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Jay Patel

Criminal defense Attorney at Fort Walton Beach, FL

4.9   55 reviews

also known as Jay Patel Law PA

Free consultation Virtual consultation available
Free consultation Virtual consultation available
  • Licensed for 10 years
    State FL
    Acquired 2013
    Status
    Member in Good Standing No misconduct found

We have not found any instances of professional misconduct for this lawyer.

About Jay

Learn Jay’s areas of practice.

5
Practice areas
  1. Criminal defense
    40%
    Any Crime from a Misdemeanor to a Felony Punishable by Life in Prison.

  2. DUI and DWI
    15%

  3. Domestic violence
    15%

  4. Sex crime
    15%

  5. Violent crime
    15%

I AM A FORMER PROSECUTOR AND FORMER LAW ENFORCEMENT. I WANT TO PUT YOUR CRIMINAL DEFENSE TOGETHER.

Jay Patel is a Former Prosecutor and a Former Law Enforcement Officer with the Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office. After Jay was admitted to the Florida Bar, he served as a prosecutor in Okaloosa and Walton Counties from 2013 to 2017. As an Assistant State Attorney, he spent years prosecuting thousands of crimes ranging from misdemeanors to felonies, some punishable by life in prison.

Jay achieved success in prosecuting criminal cases that were before a jury, a judge, and the appellate court. Despite his success as a Florida Prosecutor, Jay decided it was time for a change. Thus, in 2017, Jay went from Florida Prosecutor to Florida Criminal Defense Attorney.

Since becoming a Florida Criminal Defense Lawyer, Jay works tirelessly to protect his client’s Constitutional rights, ensuring that each of his clients understand the process, as well as making sure they are not abused by the Florida Criminal and Court Systems.

If a case must go to trial, Jay is ready. His success as an Okaloosa County Criminal Defense Attorney is validated by his record of “Not Guilty” verdicts in criminal jury trials, as well as complete charge and case dismissals.

Jay’s practice is devoted to solving problems, with a keen focus on Criminal Defense. If you have found yourself on the wrong side of the law, you are not in this alone. The first step is to contact Jay Patel, schedule a free consultation, and let him fight for you.

 

Awards

Client's Choice 2021,2020,2019,2018,2017
Client's Choice
2021 2020 2019 + 2 ...

