As criminal defense lawyers in the Jacksonville, Florida area, we still spend too much time and effort dealing with criminal cases and probation violations involving marijuana. It is a tremendous waste of taxpayer money and government resources, notwithstanding how completely ineffective the war on drugs continues to be. Some law…
As criminal defense lawyers in Jacksonville, Florida, we handle a wide variety of fraud and theft cases in state and federal courts. A common criminal case we see is one where a person receives government benefits, such as unemployment benefits, without proper authorization. For instance, a person might misstate certain…
When the police in Florida believe a suspect committed a crime, they will often take steps to get that suspect to make admissions that can be used against the suspect in court. When the police take someone into custody and seek to get a statement from the suspect, the police…
When a person is arrested for a crime in Florida, he/she is taken to the local jail. If he/she cannot make bond, he/she will remain there until the criminal case is resolved. Inmates in the local jail generally have phone privileges, but they are informed that each call is recorded.…
In Florida, most people know that their Fifth Amendment right to remain silent means that the state cannot normally use a person’s silence in response to police questioning against them in court. However, does this same principle extend to a refusal to provide DNA? In a recent murder case south…
Most people understand that everyone has a Constitutional right to remain silent. This is a right afforded to people in the Fifth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution and the Florida Constitution. As many people are aware, this means that the police cannot force you to give a statement or say…
In Florida, vehicular manslaughter cases are very serious. That seems obvious, but states and counties treat these crimes differently depending on how prosecutors’ offices and judges view them. Vehicular homicide often involves a defendant who did not intend to commit a crime and has never been in trouble before doing…
It is pretty clear in Florida that a police officer cannot search a suspect for drugs or other evidence of illegal activity without a proper legal basis such as consent, probable cause or a valid arrest. A police officer might be able to do a quick pat down of a…
Most people in Florida are aware of the fact that when the police take someone into custody, that person has a right to remain silent and not talk to the police and have a right to an attorney before or during any discussion with police. The police are required to…
A recent story out of Seminole County, Florida has made headlines spotlighting the ineffectiveness of injunctions for protection against domestic violence in cases where the respondent has no regard for human life. Henry Brown killed his wife, two children, and himself in a domestic dispute after a judge issued an…