Orlando is one of the most heavily policed metro areas in Florida. In 2024 alone, the Orlando Police Department responded to over 757,000 calls for service, conducted more than 68,000 traffic stops, and made nearly 16,000 arrests across the city. Orange County courts process thousands of criminal and traffic cases every year through the Ninth Judicial Circuit — and every one of those cases carries real consequences for the person on the other end of the charge.
The Law Office of James P. Kelly, P.A. is located in Orlando and represents individuals facing criminal charges and traffic citations throughout Orange County and Central Florida. When you call this office, you speak directly with an attorney — not a receptionist, not an answering service. Attorney James P. Kelly is a former Assistant Public Defender who has handled criminal cases from arraignment through jury trial, and attorney Dairlyn Kelly is a former State Prosecutor who understands exactly how the other side builds its case against you.
Our office is centrally located off South Kirkman Road near the intersection of International Drive, with easy access from I-4, the 408 Expressway, and Florida’s Turnpike. We are approximately 15 minutes from the Orange County Courthouse in downtown Orlando.
The Law Office of James P. Kelly, P.A.
5401 S. Kirkman Road, Suite 105B
Orlando, FL 32819
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We defend clients across the full range of criminal charges filed in Orange County courts. Every case starts with a direct conversation with an attorney who evaluates the facts, identifies the weaknesses in the state’s case, and develops a defense strategy built around the specific circumstances of the charge.
A felony conviction in Florida carries prison time, permanent loss of civil rights, and a criminal record that follows you for life. Our firm handles felony cases including:
A misdemeanor conviction still creates a permanent criminal record that appears on background checks, affects employment, and can limit housing and educational opportunities. Common misdemeanor charges we defend include:
Orange County is one of the highest-volume traffic citation jurisdictions in Florida. Between the Orlando Police Department, the Orange County Sheriff’s Office, and the Florida Highway Patrol, tens of thousands of traffic stops happen every year on I-4, the 408, the 417, International Drive, and throughout the city’s major corridors. A single traffic conviction can add points to your license, increase your insurance premiums for years, and — if enough points accumulate — trigger a license suspension under § 322.27.
We handle traffic citations in Orange County and throughout Central Florida, including:
In most traffic cases, we appear in court on your behalf so you do not have to take time off work or sit through hours at the Orange County Traffic Court. Our goal is to get the ticket dismissed, the charge reduced to a non-moving violation, or a withhold of adjudication that keeps the points off your record and your insurance rates where they are.
Criminal and traffic cases in Orlando are heard in Orange County courts, which are part of the Ninth Judicial Circuit Court of Florida. The specific courthouse and division depends on whether you are facing a felony, misdemeanor, or traffic citation.
Address: 425 N. Orange Avenue, Orlando, FL 32801
Phone: (407) 836-2000
Website: Ninth Judicial Circuit — Orange County Courthouse
Clerk of Courts: myorangeclerk.com
The Orange County Courthouse is a 23-story tower in downtown Orlando that houses the county’s criminal, civil, and family divisions. Felony cases, misdemeanor arraignments, domestic violence hearings, probation violations, and bond hearings are all conducted here. The parking garage is accessible from Magnolia and Orange Avenues, with rates starting at $2.00 per hour up to a $15.00 daily maximum.
Traffic infractions and certain misdemeanor traffic offenses in Orlando are processed through the Orange County Clerk of Courts. Depending on the violation, your case may be assigned to a county judge in the criminal traffic division or handled administratively through the clerk’s office. Our firm handles all scheduling, filings, and court appearances so you do not have to navigate the system yourself.
Address: 401 W. Central Boulevard, Orlando, FL 32801
Phone: (407) 835-4200
Website: U.S. District Court, Middle District of Florida — Orlando Division
Federal criminal cases in Orange County and the surrounding counties (Brevard, Osceola, Seminole, and Volusia) are heard at the George C. Young Federal Annex Courthouse in downtown Orlando. Federal charges carry their own sentencing guidelines and procedural rules that differ significantly from state court.
An arrest is not a conviction. The state has the burden of proving every element of the charge beyond a reasonable doubt. But that burden only works in your favor when someone is actively holding the prosecution accountable — challenging the evidence, questioning the procedures, and making the state earn its case.
Here is what sets The Law Office of James P. Kelly apart from the larger firms and volume practices that dominate the Orlando legal market:
Direct access to your attorney. When you call this firm, you speak with James Kelly or Dairlyn Kelly directly. Not a paralegal. Not an intake coordinator. Not a voicemail tree. This is a deliberate choice — because the details you share in that first conversation often determine the direction of your entire defense.
