Category Archives: Criminal Defense
Officers on the Hunt for Murder Suspect
A 35-year-old man with an extensive criminal record is on the run and wanted for the murder of his wife. Deputies responded to a residence on Meadson Road on a report of a shooting. Officers arriving at the scene found the 35-year-old female, dead from an apparent gunshot wound. In 2009, the suspect was… Read More »
Formal and Informal Sealing in White Collar Criminal Cases
Frequently, the collateral effects of a criminal conviction are worse than the direct effects. Embezzlement, bribery and other white collar crimes are a good example. These offenses basically combine theft with a betrayal of trust. Therefore, the damage to a defendant’s professional reputation is significant. Usually in these cases, a defendant’s reputation is very… Read More »
Basic Rules of Evidence in Criminal Cases
We know it’s a trite saying, but if you don’t follow the rules, you cannot win the game, regardless of how well you play. The written rules of evidence and procedure in Florida criminal cases contain hundreds of provisions. The unwritten rules, which vary in different courts, contain hundreds more. All these rules fall… Read More »
What Kinds of Expungement Are Available in Florida?
The short-term, direct consequences of a criminal conviction, like high fines and extended court supervision, are bad enough. The long-term, collateral consequences could be even worse. Common long-term consequences include immigration and travel issues, security clearance problems, and employment issues. These effects fade over time but never completely disappear. So, a Tampa criminal defense… Read More »
Following the ‘Clues’ in a Homicide Investigation
Most of us know about being bored in lockdown. Clue (Cluedo in most other countries) was the product of a much earlier lockdown. As he was bored at home during World War II bombing raids, Anthony Pratt drew on Agatha Christie books and murder mystery party games to create Clue. With some variations, the… Read More »
Occupational Drivers’ Licenses in Florida: A Step by Step Guide
Loss of driving privileges in a DUI, DWLS (driving with a suspended license), or other such case is often a harsher punishment than probation and fines. According to Section 322.271 of the Florida Statutes, a judge “may” give a person a hardship license if the applicant meets minimum requirements. Meeting these requirements is easy…. Read More »
Hate Crime Defendant Gets Probation
A 55-year-old man, who faced decades in prison, pleaded guilty to hate crime-enhanced assault stemming from an incident at a 2019 MLK Jr. Day protest. As a condition of his deferred disposition probation, the man cannot possess firearms for a decade, must perform 300 hours of community service, take anger management classes, and attend… Read More »
Informal Expungement in Hillsborough County
The consequences of a criminal conviction keep coming long after the judge’s gavel falls. On average, a felony conviction costs about $6,400 per year in lost wages and other costs, even years after the defendant’s sentence ends. These high costs quickly add up and become debilitating. Other lifelong costs of a criminal conviction, like… Read More »
Jail Release Options In Hillsborough County
As coronavirus lockdowns ended in late 2020, local jail populations skyrocketed. Unsentenced inmates accounted for over 80 percent of this growth. A key presumption in the law holds that the punishment should fit the crime. In other words, if defendants haven’t committed a crime, or at least they haven’t been convicted of a crime,… Read More »
Search Warrant Requirements in Florida
The search warrant requirement comes from the writs of assistance which the British used in Colonial times. These writs, which were often transferable, were blank search warrants that allowed any military or law enforcement official to search any property at any time. To end this abusive practice, the Founding Fathers added the Fourth Amendment… Read More »
