In Florida, when a person is involved in an auto accident that involves property damage or injury, that person must stop and remain at the scene to exchange identification and insurance information with the other party and the police officer. If a person is involved in an auto accident that…
In Florida, there are generally two common bases that allow a police officer to search a person, vehicle, residence or anything else in which a person has a privacy right. If a person consents to a police search, the police can search pursuant to the terms of the consent. If…
Most people have heard of the defense of self defense in Florida where a defendant is charged with a violent crime. Basically, a person can use reasonable force to defend him/herself from the imminent force of another person. However, a defendant does not always have the right to a self…
In a case south of Jacksonville, Florida, a sheriff’s office deputy allegedly manipulated the sheriff’s overtime assignment computer program to give her more overtime hours as a security officer at a local hospital than the sheriff’s policy would normally allow. The defendant worked those overtime hours, and she was paid…
Here is an interesting article about how law enforcement officials have changed their tactics to catch Wall Street executives who are involved with insider trading. While wiretaps are traditionally thought of as tools to catch drug dealers, investigators decided to resort to using wiretaps in insider trading cases. Because insider…
According to an article at News4Jax.com, police arrested nineteen people they say were involved in a large car insurance scheme in the Jacksonville, Florida area and other parts of Florida. When a person purchases an automobile in Florida, he/she is required to also purchase insurance for the vehicle. While the…
Many drug cases start with a simple traffic stop that turns into a search of the vehicle by police and/or a police K9 and ultimately an arrest on some drug charge. However, in order for that drug charge to be valid, the initial stop of the suspect and the search…
Most DUI cases in Florida are initiated when a police officer sees a driver committing some sort of traffic violation and then pulls him/her over. If the police officer feels as if there is evidence that the driver has been drinking, the police officer will likely begin a DUI investigation.…
Driving with a suspended license is normally a misdemeanor crime in Florida. However, it can still carry serious penalties such as jail time and an additional, very long suspension of driving privileges. If a person has enough prior driving with a suspended license (DWLS) convictions, the state can charge a…
When a person signs up for a driver’s license in Florida, he/she agrees to consent to a breathalyzer test administered by the police if the police have probable cause to believe that person is driving under the influence of alcohol to the extent that his/her normal faculties are impaired. This…