Contact Jay

Jay Patel Law, P.A.
909 Mar Walt Drive Suite 1011-B
Fort Walton Beach, FL, 32547

Reviews

4.9 / 5.0
  55 customer reviews
Client's Choice 2021
Client's Choice
Client's Choice is an Avvo award granted to attorneys with a significant number of client reviews over 4 stars in a given year.
Posted by Lee | October 11, 2023
This review is from a potential client who consulted with this attorney.
| Consulted Attorney
Complete Professional
Jay is a phenomenal attorney who has a great way of simplifying the process for the client, provides you a positive outlook and understands your rights as a client. I highly suggest Jay to anyone in need!!
Posted by Austin | July 17, 2022
This review is from a person who hired this attorney.
| Hired Attorney
Happy to have Jay on my side
Jay is smart, hardworking, and professional. He got me a great result. I wouldn't hire anyone else!
Posted by anonymous | March 30, 2022
This review is from a person who hired this attorney.
| Hired Attorney
Second Chance
Jay helped me during a time where I felt the world was crashing down on me all at once. I regret to say I had gotten myself into a situation that seemed Impossible for me to find a way out of, but when a family friend referred me to Jay, I finally had hope. Right away he made my family and I aware of what happens next and what he was going to start doing to move forward with the courts. Most importantly he gave me assurance that I was in the right hands for the the situation I was in and after hearing his sense of professionalism and calm yet focused demeanor during phone call, I realized I was in the right hands and I relaxed. I once was forced to see the reality of possibly serving jail time or having a very ugly record, and now Im on the path to having my charges completely dropped and I have no one else to thank for that besides Jay and his wonderful staff at Anchors Smith Grimsley. Everyone is professional, helpful and relentless in their goal to defend the client. I am beyond grateful for my second chance.
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Posted by Justo | March 11, 2022
This review is from a person who hired this attorney.
| Hired Attorney
Amazing company
Amazing people and they did the job really Professional, I really recommended them to anyone. That is involved with a speeding ticket, I am definitely coming back with them.
Posted by Dave | January 12, 2022
This review is from a person who hired this attorney.
| Hired Attorney
Best Lawyer with a very manageable
I retained Jay for a series of very serious cases. I was charged with RICO and conspiracy and found myself looking at spending the rest of my life in prison. Normally, these cases regarding RICO can drag on for years. He worked diligently and gracefully to advocate and represent my innocence in these issues. The charges ultimately were dismissed and I plead to a lesser charge as it was in my best interest to do so. I can rest easy now knowing that I can move on with my life thanks to Jay. If I could give him a 10 out of 5 I’d absolutely do it. His partner and veteran attorney Tim Shaw assisted as this was a very serious matter. Best lawyers and firm in the State of Florida if I do say so myself.
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Posted by Melissa | July 21, 2021
This review is from a person who hired this attorney.
| Hired Attorney
Best Lawyer.
Jay and Sarah are absolutely amazing! Anytime I had questions they always responded quickly. I couldn’t be happier with hiring Jay to represent me. I HIGHLY recommend Jay Patel.
Posted by Tyler | July 21, 2021
This review is from a person who hired this attorney.
| Hired Attorney
By far best attorney I’ve ever used!
Mr Patel was fast to answer any of my questions or concerns. He work diligently on my case and was able to give me the best outcome I could hope for. Would highly recommend!!!
Posted by Jon | July 21, 2021
This review is from a person who hired this attorney.
| Hired Attorney
Great professionalism and communication
Case dismissed. I hope I won't need legal services again but if and when I do I'll definitely give Jay a call. Thanks Jay
Posted by V. | January 23, 2021
This review is from a person who hired this attorney.
| Hired Attorney
Traffic tickets
I go to Jay with several traffic tickets, few weeks later I’ve got no traffic tickets. All dismissed- and done it more than once. Guy knows the game.
Posted by Dave | January 21, 2021
This review is from a person who hired this attorney.
| Hired Attorney
Case Dismissed!
Hired Mr. Patel to defend a misdemeanor criminal charge levied against me. He took all my background info, charge info, and listened to my defense against the charges. He put my mind at ease from the start and said not to worry, he was going to take care of me. He was able to work out a deal with the local prosecutor which resulted in my case being dismissed. I wholeheartedly recommend Mr. Patel.
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Posted by Delsang | January 18, 2021
This review is from a person who hired this attorney.
| Hired Attorney
Great Attorney
Mr.Patel and his defense team were excellent in helping me with the dismissal of my misdemeanor domestic violence charge. I would strongly recommend this law office to anyone seeking a professional, courteous and helpful Attorney. Thank you, Mr.Patel!
Posted by Nick | December 7, 2020
This review is from a person who hired this attorney.
| Hired Attorney
Outstanding experience
My name is Nick and I was extremely fortunate to have Jay Patel represent me in my recent case. I was unfortunately looking at some serious charges and jail time due to a poor decision I made. Alcholol was the underlining issue for my action and something that I had been struggling with for a while. Jay was able to conceal me on getting help to a treatment center and also leverage in my case the willingness we were taking to get help to show the court I was doing the right thing to becoming a better citizen in the community. In addition, Jay was able to dissect the police report and find multiple errors that the arresting officer made at the time of arrest that helped the overall case. Jay and his legal team stayed in constint communication with me giving me updates along the way so I knew where we were in the whole process. This gave me confidence that Jay and his team were going to batt for me every day to insure the best outcome possible. I was very thankful when I got the call from Jay that he was able to get all charges dropped in my case due to all the evidence Jay gattered and was able to execute on my behalf. I never had to attend any court hearings or show up for anything. He was able to attend on my behalf and handle the whole situation for me. I couldn't be more satisfied with Jay and his team. I know that a public defender nor another legal team would have done the leg work to find the evidence that he did that ultimately lead to Jay putting pressure on the DA to drop the charges. I would highly recommend Jay and his team to any case.
