Fort Lauderdale Domestic Violence Lawyer Explains Florida's New Repeat-Offender Penalties and Pretrial No-Contact Law
Oct 27, 2026
A prior domestic violence case, even a withhold, can now raise a new charge by a full degree, and breaking a pretrial no-contact order is now its own crime.
Fort Lauderdale, United States, October 27, 2026 -- Two Florida laws passed in 2026 raise the stakes for people accused of domestic violence. Fort Lauderdale domestic violence lawyer Matthew Glassman of the Law Office of Matthew Glassman, P.A. says one law increases the penalty for a new charge when the accused has a prior domestic violence conviction, and the other creates a new crime for willfully violating a court-ordered no-contact condition of pretrial release.
How Does Florida Treat a Prior Domestic Violence Conviction?
Matthew Glassman, Fort Lauderdale domestic violence lawyer and founder of the Law Office of Matthew Glassman, P.A.
HB 277 took effect July 1, 2026. Under new section 741.2801, Florida Statutes, a domestic violence offense is reclassified one degree higher if the person already has a prior conviction for a crime of domestic violence. A second-degree misdemeanor becomes a first-degree misdemeanor, and a first-degree misdemeanor becomes a third-degree felony. A third-degree felony becomes a second-degree felony, a second-degree felony becomes a first-degree felony, and a first-degree felony becomes a life felony. The enhancement does not apply to felony battery under section 784.03(2).
The law defines “conviction” broadly as a determination of guilt resulting from a plea or trial, even if adjudication is withheld or the plea is nolo contendere. That means an earlier case that ended with a withhold of adjudication can still be counted against a person. A domestic violence defense attorney can review whether an earlier case qualifies before a prosecutor relies on it.
What Does the New Pretrial No-Contact Law Do?
HB 397, the Victim Safety in Pretrial Release Act, took effect October 1, 2026. It applies when a person is arrested for a listed violent offense, including assault, battery, stalking, kidnapping, and other felonies involving force or the threat of force, and a judge orders no contact with the alleged victim as a condition of release. A willful violation is a first-degree misdemeanor, and a second or subsequent violation is a third-degree felony.
A person arrested for a violation must be held in custody until the first appearance hearing, and an officer may make a warrantless arrest on probable cause. Under Florida's pretrial release statute, “no contact” bars communication of any kind with the alleged victim, physical contact, and being within 500 feet of the alleged victim's home, vehicle, workplace, or other regularly frequented place. The order lasts through the pretrial release period unless the court modifies it. A Fort Lauderdale criminal defense attorney can explain the exact terms of an order and, when appropriate, ask the court to clarify or modify it.
What Should Someone Charged with Domestic Violence Do?
The first step is to read the release order carefully and follow every no-contact term exactly. That includes calls, text messages, social media, and messages passed through friends or relatives. Anyone unsure what an order allows should ask a Broward County criminal defense lawyer before acting, not after.
“A single text message can turn a manageable misdemeanor case into a much bigger problem,” said Matthew Glassman. “A no-contact order in a criminal case stays in full force until a judge changes it or the charge is dropped or dismissed or the defendant is acquitted at trial. And with the new repeat-offender penalties, an old case that ended with a withhold of adjudication can come back and bite you if you are arrested for a new Domestic Violence charge. The game has changed and the stakes are now higher.”
Anyone arrested in Broward County should speak with a criminal defense lawyer before discussing the case with police or prosecutors. Residents of Broward and Palm Beach counties searching for a criminal defense lawyer near me can contact the Law Office of Matthew Glassman, P.A., for a free consultation.
About Law Office of Matthew Glassman, P.A.
Based at 600 SW 4th Avenue in Fort Lauderdale, FL, the Law Office of Matthew Glassman, P.A. represents clients facing drug crimes, trafficking charges, DUI, domestic violence, weapons offenses, and other criminal matters throughout Broward and Palm Beach counties. The firm holds a 5.0-star rating on Google based on over 300 client reviews and Matthew Glassman is rated Superb (10.0) by Avvo.
Anyone facing criminal charges in Broward or Palm Beach County, FL, is encouraged to contact the firm for a free consultation.
Contact Info:
Name: Matthew Glassman
Email: Send Email
Organization: Law Office of Matthew Glassman, P.A.
Address: 600 SW 4th Ave #103, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33315
Phone: (954) 908-3399
Website: https://matthewglassmanlaw.com/
Release ID: 89207555
If there are any deficiencies, discrepancies, or concerns regarding the information presented in this press release, we kindly request that you promptly inform us by contacting [email protected] (it is important to note that this email is the authorized channel for such matters, sending multiple emails to multiple addresses does not necessarily help expedite your request). Our dedicated team is committed to addressing any identified issues within 8 hours to guarantee the delivery of accurate and reliable content to our esteemed readers.
More News
China Steps In to Rescue Stocks, But the Market Continues to Fall
The Communist Party uses a “national team” of state-owned investment funds to stem the market rout. But this time, investors are not sure it will work.
