In 2018 we have seen a rash of school shootings unlike anything in recent American history. In Florida alone, not only was there the tragic February 14th shootings at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, but another school shooting took place in Ocala in central Florida on April 20 as students were engaged in a [...]
A Miami appeals court recently ruled that a police officer acted legally in 2015 when he pulled over a motorist whose license plate frame partially covered the words "MyFlorida.com" and “Sunshine State” on his license plate, but not the plate’s tag numbers or decals. After pulling over the driver due to the partial obscuring of [...]
A hot topic in today’s charged political environment, particularly as it relates to cyberbullying and school shootings, are the number of threats made on social media. Bullying, and online bullying in particular, have become such an issue that First Lady Melania Trump recently announced that her first major initiative as First Lady would be her [...]
You’ve been arrested in Palm Beach County, Florida. The police bring you in front of a judge to decide whether you will be held in jail pending the resolution of the criminal charges against you or not. But how does the judge make that decision and what considerations go into the judge’s decision? What options [...]
Two of the most commonly misunderstood crimes in Florida, as well as just about every other jurisdiction in the United States, are assault and battery. Although assault and battery are often related crimes and discussed together, the two are separate and distinct criminal offenses with different legal elements, definitions, and potential punishments. People frequently confuse [...]
One of the most common questions that any criminal defense attorney is asked by clients is whether they should talk with police without an attorney present. Although it may seem to some people that it implies guilt if you refuse to speak with police without an attorney present, you have a right under the United [...]
Florida law treats repeat criminal offenders in many instances harsher than those who are convicted of a particular criminal offense for the very first time. Florida law features increasingly severe and escalating punishments for many criminal offenses the more times that an individual is convicted of the same crime. This is particularly true when it [...]
In the wake of the recent tragedy at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, many Florida gun owners may be confused and/or nervous regarding Florida law relating to carrying firearms. The national response to this tragedy has caused a good amount of consternation and misinformation regarding legal restrictions on firearm ownership, use and carrying. [...]
You have a felony conviction in your long ago past. So long ago it seems like another lifetime. You are a gun enthusiast and you worry about your safety, so you buy a handgun. What could possibly be wrong with that? For starters, it’s against both Florida and federal law for a convicted felon to [...]
Your son or daughter has been arrested in Florida under suspicion of having committed a crime. After “What did my child do?”, your first thought may be whether your minor child can be charged as an adult. Florida law attempts to keep most minors under 18 outside the adult criminal justice system in favor of [...]
