Brandon Dinetz
Attorney At Law
Brandon Dinetz is a criminal defense attorney at Meltzer & Bell, P.A. in West Palm Beach, Florida. He specializes in handling felony and misdemeanor charges, including DUI, DUI manslaughter, probation violations, batteries, drug offenses, weapons offenses, thefts, traffic-related incidents, and investigations involving misdemeanor and felony allegations. Brandon has extensive experience in handling serious felony matters. He also handles domestic violence offenses on a criminal basis and represents both petitioners and respondents in petitioning for injunctions for protection.
Brandon takes a proactive, aggressive approach to criminal defense accusations. Pre-file work with the State Attorney’s Office and the arresting agency investigating his clients is a crucial part of the timeline. Brandon is highly skilled in achieving excellent results early in the case. If the State decides to proceed with charges, Mr. Dinetz will never give up. He will work tirelessly to make sure your rights are protected.
Since joining Meltzer & Bell, P.A., Brandon has represented more than 1,000 clients in county court, circuit court, and administrative hearings. Some of his notable results include:
DUI Manslaughter – Brandon represented a young woman who was accused of DUI Manslaughter. It was alleged that she hit and killed a cyclist while under the influence of alcohol. She had never been in trouble before, and she was looking at a prison sentence of more than a decade. Brandon contacted and hired one of the top experts in the field of traffic accident analysis and reconstruction. Our expert found a major flaw in the state’s case. After reviewing our expert’s report, the State Attorney’s Office agreed that they had a problem. Negotiations to resolve the case culminated in an outstanding result for our client. She pleaded guilty to Driving Under the Influence, Causing Serious Bodily Injury, and was placed on probation. She did not serve any jail time as a result of her plea.
DUI (2nd) and Refusal to Submit – Brandon represented a young father who was accused of his second DUI and a criminal charge for his second time, refusing to provide a sample of his breath, urine, or blood. Additionally, he was facing an 18-month license suspension from the FLHSMV for refusing to provide a sample for the second time. Our client did not qualify for a hardship license, so we had to challenge the FLHSMV suspension in a formal hearing. At the formal hearing, Brandon successfully argued for the removal of the 18-month suspension for refusing to provide a sample for the second time. Our client’s license was cleared of the FLHSMV suspension. In the criminal case, Brandon successfully presented legal arguments to the State Attorney’s Office that resulted in the dismissal of the second DUI and probation period for the criminal charge of refusing to provide a sample. The case was resolved without any license suspension.
Aggravated Assault with a Deadly Weapon – Brandon represented a 70-year-old man charged with three counts of Aggravated Assault with a Deadly Weapon. He was accused of getting into a verbal dispute with three individuals, at which time he threatened to go home and get a firearm and subsequently left and returned with a firearm. Our client allegedly pointed the firearm at three individuals, prompting law enforcement to be called, and he was arrested. Brandon listened intently to everything the client provided about himself and the incident. After the meeting, Brandon contacted the State Attorney’s Office and began to provide arguments to counter the factual allegations in the case. The alleged victims hired counsel to represent them as victims in this case. The victims wanted our client to become a convicted felon, receive a prison sentence, go on probation, and pay restitution for costs allegedly incurred because of this case. Brandon aggressively argued on behalf of his client, and after months of negotiations, we presented our client with an excellent resolution. Our client was not convicted of any charges; he was placed on probation, where he is required to pay court costs, complete a substance abuse evaluation, abstain from drugs and alcohol with random testing, and agree to not possess a firearm for the duration of probation. Our client did not become a convicted felon, he did not serve time in prison, and he was not required to pay money to the alleged victims.
Driving Under the Influence and Racing on Highway – Brandon represented a young man who was accused of Driving Under the Influence, wherein he provided a breath sample over .08. In addition to a criminal charge, the breath results triggered a six-month driver’s license suspension from the FLHSMV. Brandon believed the officer’s investigation created legal issues. He set a hearing with the FLHSMV to argue for removing the six-month suspension. While the case was pending, the client was again arrested for racing on the highway, which could have revoked his bond on the DUI case, leading to him being in custody until both cases were resolved. Brandon utilized his relationships with the State Attorney’s Office to address the criminal cases immediately. He contacted the prosecutor to prevent them from filing a motion to revoke the client’s bond on the DUI case. Brandon argued that the racing allegations were legally insufficient and should be dismissed. He also argued that the DUI charge was based on a weak investigation. However, given our client’s breath sample, which was above .08, our client would consider a plea to Reckless Driving and participation in the Palm Beach County DUI Diversion Program if the DUI were dismissed. The prosecutor agreed with Brandon’s position and dismissed the Racing on Highway case upon completing a driving course and the payment of $100. The client was allowed to participate in the DUI Diversion Program, which resulted in no conviction for the DUI charge, and the charge was dismissed. During the formal review hearing with the FLHSMV, Brandon argued that the start of the officer’s investigation was legally insufficient. The FLHSMV officer agreed, and the 6-month suspension was removed from the client’s driving record.
Prior to joining the firm, Brandon worked as an Assistant State Attorney for the 15th Judicial Circuit in Palm Beach County. He prosecuted over 3,100 criminal cases, including DUI, theft, batteries, firearm charges, drug offenses, and numerous traffic offenses. He worked as a Lead Division Attorney, filed DUI charges, and prosecuted violations of probation and DUI recidivists. During his tenure, he argued hundreds of evidentiary hearings and over 35 jury trials of both misdemeanor and felony charges.
While working as a prosecutor, Brandon cultivated strong relationships with the local legal community, including law enforcement officers and both County and Circuit Court judges. His tempered aggression gained the respect of his colleagues and adversaries alike.
Brandon achieved his law degree from Nova Southeastern Law School in 2016 after winning an Invitation-Only international mock trial competition in Scotland and several other national mock trial competitions. He occasionally donates time to train and educate students to hone their trial advocacy skills. He was a Craig S. Bernard Inns of Court member and belongs to the Palm Beach County Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers.
Education:
University of Buffalo, Buffalo, New York – Bachelor of Arts – International Trade, 20112
Nova Southeastern University Shepard Broad College of Law, Fort Lauderdale, Florida – Juris Doctor, 2016
Work Experience:
Office of the State Attorney – 15th Judicial Circuit of Florida, 2017-2020
Law Clerk Bradford Cohen Law 2014-2016
Criminal Law Teaching Assistant, Nova Southeastern University Shepard Broad College of Law, 2014-20