Stephan Dobrinsky
Partner
Stephan Dobrinsky was born and raised in south Florida. For his undergraduate studies, he attended the University of Maryland where he majored in Philosophy. In 2011, he enrolled at the Levin College of Law at the University of Florida. Prior to joining Meltzer & Bell, P.A., Stephan worked as an Assistant Public Defender in Broward County for over three years, dedicating himself to the defense of indigent people charged with crimes.
Stephan has long been devoted to serving those faced with criminal charges. Even prior to receiving his juris doctorate, he worked as a Certified Legal Intern at the Alachua County Public Defender’s Office in Gainesville, Florida. He was also awarded the Book Award in 2013 for stellar performance in the Trial Practice class. The first summer of law school, Stephan was selected for a prestigious summer externship at the Federal Public Defender’s Office in the Southern District of Florida. The next summer, he served as a judicial intern with the Honorable Judge Kathleen Williams in the Federal Southern District of Florida.
After graduating from the Levin College of Law, Stephan worked in civil law before he returned to his passion and joined the Public Defender’s Office in Broward County. Due to his hard work and dedication to his clients, Stephan was quickly promoted to handling felony cases. He has worked on hundreds of criminal cases, and has addressed legal issues ranging from minor misdemeanors, DUI’s, violent felonies, property crimes, and sexual offenses. Before joining Meltzer & Bell PA., Stephan was promoted all the way up to representing clients charged with first-degree felonies, some of which cases carried a possible punishment of life in prison. Stephan prides himself on his unrelenting dedication to his work and zealous representation of his clients.
Stephan Dobrinsky Joins Meltzer & Bell PA., Bringing Extensive Criminal Defense Experience
Partner Stephan Dobrinsky joined the Meltzer & Bell team in 2019 after four successful years working as an Assistant Public Defender in Broward County. During his time with the firm, Stephan has skillfully navigated the widest array of criminal matters, stemming from criminal and administrative investigations, DUI, violent crimes including murder, DUI Manslaughter and Vehicular Homicide, and sexual related offenses.
Remarkable Success in Fourth Amendment and Mental Health Cases
Mr. Dobrinsky has had particularly remarkable success in the areas of Fourth Amendment Motions to Suppress Evidence, and mental health cases as they relate to issues of sentencing or insanity.
Winning with ‘Stand Your Ground’ Defenses in High-Stakes Cases
As it relates to Mr. Dobrinsky’s success defending clients charged with violent offenses, look no further than his recent wins by moving to dismiss cases due to the ‘Stand Your Ground’ Immunity Statute. Mr. Dobrinsky represented a city bus driver charged with aggravated battery with a deadly weapon and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. The client faced a 10-year minimum-mandatory prison sentence upon conviction. Mr. Dobrinsky prepared the case and filed a Motion to Dismiss, claiming the client was immune from prosecution as any force she used was in lawful self-defense. At an evidentiary hearing before the Honorable Judge Michael Rothschild, Mr. Dobrinsky won the day, and the Court granted his Motion. That client’s case was completely dismissed.
Another recent Stand Your Ground victory by Mr. Dobrinsky came in a murder case. The client was detained without bond throughout the case due to having prior cases before being charged with second degree murder. Mr. Dobrinsky worked on the case tirelessly for the better part of a year. He sincerely believed in his client’s defense, which was that the alleged victim and his girlfriend were outside of his client’s apartment attacking client’s wife and other female friends when the client had no choice but to shoot the alleged victim three times. The case was difficult. It involved the client shooting an unarmed man and fleeing the scene afterwards. Ultimately, Mr. Dobrinsky was able to show that the alleged victim and his girlfriend followed the client back to his apartment and were there for the purpose of violence. After a 3-day evidentiary hearing on Mr. Dobrinsky’s Motion to Dismiss for ‘Stand Your Ground,’ the Court granted the Motion, finding the client immune from prosecution. The Client’s second-degree murder charge, for which the prosecution was seeking 50 years of prison, was entirely dismissed by the Court.
