Eight arrested in Christmas night fight outside a Clay County mall

Police arrested eight people following a fight they say involved more than 100 people in a Clay County parking lot. Many of the people involved were juveniles, according to a report on News4Jax. Police were called to the scene because of a massive fight and then made several arrests. Many of the arrests were for carrying a concealed weapon, the television station reported. At least one of the men involved was also charged with marijuana possession after police found drugs on him during the arrest. Misdemeanor drug charges are not uncommon in similar cases where police are called to the scene for a fight or disturbance and then end of making arrests.

On the concealed weapons charges, there are different charges that can be applied, depending upon the type of weapon the person is accused of having. If the weapon at issue is a gun, the charge is a third-degree felony with a maximum penalty of five years in state prison. However, if the weapon is a knife or something else other than a firearm, then the charge is misdemeanor and there is no possibility of state prison – only time in the county jail. There are also likely to be some battery charges or other charges related to fighting – if police can determined who was involved in the fight. In some cases, surveillance video can be used in identifying people involved, though a scene with 150 people may be too chaotic for anything that can be used to prove a case beyond a reasonable doubt. What may be more likely to help prosecutors is when people who are facing charges start talking to police in hopes of getting a reduced sentence.

Some of the people who have been charged in this Clay County Battery Case are juveniles – and others are 18 so they will be prosecuted through the adult court system. If children are charged as juveniles, their arrest reports and documents are not public record. There are other differences in being charged as an adult and a juvenile – particularly the length of the sentence that can be issued. But there are also many similarities. For juveniles, there are five different levels of incarceration – ranging from what amounts to house arrest to what is essentially a prison for teens. Our Clay County Criminal Defense attorney represents people facing all types of criminal charges – from misdemeanors to felonies, from juvenile crimes to cases in traditional court. Our Clay County Felony Attorney will examine the facts of the case against you or your loved one and lay out the potential options and consequences so you can determine how to proceed.

If you or a loved one needs a criminal defense attorney in Jacksonville or the surrounding area, call The Mussallem Law Firm at (904) 365-5200 for a FREE CONSULTATION. Our Clay County Juvenile Attorney, Victoria “Tori” Mussallem, is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.