Loren David Rhoton

Loren David Rhoton

4.2
Rating: 7.4

Licensed for 30 years

Constitutional Lawyer at Tampa, FL
Practice Areas: Constitutional, Appeals, Criminal Defense

412 E Madison St Ste 1111, Tampa, FL

About Loren

Biography

Practice Areas

3

Practice Areas

Constitutional 34%

Practice focuses only on criminal appeals and postconviction collateral attacks involving violation of constitutional rights, deprivation of the right to effective assistance of counsel, involuntary pleas, sentence challenges, and trial court error.

32 years | 500 cases

34%
Appeals 33%

Practice focuses only on criminal appeals and postconviction collateral attacks involving violation of constitutional rights, deprivation of the right to effective assistance of counsel, involuntary pleas, sentence challenges, and trial court error.

32 years | 500 cases

33%
Criminal Defense 33%

Practice focuses only on criminal appeals and postconviction collateral attacks involving violation of constitutional rights, deprivation of the right to effective assistance of counsel, involuntary pleas, sentence challenges, and trial court error.

32 years | 500 cases

33%

Fees and Rates

Cost

Hourly Rates

$ 325-325 per hour


Payment Methods

  • Cash
  • Check
  • Credit Card

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Licenses

Licensed in Florida for 30 years

State: Florida

Acquired: 1995

Member in Good Standing

No misconduct found

Location

Law Offices of Loren David Rhoton

412 E Madison St Ste 1111, Tampa, FL, 336024618

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Loren David Rhoton's Reviews

Avvo Review Score

4.2 /5.0

6 Client Reviews

Filter Avvo Reviews (6) Refine reviews to match your needs. Use the filters to quickly surface reviews that align with your case or priorities.

Showing 1 - 5 of 6 reviews

Posted by anonymous | December 18, 2020

Great lawyer

You truly do get what you pay for. He is hard working, honest, and very through.

Posted by Marlene | December 03, 2019 | Hired Attorney | Lawsuits & Disputes

Very Good at what he does!!!!

Mr. Rhoton came to us after a major loss on a case that should have never happened. He kept us in the loop and informed of every step along the way, even the possible bad outcomes that could occur so we wouldn't be surprised. However, we were quite pleasantly surprised with the success of our case a...nd we couldn't have asked for a better lawyer to guide us, and stand by us during this extremely difficult time. He was awesome, clear, concise and didn't leave us till the job was done. Thanks again for an amazing job.

Posted by MrsJones | April 08, 2019 | Hired Attorney | Criminal Defense

WORST DECISION I EVER MADE

He listened to the facts of the case. Quickly returned calls and said he would be able to get my husband back in court. THEN I gave have 3 GRAND and SIX days later (LETTER DATED BEFORE HE EVEN RECIEVED THE TRANSCRIPTS AND NEW EVIDENCE IN THE MAIL) we recieved a letter stating he didn't feel he could ...get the case back in court since it was a 16 yr old case and a judge would say the issue should have been brought sooner. Ummmm helloooo it was 16 yrs old a week prior when you took my money. The NEW evidence (transcripts) that we had from 2017 in which the judge proclaimed my husband was NOT CONVICTED of the crime that was used to sentence him as a convicted felon was not even mentioned in his denial. He didn't even see it because he denied the case hours after taking our money and all my husbands years of paperwork hasn't even made it to his office yet. The whole basis of asking for an evidentiary hearing was the new evidence recieved but this joke of an attorney didn't even wait for our paperwork in the mail before he googled my husbands case and made his determination. The facts in his letter were all wrong. He clearly didn't even spend a hour researching our claims. HE HAD NO PLANS TO FIGHT FOR MY HUSBAND. HE DIDN'T RETURN MY CALLS AFTER WE PAID HIM N HE HAS ALL MY HUSBAND PAPERWORK THAT HE WON'T SEND BACK. HE DID NOTHING BUT MAKE OUR SITUATION WORST AND MY TRUST FOR LAWYERS NON EXISTENT. I would not recommend Mr. Rhoton to my worst enemy. Paying him is equivelent to to flushing it straight down the toilet!!!!

Loren Rhoton

Replied last July 03, 2018

I am sorry that you feel the way you do. In response, I was able to access the court records online immediately upon being retained and did not need to wait for the hardcopies to arrive to be able to review the case. I had the necessary files for my review available immediately. I acted promptly, conducted a thorough review, and provided an honest answer as to whether I could be of assistance. As with any case, I cannot tell a potential client what can be done without conducting a review. That is what was done in this case. I do charge for case reviews because they typically take days of my work time to determine if I can help. I strive to provide a thorough review and provide my opinions as quickly as possible. I am sorry if you felt that I was too prompt. Yes, I did charge for my review. As with any other attorney (or professional, or worker) I get paid for my time. What I did not do was take advantage of my client and his family. If I wanted to do that, I could have just agreed with the course that your husband believed should be pursued, and ripped you off for thousands more while knowing that the claim did not have merit. Instead, I informed your husband that there were no viable postconviction options in his case. I turned down further representation (and compensation) because I do not take on frivolous cases. I assure you, if I felt that there was even an arguable claim to be pursued, I would have been more than happy to continue representing your husband. That is how I make my living. I love to fight for my clients, and I am more than happy to earn my living doing so when there is a viable issue to pursue. What I will not do is lie to my clients and say that they have a case when they don't. I won't take on further representation and pursue claims that absolutely will not prevail. I would rather have my client be upset with me about giving an honest answer about the strength of the case. I will take that over having a client angry about being misled that they have a good case when they actually don’t. I gave your husband an honest answer. Unfortunately, that answer was that he waited far too long to seek relief and that, as a result, neither I nor any other attorney would be able to get him relief in the courts. That is not an answer that can be given just based upon the time that has passed since the conviction. I have opened up cases older than your husband’s. But, the availability of relief is dependent on the specific facts of the case. The facts in your husband’s case did not merit relief even though he thought they did. Once again, I am sorry that you are disappointed that I could not help you. But, I assure you, if I were out to just take people’s money, I could give them unrealistic expectations and drag the cases along for years while sapping the client of further funds. Instead, I strive to give quick, honest answers about cases, and sometimes that results in unhappy clients because I have to tell them that their cases just are not winnable. That is sad, and it’s upsetting, but the client gets an honest answer. I’m sure you can find another attorney who will take on the case and submit any pleadings that your husband asks, but at that point you truly will find out what it is to be taken advantage of and lied to.