Expertise in DUI Related Legal Battles Leads to Numerous Acquittals
In five years with Meltzer & Bell, Mr. Dobrinsky has achieved tremendous results on DUI related matters. In addition to numerous ‘Not Guilty’ verdicts at trial on DUI cases, Mr. Dobrinsky’s ‘bread and butter’ has been Pre-Trial Motions to Suppress Evidence. He has won many Motions to Suppress in DUI matters, ranging from illegal traffic stops, illegal detentions or DUI investigations, lack of probable cause, and suppressing breath results and refusals to submit to breath testing. Mr. Dobrinsky uses his prowess with Fourth Amendment issues to cut down on the State’s case, suppressing evidence and often making it impossible for the prosecution to even proceed at trial.
Vigorous Defense in Felony Traffic Matters Saves Client’s Futures
Mr. Dobrinsky has vigorously defended Felony traffic matters including DUI Manslaughter, Vehicular Homicide, and DUI with Serious Bodily Injury. These are extremely serious matters in which the prosecution seeks prison time. One case of note was a three-count DUI with Serious Bodily Injury that Mr. Dobrinsky aggressively defended after the client left her first lawyer and hired Meltzer & Bell. Client was driving the wrong way when she collided head on with a vehicle that had a grandmother and two grandchildren inside. All were seriously hurt. Mr. Dobrinsky was able to investigate the case and expose massive problems with the police’s DUI and traffic homicide investigation. Mr. Dobrinsky filed numerous Motions to Suppress or Exclude evidence, as well as a Motion to Compel Evidence due to prosecutorial misconduct arising from an overzealous prosecutor silencing a witness. The client faced a maximum of 15 years prison and a minimum sentence of around 6 years upon conviction. In the face of having to argue in Court against Mr. Dobrinsky’s Motions, the prosecution offered a resolution involving mere misdemeanor reckless driving plea, with no jail and no conviction.
Another felony traffic matter Mr. Dobrinsky has devoted himself to is a DUI Manslaughter and Vehicular Homicide case. Our client was alleged to have been driving 111 MPH in a 45 MPH speed limit zone before colliding with the victim’s vehicle as she was making a left turn. The victim unfortunately died on scene. The Client’s blood allegedly tested positive for alcohol- nearly three times the legal limit. Client’s license was also suspended at the time. This extremely difficult case was litigated for years, and Mr. Dobrinsky worked tirelessly for his client as he worked with experts in both toxicology and accident reconstruction. Mr. Dobrinsky was successful at challenging the legality of the warrant the police obtained to get and test his client’s blood. Due to the Court agreeing that the warrant was obtained based on misrepresentations, any evidence of the client’s blood alcohol content was suppressed. This forced the prosecution to drop all DUI related counts, including DUI Manslaughter. This left only Vehicular Homicide. After years of battling, Mr. Dobrinsky was able to achieve an exceptional negotiated resolution with the prosecution and preserve the client’s future.
Continued Dedication to Mental Health and Criminal Justice
During his time with Meltzer & Bell, Stephan has continued his dedication to clients accused of crimes who suffer from mental illness. As an assistant public defender, Stephan assisted hundreds of such clients through the justice system, helping them avoid convictions, avoid incarceration, and navigating the Broward County Mental Health Court. While at the firm, Mr. Dobrinsky continued that battle and has won or successfully mitigated several severe first-degree felony cases by pleading Not Guilty for Reason of Insanity. Beyond that, Mr. Dobrinsky has achieved great results whereby clients facing serious prison time are able to avoid incarceration and continue in the community, with their families, receiving treatment, by way of a Mental Health Downward Departure. Stephan’s wife is a psychologist who works at a local hospital. Mental Health and how it intersects with the criminal justice system is one of Stephan’s primary focal points.
Whatever you are faced with, Stephan Dobrinsky is somebody you want in your corner.