public defenders are available only if you meet strict income guidelines and cannot afford to hire private counsel. If you qualify, you must apply through the court at your first appearance.
What happens if I miss a court date?
Missing a court date can result in a bench warrant for your arrest, bond revocation, and additional charges for failure to appear. Contact your attorney immediately if you’ve missed a court date.
Will I go to jail?
It depends on the specific charge, your criminal history, and the facts of your case. Many first-time misdemeanor offenders avoid jail through diversion, probation, or plea agreements. Felony charges carry greater risk of incarceration, but alternatives may be available.
Can I get my record sealed or expunged?
In some cases, yes. Florida law allows eligible defendants to seal or expunge certain criminal records. Eligibility depends on the specific charge, the outcome of your case, and your prior criminal history.