Both sides of the courtroom. James Kelly began his career as an Assistant Public Defender in the same courtrooms where your case will be heard. Dairlyn Kelly is a former State Prosecutor who has sat at the other table and built the kind of cases the state is now building against you. That combination gives this firm a perspective that most criminal defense practices simply do not have.
Bilingual representation. Our firm serves Orlando’s Spanish-speaking community. If you or a family member is more comfortable communicating in Spanish, we can accommodate that throughout the entire process — from the initial consultation through resolution of your case. Se habla español.
We handle the process for you. One of the biggest concerns clients express is the overwhelming nature of the court system — the paperwork, the deadlines, the appearances, the confusion. We take that off your plate. In traffic cases, we appear on your behalf so you never have to step foot in a courtroom. In criminal cases, we manage every filing, every hearing, and every communication with the state so you can focus on your life while we focus on your defense.
Our office on South Kirkman Road is centrally positioned to serve clients throughout Orlando and all of Orange County. Whether your arrest or citation happened in downtown Orlando, near UCF, along the International Drive tourist corridor, or in one of the county’s unincorporated areas, your case will move through the same Orange County court system — and we know how to navigate it.
| Downtown Orlando | College Park | Thornton Park | Baldwin Park |
| Milk District | Parramore | Ivanhoe Village | Colonialtown |
| SODO (South of Downtown) | Mills 50 | Audubon Park | Lake Eola Heights |
| Delaney Park | North Quarter | Conway | Engelwood Park |
| Winter Park | Maitland | Apopka | Ocoee |
| Winter Garden | Windermere | Lake Nona | Dr. Phillips |
| MetroWest | Pine Hills | Hunter’s Creek | Bay Lake |
| Belle Isle | Eatonville | Edgewood | Oakland |
| Goldenrod | Meadow Woods | Lockhart | Union Park |
| Southchase | Orlovista | Taft | Tangelo Park |
We also serve clients with cases in the surrounding counties, including Seminole County (Sanford, Altamonte Springs, Longwood, Casselberry, Lake Mary, Oviedo, Winter Springs), Osceola County (Kissimmee, St. Cloud, Celebration), Lake County (Clermont, Leesburg, Tavares), and Volusia County (Daytona Beach, DeLand, Deltona, Orange City).
Hiring a defense attorney is not just about having someone stand next to you in court. It is about having someone who is working on your case before you ever step into a courtroom — and who is positioned to resolve many cases without a trial at all.
Here is what the defense process typically looks like at our firm:
1. Initial Case Evaluation — You speak directly with an attorney who reviews the facts of your arrest, the charges filed, and any evidence the state has disclosed. We assess the strengths and weaknesses of the case during that first conversation.
2. Evidence Review & Investigation — We obtain police reports, body camera footage, witness statements, forensic evidence, and any other materials the state intends to use against you. We scrutinize every piece of it for constitutional violations, procedural errors, and factual weaknesses.
3. Pre-Trial Motions — If the evidence was obtained through an illegal stop, an improper search, or a coerced statement, we file motions to suppress that evidence before trial. Many cases are resolved — or significantly weakened — at this stage.
4. Negotiation — When the evidence supports it, we negotiate with the State Attorney’s Office for charge reductions, diversion programs, withhold of adjudication, or case dismissal. Our familiarity with the Ninth Judicial Circuit’s prosecutors and judges gives us insight into what outcomes are realistic and how to achieve them.
5. Trial — If the state will not offer a fair resolution, we take the case to trial. Attorney James Kelly is a trial lawyer with courtroom experience built through years as an Assistant Public Defender, where he handled everything from misdemeanor dockets to serious felony jury trials.
A criminal record does not have to follow you forever. If your case was dismissed, you were acquitted, or you completed a diversion program, you may be eligible to have your arrest record expunged or sealed under § 943.0585 (expungement) or § 943.059 (record sealing). Clearing your record removes barriers to employment, housing, professional licensing, and educational opportunities.
A probation violation in Orange County can result in the court revoking your probation and imposing the maximum sentence for the original offense — including prison time that was suspended as part of your plea agreement. Violations can be technical (missed appointment, failed drug test, curfew violation) or substantive (new arrest while on probation). Either way, the consequences are severe, and you are not entitled to a jury trial at a violation hearing. You need an attorney who understands how Orange County judges handle these proceedings and who can present mitigating circumstances effectively.
