Robert Harrison

Robert Harrison is a fifth generation Floridian, born and raised in Sarasota. Mr. Harrison graduated from Riverview High School where he was a member of the World-renowned Kiltie Marching Band and then performed with the Gator Marching Band at the University of Florida. Mr. Harrison obtained both his law degree and a degree in Business Administration from the University of Florida.

Mr. Harrison began his legal career as an Assistant State Attorney in Tampa in 1986, where he gained extensive trial experience prosecuting serious felony cases including armed robbery, drug trafficking, and homicide. He joined the Venice law firm of Kanetsky, Moore and DeBoer in 1990. In 1996, he founded Robert N. Harrison, P.A., a private law practice focused on DUI defense and criminal litigation. His firm is known for its rigorous advocacy, strategic case handling, and commitment to protecting the rights of individuals across Sarasota County and beyond. Mr. Harrison joined the Law Place in 2025.

Throughout his career, Mr. Harrison has been at the forefront of DUI defense in the State of Florida. He has been a frequent speaker at the Florida Bar’s Masters of DUI Seminar and at the Blood, Breath and Tears Seminar presented by the Florida Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers. Mr. Harrison is the former President of the Venice-Englewood Bar Association, President of the Sarasota County Chapter of the Florida Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers and a member the organization’s Statewide Board of Directors. In 2014, Mr. Harrison received the DUI Gladiator Award presented by the Florida Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers for his outstanding work and dedication to DUI defense.

Beyond the courtroom, Mr. Harrison is deeply rooted in his community, actively participating in local civic groups such as the Sertoma Club of Venice and the Venice Area Chamber of Commerce.

The first DUI case Mr. Harrison defended went all the way to the Florida Supreme Court following a ruling that a breath test was not conducted pursuant to administrative rules governing breath tests. The prosecution claimed that a County Judge had no authority to rule on violations of the Administrative Procedures Act. The Florida Supreme Court, in a landmark decision found “… it would violate sound public policy and interfere with the right to speedy trial to require a traffic-court defendant to administratively challenge an agency rule before a motion to suppress could be considered.” This ruling opened the door for anyone charged with a DUI in Florida to challenge the reliability of the breath test in County Court.

In 1996, the Florida legislature rewrote the DUI Statute to address a Sarasota County Judge ruling in favor of multiple citizens represented by Mr. Harrison. The judge found that the Intoxilyzer results were inadmissible for failing to report the results as a percentage as required by the old statute.

In 2005, Mr. Harrison won another landmark decision when a panel of Sarasota County Judges required the breath test manufacturer to turn over the source code for the computer program running on the Intoxilyzer. This decision gathered worldwide recognition. When the breath test manufacturer refused to turn over the code, Mr. Harrison convinced the Court to hold the manufacturer in contempt and issue a daily fine until the code was produced. This became a multi-million dollar fine during the pendency of multiple appeals by the manufacturer that Mr. Harrison successfully defended.

Mr. Harrison’s investigation into the Intoxilyzer also revealed the manufacturer modified the design of a purge valve without government approval, In another case he discovered that none of the Intoxilyzers used in Florida were being calibrated for sample volume – a necessary requirement for a reliable breath sample.

In 2024, Mr. Harrison discovered that many Intoxilyzers in the State, including one used in the Sarasota County Jail, had undergone a do-it-yourself repair. A Sarasota County Judge ruled that the Intoxilyzer, following the unauthorized repair, was no longer considered an approved device to measure breath tests. In 2025, the District Court of Appeal agreed with Mr. Harrison and the County Judge, holding an “unauthorized repair is not a minor deviation from the Department’s rules.”