It can be overwhelming and troublesome to face your first Driving Under the Influence (“DUI”) conviction in Florida. This is especially true if you are navigating it all on your own. If you are wondering whether you need a lawyer for your first DUI in Jacksonville, an experienced DUI attorney…
Jacksonville Criminal Lawyer Blog
Jacksonville DUI Convictions Come With Harsh Penalties
Consequences are Harsh in Jacksonville for DUI Convictions News outlets reported that a 26-year-old man from St. Augustine, Florida was tragically killed in a wrong-way car accident in November, 2021. The deadly collision occurred on I-295 at Baymeadows Road. The accident resulted in all lanes being blocked for about five…
New Criminal Laws in Florida & Defenses to Criminal Charges
New Laws Went Into Effect in Florida: What You Should Know After a busy legislative session in Florida, several laws were passed in April 2021 that came into effect once the session was over. While most of the state’s laws went into effect as of July 1, 2021, there are…
How Should I Handle Police Questioning When Stopped and Investigated Based on the “Odor of Marijuana”?
The war on drugs has been, and continues to be, one of the most ineffective, expensive and damaging government policies in American history. And as it relates to marijuana, it has not only been a complete waste of money and resources, but it has been an easy, if often illegal,…
Police in Florida Cannot Use Presence of a Concealed Firearm as a Basis for Search in Carrying Concealed Firearm Case
That is kind of a convoluted title to the blog post, but essentially the police in this case tried to use the observation of a concealed handgun in the defendant’s vehicle as a legal basis to search the vehicle, find the concealed firearm and then charge the defendant with carrying…
There is a Low Standard in Florida for the State to Obtain Medical Records by Subpoena After DUI Arrest
In most DUI cases in Florida, all of the evidence the state obtains is from the traffic stop, the DUI investigation at the scene and then the breathalyzer test at the jail if the defendant agrees to submit to the breathalyzer. This normally involves whatever reason the police officer gives…
Grabbing a Victim’s Property in Close Proximity to Victim Was Not Sufficient for a Robbery By Sudden Snatching Charge in Florida
In Florida, robbery by sudden snatching is a crime that involves a person takes the property from the victim’s person when the victim is aware of the taking. Robbery by sudden snatching is a serious charge as it involves the possibility of violence and fear by the victim. However, the…
Constructive Possession of Drugs in Florida Does Not Require Drugs to be On or Near Defendant
A lot of drug possession and trafficking of drug cases in Florida involve police finding drugs not on the defendant but near him or even somewhere far away from the defendant. There are two types of possession cases in Florida that can be the basis of a drug possession or…
State Can Charge a Person With a Traffic Infraction Causing Death in Florida But Only if Proper Procedure is Followed
Florida law distinguishes between traffic violations that are civil and can only result in a fine or possible driver’s license suspension and traffic violations that are criminal and can result in charges and even prison time. Sometimes, there is overlap. For instance, if a person gets a DUI, the DHSMV…
State Permitted to Subpoena Defendant’s Medical Records in Florida DUI case
In most DUI (driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs) cases in Florida, the police officers will conduct their routine (and highly subjective) DUI investigations after a traffic stop, which includes a request for field sobriety tests at the scene and then a request for a breathalyzer test at…