Why Singapore’s PAP internal vote is the wrong place to look for signs of leadership renewal
Singapore’s ruling People’s Action Party (PAP) has retained its core executive team in what is seen as a cautious approach despite pledges of renewal, with observers pointing to ministerial promotions as a better indication of leadership plans. The PAP emerged from an internal election on Sunday with an unchanged slate for the Central Executive Committee (CEC), its highest decision-making body, as rising ministers Jeffrey Siow and Jasmin Lau failed to secure seats, though four remaining co-opted...
Singapore, Indonesia to create haze task force, share data amid tensions
Indonesia and Singapore are looking to set up a joint task force to deal with haze from Indonesia’s wildfires, the countries’ foreign ministers said on Tuesday, as they met to reaffirm their ties after weeks of simmering tensions. The visit to Jakarta by Singapore Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan came amid mounting frustrations in the city state over the transboundary haze generated by Indonesia’s most intense forest fires in 11 years. After a two-hour meeting, Singapore and Indonesia’s top...
Philippines’ bounty on ‘Bato’ dela Rosa exposes Marcos’ dilemma in Duterte feud
A 50-million-peso (US$780,000) bounty for information leading to the arrest of fugitive Philippine senator Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa has raised questions over the Marcos administration’s ability to enforce the law against high-profile political figures, with analysts warning the move risks making Manila appear weak and reactive. Dela Rosa, who served as national police chief under former president Rodrigo Duterte, faces an International Criminal Court (ICC) arrest warrant for alleged crimes...
India Evacuates Tens of Thousands as Cyclone Arnab Approaches
The storm, Arnab, is forecast to make landfall Wednesday on the country’s eastern coast and then cut inland and head north toward Nepal.
Indian court orders documentary on Modi, tycoon Adani removed
A court in India has ordered the takedown of an online documentary posted by Hotmail co-founder Sabeer Bhatia accusing Prime Minister Narendra Modi and billionaire Gautam Adani of cronyism, after Adani Enterprises sued, calling it defamatory. Adani’s flagship firm, Adani Enterprises, told the High Court in the eastern city of Kolkata that the documentary, which garnered millions of views on social media in recent days, was riddled with false content and had prompted inquiries from some...
Indonesia’s 4-nation defence pact: strategic coup or paper tiger?
Indonesia could gain critical defence technology, investment and export opportunities through a new multi-nation defence pact with Turkey, Qatar and Pakistan, but analysts warn its success hinges on turning high-level ambition into concrete projects. The four Muslim-majority nations signed the Badr Memorandum of Understanding in Doha on Wednesday. The agreement outlines a framework for defence “cooperation and integration” across joint research and development, training exchanges and industrial...
Air Force crash revives debate on Philippine military’s modernisation limits
The collision of two Philippine Air Force training aircraft that killed four pilots has raised questions about whether the service’s training, maintenance and safety systems can keep pace with Manila’s ambitions to acquire more advanced combat aircraft. The crash, which occurred during a fly-by rehearsal at Fernando Air Base in Lipa City, Batangas province, south of Manila, on Friday has renewed calls for a comprehensive review of the Air Force’s ageing fleet, pilot instruction, maintenance...
Hong Kong’s ‘Apartment Horror’ Films Skewer Its Ghastly Property Market
In one of the world’s least affordable housing markets, high-density housing is a backdrop for exploring superstition and socioeconomic anxiety.
1 in 6 Gen Z South Koreans took GLP-1 slimming drugs last year: survey
South Korea’s embrace of GLP-1 weight-loss drugs appears particularly pronounced among younger adults, with roughly one in six Gen Z respondents reporting they had used or been prescribed the medication in 2025, according to a new report. The 2026 Korea Wellness Report, released by KB Financial Group on Sunday and cited by The Korea Times, surveyed 2,000 men and women aged 25 to 69 between July and August. Across all age brackets, the overall uptake stood at 10.3 per cent. Gen Z adults – defined...
Indonesia’s oxygen bus offers breather to residents choking on toxic haze
A bus fitted out with oxygen tanks is providing a sanctuary in a city on Indonesia’s Borneo island, where people are choking from forest-fire-induced haze and the blazes show no sign of letting up. Indonesia regularly battles seasonal forest fires, predominantly on Sumatra and Borneo islands, but this year the infernos are the most intense in more than a decade. An intense El Nino weather phenomenon has driven up temperatures, leaving the country’s vast forests and peatlands more vulnerable...
South Korea’s president urged to play Call of Duty as war wake-up call
South Korea’s President Lee Jae Myung has been urged by critics to play the latest instalment in the blockbuster Call of Duty video game franchise to better appreciate the need for defences against an invasion by the North. The call from opposition lawmakers follows the release on Friday of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4, a first-person shooter depicting a full-scale surprise attack by North Korea on the South. Players fight North Korean troops as Park Hyun-jun, a private in the South Korean...
YOUR NEWS, OUR NETWORK.
Do you have Great News you want to tell the world?
Be it updates about your business or your community, you can make sure that it’s heard by submitting your story to our network reaching hundreds of news sites across 6 verticals.