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Posted by Parker | November 30, 2020
This review is from a person who hired this attorney.
| Hired Attorney
Client
Jay and team were helpful in resolving my case quickly and effectively, resulting in a settlement outside of court that was better than expected. His understanding of the process, clear communication, and professionalism are second to none and would highly recommend to anyone!
Posted by anonymous | September 11, 2020
This review is from a person who hired this attorney.
| Hired Attorney
Integrity & Professionalism. Couldn't ask for anything better.
Needed a criminal lawyer. Ended up with Mr. Jay Patel after firing my first lawyer. My first lawyer was hastily hired using word of mouth and being an acquaintance of a friend. He was terrible. He over charged me. My case was stretched out unnecessarily. He did not keep me informed and frankly lied to me claiming to have done things which he never did. As my case was coming to a close I decided to fire him. After extensive research both online and around town, Mr. Jay Patel's name came up. Asked a few attorney's I was interviewing for another matter if Mr. Jay Patel was legit and they all said yes -- no reservations. My experience with Mr. Patel was exceptional. He was very informative as was his paralegal. Kept me up to date with every change in my case. Answered every question. Gave sound and straightforward legal advice. Because there was not much left to do in my case, Mr. Patel came back to me and told me he would refund my some of the money I had paid. That was definitely a stunning gesture I did not anticipate. My message to Mr. Patel is please continue your work ethic and stay on course to have a stellar career. Be the paragon of professionalism and integrity for all other attorneys. I recommend Mr. Patel without any reservation.
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Posted by anonymous | July 30, 2020
This review is from a person who hired this attorney.
| Hired Attorney
An expert in his field!
Mr. Patel and Ms. Schultz went above and beyond for our case. What I feared would be an unattainable outcome, was accomplished by Mr. Patel’s knowledge and professionalism in the courtroom. I am eternally grateful for his expertise and the warmth and respect he showed my family.
Posted by Tiffany | May 1, 2020
This review is from a person who hired this attorney.
| Hired Attorney
Superb
I used Jay a couple years ago that I was sure noone could help me because of the evidence against me. Jay was able to get my case dismissed even when I lacked getting the things together that I needed. I recommend him to all my friends and family.
Posted by anonymous | April 7, 2020
This review is from a person who hired this attorney.
| Hired Attorney
Knight in shining Armour!
Jay & Sarah are an amazing team! They are professional, patient & very personable. Jay took a very unique hard case & came from a different angle than most attorneys would have. He was like a knight in shining Armour. My entire career would have folded, had Jay not done an impeccable job on my case. It was a fairy tale outcome, the prosecution dropped the case, as they had withheld some evidence on the prosecutions side, inevitably the state dropped case, and said there wasn’t enough evidence to proceed! You can’t beat that outcome !!! Give Jay the chance to prove what his background in prosecution, law enforcement & business can do for you! I called 20 other attorneys in the area & I interviewed them in depth, Jay was honestly in my gut feeling, from the beginning, the best ultimate choice! I am so glad I hired Jay as my criminal defense!!!! Best of luck to you Jay :)
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Posted by David | March 13, 2020
This review is from a person who hired this attorney.
| Hired Attorney
Success!!
Overzealous police officer ticketed me with citation requiring returning to Florida even though I live 700 miles away. I engaged Jay and did not have to return to Florida to successfully rectify the situation. Excellent communication and representation.
Posted by Danielle | January 3, 2020
This review is from a person who hired this attorney.
| Hired Attorney
Confident, Prepared, & Prompt
I am sure my daughter's case was smaller than anything Mr. Patel normally takes on, but he took it anyway. I have seen so many people, including my husband, burned by lawyers who did not put forth any effort and showed up to court unprepared and with little knowledge of the case, but not Jay Patel, he was well prepared, confident, and prompt which says a lot of his character.  I thought when we first met that there might be a tinge of cockiness there, but as he worked with us and especially when we walked into the Courthouse with him, I saw his interpersonal skills at work! He spoke humbly (down to earth) to everyone he ran into, and they responded with a genuine reverence & respect.  You could see that Mr. Patel cared beyond the professional lives of those he spoke with. Mr. Patel exhibits strong confidence, great talent, and a genuinely caring personality that makes him a great lawyer! I am very glad we were referred to him. 
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Posted by B | December 20, 2019
This review is from a person who hired this attorney.
| Hired Attorney
Injunction/Restraining Order
Both Mr. Patel and his paralegal Mrs. Shultz were prompt, professional and courteous dealing with my case involving obtaining a restraining order. Even though it was a short notice situation they provided timely and valuable advice prior to, and especially during, the courtroom time. During court Mr. Patel proved himself to be competent, knowledgeable and legally nimble in dealing with all aspects of my case and especially getting evidence admitted. Many thanks to both Mr. Patel and Mrs. Shultz!
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Cost

