Brett McIntosh
Services Handled
About
A question that I am often asked is "Why have you dedicated so much of your career to defending criminals?"
The answer is this. First, experience has proven to me that many people who find themselves arrested or accused of a crime are hardworking, decent people who have made a mistake. Often these mistakes are the end point of complex and difficult circumstances in a person’s life that have ultimately led to an error in judgment. For these individuals, the unfamiliar process of an arrest can be particularly stressful and confusing. These individuals need help navigating the dark waters of the Court process and this turbulent time in their life. With proper guidance and representation, these persons will return to being the productive citizens and family members they have been and that they want to be again. There will always be plenty of people to cast stones at the accused. However, it is my belief that being an effective advocate for the person in this circumstance benefits us all.
Second, experience and raw statistics has also proven that there are many more people who are falsely accused of crimes than most people will ever realize. In my years practicing law, I have seen false or mistaken accusations leveled at my clients by strangers, friends, family members, domestic partners, employers, employees, and law enforcement. Too often these accusations result in an arrest and irrevocable damage to the accused. I take pride in knowing that I have helped individuals fight back when faced with false or mistaken accusations and that I have played a role in restoring freedom and reputation to those who might otherwise have met a different plight.
Finally, I enjoy a good challenge. I represent people and my goal is to not allow my clients to be steamrolled by a system that too often devalues personal rights in the pursuit of security. I have spent my entire life and over 20 year professional career in this community.
My philosophy in creating McIntosh Law was to build a firm dedicated to personalized, superior, results-oriented representation. I believe in supporting this philosophy by surrounding myself with dedicated professionals with strong community ties.
There are well over 150 completed criminal trials amongst the attorneys at McIntosh Law. Each attorney has handled all manner of misdemeanor and driving offenses as well as serious and complex felony cases. Not only do we have experience “handling" these cases, we have experience winning them.
Not Guilty verdicts for our clients have included DUI, DUI with Accident and Personal Injury, Battery, Trespass, Assault, Aggravated Assault with a Firearm, Drug Possession, Trafficking, Aggravated Battery, Sexual Assault, Attempted Murder, DUI Manslaughter, Second Degree Murder, and others.
I am not going to send you a flier in the mail to tell you how aggressive we are. In Mexico, I learned that bulls are aggressive in the ring but they most often lose to the matador. Our approach to your case will be individualized and based upon what our experience dictates will achieve the best results for you.
Brett McIntosh is a trial attorney and member of the Florida bar since 1993. He is also licensed to practice in the Federal Court of Florida's Middle District.
Areas of Practice
- Criminal Law
Bar Admissions
- Florida, 1993
- U.S. District Court Middle District of Florida, 1995
Education
- Nova Southeastern Law University, Fort Lauderdale, Florida
- J.D.
Honors and Awards
- Jim Slater Award for Professionalism for Criminal Law -- Voted by Judges of the 12th Circuit which includes Sarasota, Manatee & Desoto Counties, 2015
Publications
- "The Runaway Train". Article on Gang Related Rico prosecutions in State Court. Florida Defender Magazine.
Specialized DUI Training
- Two-time graduate of National College of DUI Defense intensive Summer Session presented at Harvard Law School.
- Axion analytical lab training 40-hour intensive course on Forensic Chromatography (blood testing ).
- NHTSA Certification in Field Sobriety Testing Procedure. Over 40 hours of additional DUI-specific CLE credit.
Past and Present Professional Memberships & Associations
- National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers
- Florida Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers
- Past President Florida Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers Sarasota Chapter
- Chapter Representative Manatee County Florida Association of Criminal Defense Attorneys
- Manatee County Bar Association
- Sarasota County Bar Association
- Inn of Court Sarasota
- National College of DUI Defense
- Peer Review BV Rated Martindale Hubble.
