Several times now, we have heard from clients in and around Jacksonville, Florida who have been arrested for the crime of theft at a department store that they have received letters threatening them with civil and/or criminal action if they do not pay money, often at least $200, to the…
I thought it was a good time to address this question which we get quite often from individuals in and around Jacksonville, Florida about victims and alleged victims trying to drop domestic violence charges against a person who was arrested for, or charged with, a domestic violence related offense. There…
In Jacksonville and throughout Florida, the fines for traffic violations such as speeding have noticeably increased over the years. However, a new Florida law provides that people who are caught speeding excessively will pay a much greater fine. Drivers who are caught speeding 50 miles per hour over the posted…
A recent poll indicated that a majority of Americans support eliminating minimum mandatory sentences for nonviolent crimes. A minimum mandatory sentence is a sentence that is prescribed by the state legislature or Congress that indicates the minimum, or lowest, sentence a person can get after being convicted of certain crimes.…
According to the Florida Attorney General’s Office, this week is Identity Theft Week in Florida and throughout the country. The purpose of Identity Theft Week is to raise awareness as to the various ways people are at risk of having their identities and financial information stolen. As the Internet and…
An 89 year old stabbed and killed his 22 year old grandson in Crescent City, Florida (which is about two hours south of Jacksonville, Florida) according to an article on www.News4jax.com. The grandfather is claiming that he stabbed his grandson in self defense. In Florida, the law of self defense…
According to recent reports and articles, high schools across the United States are increasingly drug testing their students. Court cases that have addressed the legality of drug testing in high schools have resulted in opinions that allow high schools to drug test students as a prerequisite to joining school sports…
Jacksonville police and police officers all over Florida commonly use drug dogs or K-9’s that are trained to detect the odor of marijuana, crack, cocaine, methamphetamine and other illegal drugs to search for those drugs in vehicles and other areas. However, there is some question as to how reliable these…
Drivers in Jacksonville and other areas in Florida may see more saturation patrols and DUI checkpoints, according to a Florida Highway Patrol official. The reason is that a recent report from the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles showed that deaths from alcohol-related motor vehicle accidents increased in…
On October 1, 2008, a new rule will be in effect for commercial vehicle drivers who get convicted of driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs (aka DUI or DWI) in Florida. The new Florida rule provides that any commercial semi truck driver who gets convicted of a DUI…