Selected Case Results
Nicole Sanchez is a former lead felony prosecutor and is Board Certified in Criminal Trial Law by The Florida Bar. She has tried more than 50 jury trials to verdict and has obtained jury acquittals, complete dismissals, suppression victories, appellate reversals, charge reductions, downward variances, and sentences avoiding substantial mandatory prison terms in state and federal courts.
Selected Case Results
The following are selected results from matters handled by Nicole Sanchez. Tyler Vaughn served as co-counsel in the matters where he is expressly identified. Some matters were handled with other co-counsel, and some results were obtained before the formation of Sanchez Vaughn.
The table provides a concise overview. The detailed case narratives below provide the factual and procedural context for each result.
Results at a Glance
Full Case Narratives
These narratives provide additional context concerning the charges, litigation, and outcomes summarized above.
Trial Results
Nicole Sanchez and co-counsel defended a client charged with first-degree-felony sexual battery. Following trial, the jury found the client not guilty of the charged offense and rejected every lesser-included offense. Learn more about the firm’s approach to sex-crime defense.
Not guilty on all charges.
After the defense filed a demand for speedy trial, the case proceeded to a jury. The jury found the client not guilty of both selling and possessing a controlled substance. The firm defends serious Florida drug-trafficking and controlled-substance charges.
Not guilty on both charges.
Nicole Sanchez and Tyler Vaughn defended the client at trial in the Middle District of Florida. Following the federal jury trial, the jury found the client not guilty of distributing methamphetamine. The client was convicted on a separate conspiracy count.
This result arose in the context of a federal prosecution involving the issues addressed in the firm’s federal drug-crimes practice.
Federal jury acquittal on the methamphetamine-distribution charge.
Dismissal Results
A client faced two third-degree-felony battery charges involving two alleged victims. Nicole Sanchez filed a motion to dismiss for statutory immunity under Florida’s Stand Your Ground law and presented evidence that the client acted in self-defense after being pursued, attacked, and seriously injured.
After hearing sworn testimony, the court granted the motion, found the client entitled to statutory immunity, and dismissed both felony charges.
Stand Your Ground immunity granted. Two felony charges dismissed.
A client was indicted on two federal felony counts involving an allegedly fraudulent immigration document. Nicole Sanchez challenged whether the document identified by federal prosecutors was covered by the criminal statute.
The federal court agreed and dismissed the entire superseding indictment. This type of statutory challenge is among the issues that can arise in federal criminal defense.
Both federal felony counts dismissed.
A client was charged with making a written threat to kill or cause bodily injury based on text messages sent during a property dispute. Nicole Sanchez and co-counsel argued that the conditional communication was not a criminal “true threat” and did not establish the intent required for prosecution.
The court granted the defense motion and dismissed the case. Read more about the firm’s work defending serious felony charges.
Felony written-threats case dismissed.
Nicole Sanchez and co-counsel filed a sworn motion to dismiss a carrying-a-concealed-firearm charge under Florida Rule of Criminal Procedure 3.190(c)(4). The motion argued that the firearm, found inside a closed vehicle center console, was securely encased under Florida law and therefore could not support the charged offense.
The Hillsborough County docket reflects that, on May 22, 2023, the State stood silent as to the affected count and the court granted the motion to dismiss. This result involved issues addressed in the firm’s weapons-charges defense practice.
Carrying-a-concealed-firearm charge dismissed after the defense’s sworn motion.
A client faced a second-degree-felony felon-in-possession charge and two felony fleeing-or-eluding charges. Nicole Sanchez prepared a detailed motion challenging the legality of the search, seizure, and recovery of the firearm and presented the completed suppression challenge to the prosecutor before filing.
After reviewing the suppression challenge, the State dismissed the firearm charge and one fleeing-or-eluding charge. The remaining felony fleeing charge was reduced to misdemeanor reckless driving, and the client received a time-served sentence. The result involved issues addressed in the firm’s weapons-charges defense practice.
Two felony charges dismissed. Remaining felony reduced to a misdemeanor and resolved for time served.
A client was charged with third-degree-felony aggravated assault and misdemeanor battery. Nicole Sanchez filed a demand for speedy trial, representing that the defense was prepared to proceed.
The State subsequently entered a nolle prosequi dismissing the entire prosecution and stated that further investigation revealed continued prosecution was not warranted. The result involved issues addressed in the firm’s weapons-charges defense practice.
Felony aggravated-assault and misdemeanor battery charges dismissed.
A client faced a thirteen-count prosecution that included five first-degree-felony trafficking counts involving MDMA and methamphetamine, a second-degree-felony charge of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, marijuana possession, and six additional controlled-substance possession and sale-or-delivery counts.
Tyler Vaughn entered the case as counsel on April 3, 2026. On April 20, 2026, the State entered a nolle prosequi as to the entire case, stating that further investigation by the State Attorney’s Office revealed that continued prosecution was not warranted. The result involved issues addressed in the firm’s drug-trafficking defense practice and weapons-charges defense practice.
Entire thirteen-count prosecution dismissed.
After the case had been pending for more than five years, a client retained Nicole Sanchez and Tyler Vaughn on August 10, 2026, eight days before jury trial. On August 13, the court denied the defense request to continue the trial but allowed Nicole and Tyler to substitute into the case, leaving five days to prepare.
On the evening before trial and during the early morning of the trial date, Nicole and Tyler filed a nineteen-page motion to suppress statements obtained after the client invoked his right to counsel and a fourteen-page motion to exclude statements under Florida’s corpus delicti rule.
