Biography

Robert N. Harrison, a Sarasota native, focuses in DUI defense and criminal defense at his Venice law office.
He was admitted to the Florida Bar in 1986. After serving four years as an assistant state attorney in Tampa, Mr. Harrison joined the Venice law firm of Kanetsky, Moore & DeBoer. In 1996, he opened his own law practice.
While an assistant state attorney, Mr. Harrison gained extensive trial experience prosecuting misdemeanor and felony cases, including DUIs, armed robberies, murders and drug trafficking. During his six years at Kanetsky, Moore & DeBoer, he handled litigation for the firm’s vast client base, representing both plaintiffs and defendants in real estate and condominium related disputes.
Mr. Harrison is an active member of the Florida Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, serving as President of the Sarasota Chapter from 2006-2008 and currently sits on the FACDL Board of Directors as the Sarasota Chapter representative. He also was President of the Venice-Englewood Bar Association in 1999-2000, a member of the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, a member of the Sertoma Club of Venice and the Venice Area Chamber of Commerce.
He attended the University of Florida, majoring in finance. He received a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration in 1983 and a Juris Doctor in 1986. Mr. Harrison was a member of Pi Kappa Phi social fraternity, the University of Florida Fight’n Gator Marching Band, Florida Blue Key leadership honorary, Omicron Delta Kappa scholastic-leadership honorary, Savant UF leadership honorary, Beta Gamma Sigma honor society and the Financial Management Association, National Finance Honor Society. He also was president of Omicron Delta Kappa and director of the Orange and Blue Open, the university’s homecoming golf tournament.
Mr. Harrison is a fifth-generation Floridian. He attended Riverview High School in Sarasota, where he was a member of the world-renowned Kiltie Marching Band.

Reported Cases

State v. Berger, 605 So.2d 488 (Fla. 2nd DCA 1992); Veilleux v. State, 635 So.2d 977 (Fla. 1994); State v. Brigham, 694 So.2d 793 (Fla. 2nd DCA 1997); Parent v. State, 900 So.2d 598 (Fla. 2nd DCA 2004); State v. Bjorkland, 924 So.2d 971 (Fla. 2nd DCA 2006); CMI, Inc. of Kentucky v. Fabian,992 So.2d 917 (Fla. 2nd DCA 2008); CMI, Inc. v. Landrum, 64 So.3d 693 (Fla. 2d DCA 2010), rev. denied, 54 So.3d 973 (Fla. 2011); State v Smith, et al., 7 Fla. L. Weekly Supp. 135a, (Fla. Sarasota Cty. Ct. November 5, 1999); State v. Parent, 10 Fla. L. Weekly Supp. 921c, (Fla. Sarasota Cty. Ct. August 23, 2003); Ware v. Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles, 11 Fla. L. Weekly Supp. 791a, (Fla. Sarasota Cir. Ct. April 12, 2004); State v. Matthews, et al., 11 Fla. L. Weekly Supp. 923a, (Fla. Sarasota Cty. Ct. July 30, 2004); State v. O’Keefee, 12 Fla. L. Weekly Supp. 252a, (Fla. Sarasota Cty. Ct. November 4, 2004); State v. Penney, 12 Fla. L. Weekly Supp. 253a, (Fla. Sarasota Cty. Ct. January 3, 2005); State v. Bjorkland, et al., 12 Fla. L. Weekly Supp. 979a, (Fla. Sarasota Cty. Ct. July 11, 2005); State v. Bjorkland, et al., 13 Fla. L. Weekly Supp. 170a, (Fla. Sarasota Cty. Ct. November 2, 2005); State v. Irish, 13 Fla. L. Weekly Supp. 719a, (Fla. Sarasota Cty. Ct. May 4, 2006); State v. Almaraz, 13 Fla. L. Weekly Supp. 724a, (Fla. Manatee Cty. Ct. May 5, 2006); State v.Udice, 14 Fla. L. Weekly Supp. 82b, (Fla. Sarasota Cty. Ct. November 20, 2006); State v. Fabian et al., 14 Fla. L. Weekly Supp. 480a, (Fla. Sarasota Cty. Ct. March 2, 2007); State v. Marsh et al., 14 Fla. L. Weekly Supp. 495a, (Fla. Sarasota Cty. Ct. March 6, 2007); State, v. Baker, et al. 14 Fla. L. Weekly Supp. 581b, (Fla. Sarasota Cty. Ct. March 12, 2007); State v. Crawford, 14 Fla. L. Weekly Supp. 692b, (Fla. Sarasota Cty. Ct. April 23, 2007); State v. Baad, 14 Fla. L. Weekly Supp. 793b, (Fla. Sarasota Cty. Ct. June 20, 2007); CMI Inc of Kentucky v. Fabian et al., 15 Fla. L. Weekly Supp. 573a, (Fla. Sarasota Cir. Ct., March 31, 2008); CMI Inc of Florida v. Almaraz et al., 15 Fla. L. Weekly Supp. 782a (Fla. Manatee Cir. Ct., June 2, 2008); State v. Beaton, 15 Fla. L. Weekly Supp. 1208a, (Fla. Sarasota Cty. Ct. October 28, 2008); State v. Schepp, 16 Fla. L. Weekly Supp. 766a (Fla. Sarasota Cty. Court December 12, 2008); State v. Baker et al., 16 Fla. L. Weekly Supp. 344a, (Fla. Sarasota Cty. Ct. February 6, 2009); State v. Almaraz et al., 16 Fla. L. Weekly Supp. 343a, (Fla. Manatee Cty. Court February 10, 2009); State v. Schepp, 16 Fla. L. Weekly Supp. 733a (Fla. Sarasota Cir. Court May 14, 2009); State v. Whittaker, 16 Fla. L. Weekly Supp. 764a, (Fla. Sarasota Cty. Court June 4, 2009); State v. Buono et al.,16 Fla. L. Weekly Supp. 765a. (Fla. Sarasota Cty. Court June 19, 2009); State v. Johnson et al., 16 Fla. L. Weekly Supp. 869a, (Fla. Manatee Cty. Court June 30, 2009); State v. Baumhardt, 17 Fla. L.Weekly Supp. 733b (Fla. Charlotte Cir. Ct., January 15, 2009); State v. Landrum, 18 Fla. L. Weekly Supp. 983b (Fla. Manatee Cir. Ct. May 23, 2011).

Practice Areas

  • DUI Defense
  • Criminal Defense

Law School

  • University of Florida Levin College of Law, B.S., 1983; University of Florida Levin College of Law, J.D., 1986

Admitted

  • U.S. District Court, Middle District of Florida; 1986, Florida

Languages

  • English

Born

  • Sarasota, Florida, February 10, 1962