What is a crime involving moral turpitude?
The term appears in federal immigration law rather than in Florida's criminal statutes. It generally covers offenses involving fraud or deceit, and those considered inherently base, vile, or depraved.
Commonly included: theft, fraud, forgery, and offenses involving intent to defraud. Also many crimes involving serious bodily harm and certain sexual offenses.
Commonly not included: many regulatory offenses, simple assault in some circumstances, and offenses without a required intent element.
Why it matters. A single such offense can trigger inadmissibility or removability depending on the circumstances, and multiple offenses carry additional consequences. It also affects good moral character determinations for naturalization.
The analysis turns on the statutory elements of the offense rather than on what actually happened, which means the specific charge matters enormously. Two dispositions with identical practical consequences in Florida can have completely different immigration effects.
That's the argument for having immigration consequences evaluated before a plea rather than after.
Which statute you plead to matters more here than what sentence you get. ---
Talk to an Attorney — Free
An answer on a page isn't the same as advice about your case. Talk to an attorney who handles these matters on the Treasure Coast — free and confidential.