Legal Commentary or Analysis Provided to -
- Court TV
- Local affiliates for ABC & Fox
- SNN
- Sarasota Herald
- Bradenton Herald
- Guest Editorialist Sarasota Herald,
- ME TV Panelist: Youth Sports & Juvenile Crime
A Seasoned Criminal Defense Team Trusted By Thousands
Five-Star Reviews from Clients Like You
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"BEST IN BUSINESS"Brett was by our son's side immediately at his bond hearing. So thorough and professional. His team diligently and relentlessly gathered information, Brett compiled and was able to obtain all charges dropped. We highly recommend him to anyone.- AVVO Reviewer
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"Best around, hands down."Brett has been an outstanding attorney throughout my court case. Over the process, he helped me remain calm despite the sentence I was possibly facing. I am here today, writing this review, because of Brett and the time and effort that he put in to make sure that I received the best sentence I could get. He is knowledgeable, approachable, and understanding of his client's needs. I would highly recommend Brett to anyone who is in need of a criminal defense attorney. He is the best around, hands down.- AVVO Reviewer - Ben
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"At tough time in my life"At one of the lowest times in my life I showed up at Brett's office. I knew when I walked into his office that I was at the right place. Through my whole legal process he was professional, competent, informative, skilled and kind. The judge during my hearing paused on a side note to talk about what an amazing lawyer and man Brett was to the law profession. I was so impressed to hear amazing words about my attorney. Thank you Brett for the integrity you bring to the profession.- AVVO Reviewer
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"Highly Recommended ,10 stars!"My family originally hired Brett in 1999 for serious charges, state was offering 17 years. I will never forget the day when Mr. McIntosh asked me" would you like to take the states offer or should I prepare for trial"? Without hesitation I said, " prepare for trial", that's how much faith and trust i have in Brett. Mr. McIntosh and his dedicated staff put their heart and soul in my case (which took about 2 years) had a trial jury and won! I now have my own "statue" that people in my position can use in court. Brett is one of the best trial attorneys I have ever seen, he faught for me like I was his own daughter. Just recently ,2019, I found myself in a little bit of trouble my first instinct was to call Brett and without hesitation he was there for me and everything went in my favor. I personally have a special bond with Brett. God and Brett worked together and saved my life in 1999. This is the man to go to if you have any criminal charges. He will work for you like no other attorney will, he is highly respected and to be honest I think a lot of attorneys are afraid or maybe intimidated to go up against him. When you hire Brett and he tells you something and I know it's hard but just believe what he says because he's honest , upfront and to the point. He will always be my Attorney and I'm actually going to be working with him on something in a few months. Brett is a wonderful man, his staff is wonderful and are on every detail. This attorney, Brett McIntosh, is the best attorney from Charlotte to Manatee county. Good luck to everyone!- AVVO Reviewer - Nicole
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"The best lawyer I have found"Brett is a very professional lawyer. He worked very hard on my case and worked with me on payments. He always took the time to help me understand everything that went on with my case. He got the matter settled without going to trial. He also put up with calling almost every week to see what was happening. I will always recomnand Brett to all my friends and I would use him again if I get any legal trouble.- AVVO Reviewer
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"From the Bottom of My Heart"First time ever having to go through a mess like I was in but Kevin saved the day. I want to personally THANK YOU from the bottom of my heart for representing me!! I will recommend you all to everyone I know!- Kelly D.
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"The Absolute Best"After being arrested for something that I was not responsible for, I sought legal assistance. I met with several attorneys before deciding Mr. McIntosh was the best candidate. The circumstances of my arrest were very stressful for me. Mr. McIntosh expressed my need to be patient to let the case work out. He was always very courteous and professional, as was his co-counsel and legal secretary. My many phone calls and emails were promptly answered. My mind was set at ease many times when I contacted Mr. McIntosh to see how things were progressing, he made the situation much less stressful. I was very comfortable in trusting and believing in Mr. McIntosh and his legal advice. As my case progressed I was offered a plea by the state that I was not comfortable accepting, as I was not guilty of the charge against me. Mr. McIntosh was very forthcoming of what the consequences could be if we went to trial and it did not go my way. He also gave me the courage to believe that the truth is what I needed to stand by. We proceeded to trial, I was very scared but trusted Mr. McIntosh that the truth would come out. The charges were dropped before trial. I do not believe another attorney would have worked as diligently as he did to show the prosecutor what the facts were or to guide me to stand up for myself as he did. He is very knowledgeable and professional. I would highly recommend him to anyone and everyone. I hope to never need the assistance of another attorney again, but in the event I did...he is the only attorney I would call.- AVVO Reviewer
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"Best criminal defense attorney"Our family found ourselves in need of a criminal defense attorney. We had not lived in Florida too long and wasn't sure where to turn. We first went to the yellow pages hiring an attorney who did not care for justice and looked for an easy way out. Seeking new counsel we had several recommendations direct us to Mr. McIntosh. Hiring Brett, co-counsel Kevin and legal secretary Sherry was the best decision we ever made. Brett was committed, knowledgeable and aggressive. Brett's credibility and reputation amongst fellow attorneys, the state attorney's and judges provide a solid foundation for Brett and his team to fight for us and allow justice to prevail. There is no other criminal defense attorney with this experience and knowledge to fight for you. I was told that Brett was the best and our family can say from first hand experience that is the case.- AVVO Reviewer