On the trial date, the State dismissed the remaining first-degree-felony sexual-battery count and the possession-of-alprazolam count. The client entered a plea to one second-degree-felony count of unlawful sexual activity with a minor and received a 36-month sentence, the lowest permissible sentence reflected on the final scoresheet. This result involved issues addressed in the firm’s sex-crime defense practice.
First-degree sexual-battery and drug charges dismissed on the trial date. Lowest permissible sentence imposed on the remaining count.
Constitutional Litigation
Immediately after receiving Miranda warnings, a client repeatedly asked ATF agents to speak with his attorney. Instead of ending the interrogation, the agents continued questioning him and obtained incriminating statements.
Nicole Sanchez and Tyler Vaughn moved to suppress everything obtained after the client invoked his right to counsel. After reviewing the motion and recorded interrogation, federal prosecutors advised the court that the United States did not object to excluding the challenged post-rights statements from trial. Constitutional suppression litigation can be decisive in a federal criminal case.
Federal prosecutors conceded the suppression issue based on the client’s invocation of the right to counsel after Miranda warnings and agreed to exclude the challenged statements.
The underlying prosecution remains pending.
Appeals and Postconviction
A client convicted of possessing a firearm as a convicted felon initially faced an advisory guideline range of 27 to 33 months. The district court applied an attempted-first-degree-murder cross-reference, increasing the range to 151 to 188 months, and sentenced the client to 180 months.
Nicole Sanchez authored the appellate brief challenging the attempted-murder cross-reference. The enhancement was challenged because the government had not established the facts required to connect the firearm to an attempted murder. The Eleventh Circuit held that the district court had not made the necessary findings concerning the firearm, intent, and a substantial step toward the alleged offense.
The appellate court vacated the 180-month sentence and remanded the case for resentencing. Learn more about the firm’s criminal appeals and postconviction practice.
180-month federal sentence vacated by the Eleventh Circuit.
A trial court dismissed a client’s Rule 3.850 postconviction motion for allegedly missing a court-imposed deadline. Nicole Sanchez appealed and established that the client’s response was timely under Florida’s prison mailbox rule.
The Second District Court of Appeal vacated the dismissal, reversed the trial court, and ordered the postconviction court to consider the client’s claims on their merits. The firm handles appeals and postconviction proceedings in state and federal matters.
Dismissal vacated and case reversed on appeal.
Federal Sentencing
A client faced sentencing for federal methamphetamine-trafficking and firearm offenses involving approximately 60 pounds of methamphetamine and a firearm charge under 18 U.S.C. § 924(c).
The client did not receive a §5K cooperation reduction and was not safety-valve eligible because of the firearm. Nicole Sanchez and Tyler Vaughn challenged the guideline calculations and presented extensive mitigation concerning the client’s role, personal history, trauma, mental health, rehabilitative potential, and the need for a sentence no greater than necessary.
Nicole Sanchez and Tyler Vaughn secured a five-level downward variance, resulting in a sentence of 180 months. The 15-year sentence was the statutory minimum available under the charges of conviction. The firm addresses guideline disputes, mitigation, and statutory penalties as part of its federal criminal defense practice.
Five-level downward variance secured in a federal prosecution involving approximately 60 pounds of methamphetamine and a firearm.
Sentencing Results
A client charged with fentanyl trafficking faced a seven-year mandatory prison term. The State Attorney’s Office agreed to waive the minimum mandatory and the court imposed 798 days of time served, followed by drug-offender probation and placement in a residential treatment program. Learn more about defense of Florida drug-trafficking charges.
Seven-year mandatory prison term avoided. No prison sentence imposed.
A client was charged with trafficking in 14 to 28 grams of fentanyl and trafficking in amphetamine and faced a 20-year minimum mandatory prison sentence along with lesser mandatory minimum sentences on other counts.
Nicole Sanchez and Tyler Vaughn filed a motion to suppress the traffic stop and the drugs discovered as a result of that stop, which formed the basis of multiple trafficking and possession charges. Following the filing of the motion, the trafficking charges were reduced to sale-or-delivery offenses.
The court imposed no prison sentence: 437 days of county jail time already served, concurrent drug-offender-probation terms, and residential treatment. The firm defends complex drug-trafficking prosecutions involving suppression issues and mandatory minimum exposure.
Twenty-year fentanyl mandatory prison exposure avoided.
A client was charged with trafficking in four to fourteen grams of fentanyl and possession of cocaine. The fentanyl-trafficking count carried a seven-year mandatory minimum prison sentence.
Nicole Sanchez and Tyler Vaughn submitted a detailed written resolution proposal challenging the reliability of the State’s weight evidence. Powder recovered from a knotted baggie and loose powder collected from the floorboard of a patrol vehicle had been combined before either source was separately tested or weighed. The defense argued that the commingling prevented the State from reliably proving the weight required for trafficking.
The trafficking count was reduced to possession of fentanyl. The client resolved the reduced fentanyl charge and the cocaine-possession count for 36 months of drug-offender probation, with credit for sixteen days already served and no additional county-jail or state-prison sentence. The firm defends Florida drug-trafficking charges involving disputed weight evidence, suppression issues, and mandatory minimum exposure.
Seven-year mandatory prison term avoided. Trafficking charge reduced. No additional jail or state-prison sentence imposed.
When your freedom, future, or reputation is at stake, preparation matters. Sanchez Vaughn brings former-prosecutor insight, Nicole's Board Certification in Criminal Trial Law by The Florida Bar, and the ability to challenge the government at trial, on appeal, and at sentencing.
Contact Sanchez Vaughn to discuss your case.
Not all results are provided. These results are not necessarily representative of results obtained by the lawyer, and a prospective client’s individual facts and circumstances may differ from the matters described. Past results do not guarantee a similar outcome.
