Summer Goldman

Summer Goldman defends people charged with sex crimes, child pornography and other internet offenses, federal crimes, drug trafficking, and violent felonies in Pinellas, Hillsborough, Manatee, and Sarasota Counties and in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida. She has practiced criminal law for 25 years, on both sides of the courtroom.

Background & Experience

Summer began her career in 2001 as a prosecutor with the State Attorney’s Office for Pinellas County, where she handled thousands of cases from investigation through sentencing. She left in 2004 to practice criminal defense exclusively and co-founded Goldman Wetzel with Maribeth Wetzel in 2009.

She is admitted to the Florida Bar and the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida, and she accepts appointments under the Criminal Justice Act to represent federal defendants who cannot afford counsel.

Criminal Defense Approach

Summer combines prosecutorial experience with years of criminal defense litigation to build strategic defenses for clients facing serious legal situations.

Her practice focuses on protecting constitutional rights, challenging weak evidence, and helping clients navigate complex criminal investigations and court proceedings.

A St. Petersburg Family

Summer is a third-generation St. Petersburg native. Her grandparents, Edward and Evelyn Jess Goldman, moved to St. Petersburg in 1916, and her grandfather ran Bell Luggage and Jewelry on Central Avenue, a few blocks west of where her office stands today. Her father, Sanford Goldman, was a St. Petersburg architect for more than sixty years, a founding member of the Community Alliance in 1968, and a recipient of the Keys to the City.

Summer was born in St. Petersburg and lives in Manatee County, and she is in the Pinellas and Manatee County courthouses every week.

Community Involvement

Summer is a past president of the Pinellas Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers and has served on the Board of Directors of Brookwood Florida.