Posted by Peggy | July 10, 2018 | Hired Attorney | Criminal Defense

The Post Conviction Attorney

I looked into alot of lawyers for my daughter’s case. Most of them said nothing could be done or tried to charge huge amounts of money to take the case. I spoke with Loren Rhoton because the women at my daughter’s prison said that he is the best post conviction lawyer in Florida. I talked to Loren Rh...oton and he really knew his stuff. His fees weren’t cheap, but I guess that’s okay because I wasn’t looking to save money, I was looking to save my daughter. Mr. Rhoton was aggressive in court and was eventually able to negotiate a better sentence for my daughter. I hope I never have to speak with an attorney again, but if I do, I will be calling Mr. Rhoton.

Posted by Ian | January 22, 2018 | Hired Attorney | Criminal Defense

A Skilled Professional

Mr Rhoton represented me for my post conviction, reduction of sentence case. He was very thorough and precise in his preparation by utilizing all available resources and stating specific case law to support my appeal. In doing so my relief was granted. He also kept me informed and answered any questi...ons I had throughout the entire process. Mr. Rhoton is a very skilled professional in his field. I highly recommend him as a post conviction/appellate attorney.

See All Client Reviews

Loren David Rhoton's Lawyer Endorsements

Endorse Loren
Matt Anderson Vazquez Mitcham headshot
Matt Mitcham

Appeals lawyer | Oct 11

Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

"I endorse this lawyer. Loren is dedicated to his clients & I highly recommend him for appellate issues."

Stephen Daniel Hayman headshot
Stephen Hayman

Criminal defense lawyer | Oct 03

Relationship: Co-worker

"I endorse this lawyer. Loren and I worked together for years. He is a very effective attorney and very thoughtful with his legal arguments and analysis. He has a number of accomplishments in the area of post-conviction relief. I highly recommend him!"

Stephen Mathew Whyte headshot
Stephen Whyte

Appeals lawyer | Sep 29

Relationship: Worked together on matter

"I worked on a case with Loren several years ago, and I found him to be a very knowledgeable, conscientious, and dedicated lawyer who cared a lot about his client and worked hard throughout his representation. Loren was very responsive to my calls and emails and took the time to explain what he was doing and what he needed to best represent the client."

David Todd Weisbrod headshot
David Weisbrod

Criminal defense lawyer | Sep 29

Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

"Loren Rhoton is the go to guy for post conviction work in Florida. Not only does he know this area of the law inside out, he is effective in court. Highly recommend."

Frederick Lincoln Pollack headshot
Frederick Pollack

Appeals lawyer | Sep 28

Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

"I have known Loren for more than 15 years and Loren is an excellent post judgment conviction appellate attorney. He has a seemingly endless knowledge of case law, a real understanding of how the court system works, and is very responsive to his clients & their families, opposing counsel - and even just to other lawyers looking to pick his brain. I would have NO qualms about referring anyone to Loren."

Gray Richard Proctor headshot
Gray Proctor

Appeals lawyer | Nov 13

Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

"Loren Rhoton is widely recognized as one of the best attorneys in Florida for criminal appeals and postconviction review. I most certainly endorse him."

View All Endorsements
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Experience

Rating:  7.4 (Very Good)

Honors

2017

Best of the Bay 2017, Best of the Bay Profiler Series

Work Experience

2005 - Present

Owner, Loren Rhoton, P.A.

2001 - 2005

Partner, Rhoton & Hayman, P.A.

1999 - 2001

Partner, Giordano & Rhoton, P.A.

1996 - 1997

Partner, Giordano, Sandler, & Rhoton

1995 - 1996

Owner, Law Office of Loren Rhoton

Associations

2006 - 2007

Florida Criminal Rules Steering Committee, Postconviction Division

Member

2000 - 2006

Florida Prisoners' Legal Aid Organization

Member, Board of Directors

Sample of Legal Cases

Thompson v. State, 987 So.2d 727 (Fla. 4th DCA 2008)

resentencing

Fabian v. State, 932 So.2d 645 (Fla. 4th DCA 2006)

Case remanded to lower court and defendant entered plea to reduced sentence

Dames v. State, 807 So.2d 756 (Fla. 2nd DCA 2002)

conviction vacated

Battle v. State, 710 So.2d 628 (Fla. 2nd DCA 1998)

defendant's sentence reduced

Goldman v. State, 171 So. 3d 234 (Fla. 4th DCA 2015)

case remanded to trial court for evidentiary hearing

See More Legal Cases

Education

1991

Bowling Green State University

BA - Bachelor of Arts

N/A

The University of Toledo College of Law

law

Speaking Engagements

2015

The Great American Teach In

Constitutional Law, Criminal Justice System

2010

Justice for All Radio Show, regularly appeared as guest

Post Conviction Relief, Criminal Appeals, Rule 3.850 Motions

Publications

2011

Quarterly publication of Loren Rhoton, P.A. Florida Postconviction Journal

2005

Self-help postconviction book Postconviction Relief for the Florida Prisoner

Languages

English

Activity

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