Category Archives: Criminal Defense
Are Search Warrants Necessary for All Searches by Police Officers?
No, but they are necessary for most of them. All search warrants must meet some technical requirements. For example, all search warrants must clearly identify the issuing jurisdiction (Hillsborough County, etc.), contain certain language, and be signed by a judge with authority to sign the warrant. More importantly, search warrants must be based on… Read More »
Florida Woman Busted with “Bag of Drugs”
Officers arrested a 41-year-old St. Petersburg woman who allegedly had a container labeled “Bag of Drugs” in her purse. Just before 11:30 a.m., officers spotted the woman in her vehicle, albeit not at the wheel, without a seatbelt and rummaging around the passenger floorboard, the affidavit said. The trooper pulled the driver over and… Read More »
Domestic Violence in Criminal and Civil Court
Shocking and disturbing domestic violence statistics often appear in media reports. Most of these statistics are true and accurate. Many women are very vulnerable, for various reasons. Here’s a shocking and disturbing statistic not often reported. Up to 35 percent of domestic violence allegations are exaggerated or fabricated. Some alleged victims are tattlers who… Read More »
What is Chemical Testing for DUI?
Chemical tests, usually breath tests and blood tests, are generally accurate. Perhaps more importantly, the chemical test conviction rate is much higher than the non-test conviction rate. However, no scientific instrument is perfect, and that includes Breathalyzers and blood test analysis tests. More on that below. These scientific flaws allow a Tampa criminal defense… Read More »
Card Decks and Criminal Investigations
Officials are hopeful that a new deck of cards could close some of the 20,000 unsolved murders in the Sunshine State. The cards, which can be used for playing, were created to shed light on Florida’s unsolved cold cases, through a partnership between Crime Stoppers and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, Florida’s Department… Read More »
Resolving White Collar Criminal Matters
Embezzlement, bribery, and other white collar criminal matters usually settle out of court. About 94 percent of white collar crime cases settle out of court. According to an old saying, a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush. The certainty of something good (a favorable plea bargain) is better than the… Read More »
Resolving White Collar Criminal Matters
Embezzlement, bribery, and other white collar criminal matters usually settle out of court. About 94 percent of white collar crime cases settle out of court. According to an old saying, a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush. The certainty of something good (a favorable plea bargain) is better than the… Read More »
Nuts and Bolts of Jail Release in Hillsborough County
The number of unsentenced jail inmates has been in the news recently. Florida has one of the highest percentages of unsentenced inmates in the country. A significant number of Hillsborough County jail inmates haven’t been convicted of a crime. Instead, they’re either unable to afford bail or waiting for their extensive bail paperwork to… Read More »
Common Search Warrant Exceptions in Florida
Blank search warrants, or writs of assistance, were a thorn in the side of American colonists. These documents allowed British authorities to search any private property they pleased, for any reason they fabricated. So, the Founding Fathers added the Fourth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. This provision allows judges to issue search warrants only… Read More »
Tampa’s Top Law Enforcement Officer Promises Violent Crime Crackdown
Speaking to the city council, Tampa Police Department Chief Lee Bercaw outlined a multi-point plan which, he says, will reduce the number of shootings in the area and make people feel safer. Police received reports of at least twenty-four shootings in the Tampa Bay area in April and May 2024. In one case, video… Read More »