Rates
  • Free Consultation 60 minutes
Payment methods
Cash, Credit Card

Resume

AVVO RATING 8.2 (Excellent)

Work Experience

  • Assistant State Attorney
  • State Attorney's Office
  • 2013 - 2017
  • Law Enforcement Officer
  • Okaloosa County Sheriffs Office
  • 2010 - 2013

Education

  • Florida Coastal School of Law
  • JD - Juris Doctor
  • 2013
  • University of Florida
  • BA - Bachelor of Arts
  • 2008

Legal Cases

  • 21CF3236 - Felony DUI Jury Trial
  • Not Guilty
  • 17CT2619-DUI
  • Not Guilty
  • 17CF283 - Felony Battery Causing Great Bodily Harm
  • Not Guilty

Associations

  • Florida Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers
  • Member
  • 2017 - Present
  • Okaloosa Bar Association
  • Member
  • 2013 - Present
  • Okaloosa County Young Lawyers Division
  • Member
  • 2013 - Present

Languages Spoken

  • English

Honors and Awards

  • Client's Choice
  • Avvo
  • 2021
  • Client's Choice
  • Avvo
  • 2020
  • Client's Choice
  • Avvo
  • 2019
  • Client's Choice
  • Avvo
  • 2018
  • Client's Choice
  • Avvo
  • 2017
  • Best Civil Trial Team - Trial Competition Course
  • Florida Coastal School of Law
  • 2013
  • Pro Bono Award
  • Florida Coastal School of Law
  • 2013
  • Book Award in Business Development
  • Florida Coastal School of Law
  • 2012
View all awards

Speaking Engagements

  • Guest Speaker
  • Criminal Procedure
  • 2022
  • Dangers of Social Media
  • Crime Awareness
  • 2019
  • Guest Speaker
  • Criminal Topics - Live Debate
  • 2019
  • Destination UF
  • Community Service and Leadership
  • 2018
View all speaking engagements

Attorney endorsements

Received (15)
Given (17)
Endorse Jay
Criminal defense Attorney | Jun 06
Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community
"I endorse this lawyer. I have known Jay Patel for a number of years, professionally and personally, and I can definitively say, he will work tirelessly and put every ounce of effort he has into providing the best representation for his clients. His understanding and knowledge of the Rules of Evidence is enviable and that has come with years of experience, not studying or reading a book. He's the real deal when it comes to trial lawyers. His prosecutorial background makes him a great attorney for criminal defense, but his knowledge of evidence and background in business makes him a force to be reckoned with in the civil arena as well."
Criminal defense Attorney | Jun 06
Relationship: Opposing Counsel on matter
"Having worked a lot of cases where Jay was the prosecutor, I have seen up close how hard he works and how dedicated he is. Now that he is in private practice, I know he will defend his clients with the same level of skill. I highly recommend this attorney."
Criminal defense Attorney | Oct 13
Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community
"Jay Patel will work hard to reach the best resolution for your case. He is an active member of local and statewide committees in an effort to enhance professionalism and the law for the benefit of his clients and community. I highly recommend Jay Patel for your criminal defense needs."
Criminal defense Attorney | Sep 23
Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community
"I endorse this lawyer. I have known Jay for several years and had the opportunity to see him grown and hone his skills. As a prosecutor, he was passionate and dedicated. Now in private practice, I have worked co-defendant cases with Jay and saw first-hand the highest level of advocacy and care for his clients. Jay embodies what it takes to be a successful criminal attorney. He is an aggressive and extremely knowledgeable advocate for his clients."
Criminal defense Attorney | May 06
Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community
"Jay is one of the best lawyers I never want to have to hire. Methodical, organized, and overprepared Jay is one of the best Criminal Defense attorneys in the Panhandle."
Unknown Attorney | Jul 14
Relationship: Worked together on matter
"I have known Jay since we were both starting out as lawyers. Likely due to his law enforcement experience, Jay has always had a natural ability to dissect criminal cases. I have no doubt that he provides his clients with an exceptional defense in all criminal matters. I endorse this lawyer."
Criminal defense Attorney | Jun 07
Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community
"Jay is one of the best Criminal Defense attorneys in town. He is a true professional and works diligently for his client's efforts."
Criminal defense Attorney | Dec 01
Relationship: Co-worker
"Jay is an exceptionally sharp attorney. He is very good at what he does. If I, a family member, or friend had need of a Criminal Defense attorney, I would trust Jay to give the best representation available. Additionally, Jay is a pleasure to work with and very likeable and approachable. I highly recommend him."
Criminal defense Attorney | Nov 16
Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community
"Jay Patel is bright and upcoming lawyer in our community. He is a former prosecutor and a former law enforcement officer. Jay has all the skill sets to successfully represent criminal defendants."
Criminal defense Attorney | Nov 07
Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community
"I highly recommend Jay for any criminal defense matters. I have recommended him to several clients, and all have had nothing but stellar feedback for Jay as their lawyer. He will continue to be my #1 recommendation for all things criminal defense related."
Criminal defense Attorney | Jun 07
Relationship: Opposing Counsel on matter
"Mr. Patel is an excellent advocate for his clients. His trial experience coming from the Office of the State Attorney and his knowledge of the rules allows him to effectively represent his clients. I endorse this lawyer."
Criminal defense Attorney | Jun 06
Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community
"I endorse this lawyer. Jay is a passionate attorney. When you hire Jay you hire a fighter. He is very knowledgeable and is excellent in the court room."
Criminal defense Attorney | Jun 06
Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community
"Mr. Patel is a hardworking, intelligent attorney."
Criminal defense Attorney | Jun 06
Relationship: Opposing Counsel on matter
"I endorse Jay. He is a highly skilled attorney that is well respected in the legal community."
Criminal defense Attorney | Jun 05
Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community
"Having known Jay for many years both personally and professionally his assistance with my client on an identity theft matter when he was a prosecutor was invaluable."
View more endorsements