If you’ve been arrested for false imprisonment in Florida you may become automatically registered as a sex offender at the conclusion of your case depending on the facts, even if registration was not part of your plea agreement or ever discussed in court. A case from the First District Court…
Have you been charged with the crime of grand theft of electronics or other depreciating assets? If so, you may have grounds to have your charges reduced from a felony to a misdemeanor, thereby avoiding a felony conviction, prison and/or substantial jail time. The recent decision from the Florida First…
Have you been arrested for carrying a concealed firearm? If so, you may be able to have your case dismissed through a new diversionary program recently created by the State Attorney for the Fourth Judicial Circuit. Diversionary programs (also known as pre-trial intervention) are primarily designed for first-time offenders who…
Have you been arrested for possessing or trafficking drugs? Were the drugs found in a home or other place you do not own? If so, you may not be criminally liable for those drugs, as discussed in a recent court decision. In Dion Johnson v. State of Florida, Mr. Johnson…
The First District Court of Appeal just made it more difficult for the State to prove you committed the crime of carrying a concealed weapon. In Stanley John Kilburn v. State of Florida, Mr. Kilburn was charged with carrying a concealed weapon. Kilburn filed a motion to suppress, contending he…
Is someone you know or love currently in a Jacksonville area jail? If so, they may be eligible for immediate resolution of their case and release from the jail due to the coronavirus. And, even if their case can’t quickly be resolved, they may be eligible for an ROR bond…
A recent decision by the First District Court of Appeal makes it clear the prosecutor generally cannot use other bad acts you may have committed to prove you did the act for which you are currently being prosecuted. In Stephen Trahan v. State, while parked in his driveway the victim’s…
Did the police justify their search of your vehicle by claiming they detected the odor of marijuana? If they did and there was in fact no marijuana smoked or recently in your car, your lawyer may be able to question their credibility based on a New York judge’s recent comments…
Many people believe if someone records them without their permission, the recording cannot be used in court. A recent decision by the First District Court of Appeal, however, shows that is not always the case. Corey Smiley was invited to the home of the women with whom he shared a…
On June 25, 2019 Florida Governor Ron DeSantis signed Florida Senate Bill 1020, regulating the production and distribution of hemp and hemp extracts in Florida, including the increasingly popular hemp derivative, cannabidiol (CBD). The bill makes Florida the latest state to enact legislation to legalize and regulate its hemp industry. …