Monthly Archives: October 2025
Appeals Court Decision May Have Consequences For Domestic Violence Survivors
The right to carry a firearm is one that many Floridians prize. In early September, a three-judge panel of the 1st District Court of Appeals struck down the state’s ’decades-old’ ban on open carry, referring to it as the “default mode of bearing arms.” While proponents of open carry argue that it reinforces the… Read More »
New Ruling May Affect Cannabis Cases
In late September 2025, Florida’s 2nd District Court of Appeals reversed a long-standing state law, holding that the mere smell of cannabis is not sufficient grounds to stop and search a vehicle. In addition, the court certified the question to the state Supreme Court, essentially providing the grounds on which it could decide the… Read More »
Domestic Violence Charges … Against Roommates?
The average person generally believes that one can only commit domestic violence against a spouse or partner. In reality, many U.S. states (Florida included) have rewritten their domestic violence statutes to include crimes against many different people – including some with whom you may have no romantic relationship at all. If you have been… Read More »
Explaining Chain Of Custody In Florida Drug Cases
In a criminal case, evidence is handled in a way so as to preserve its integrity and ensure it is not tampered with or altered. This is known as the chain of custody, and it is crucial to most criminal prosecutions, particularly drug cases – after all, a defendant should not be convicted based… Read More »
Cyberstalking & Domestic Violence
In Florida, ‘domestic violence’ is a wide umbrella term, with many offenses falling under that purview if they meet certain criteria. Stalking and cyberstalking are two of the crimes that may qualify as domestic violence offenses, but this can be a shock to someone whose intent is not to cause any kind of emotional… Read More »
What Are Drug “Schedules”?
The average person does not tend to think about just how many substances they may use in their lifetime, even if they never choose to use drugs recreationally. Because science is continually inventing and refining drugs, both legal and illegal, the U.S. legal system has adopted what are known as ‘schedules’ to classify and… Read More »
Florida Law Protects Pets From Domestic Violence, Too
Data reported by Forbes estimates that roughly two-thirds of U.S. households have at least one pet as of 2024. Unfortunately, this can sometimes make these beloved animals targets for abusers in domestic violence situations. In recent years, Florida law has changed, giving a measure of protection to pets in domestic violence situations – which… Read More »
Florida ’Grow House’ Law
A grow house is loosely defined as any indoor property used to grow controlled substances (most often, cannabis plants). Florida has historically ranked highly in terms of the number of grow houses in action at any point, with the 2010s seeing significant numbers of raids each year. If you have been accused of operating… Read More »
Allegations Of Domestic Violence Must Be “Timely”
As with most other offenses, crimes of domestic violence must be brought before the legal system within a certain time period, usually codified in a statute of limitations. However, even within the statute of limitations, courts may sometimes rule that domestic violence allegations are “untimely.” If you have been charged with a domestic violence… Read More »
Driving On Drugs Is A Crime
Cannabis is a drug that has a dedicated base of users, with many claiming it is safer than drinking alcohol. While the proverbial jury may still be out on that score, it is important for drug users in general to understand that driving a car while under the influence of drugs, cannabis included, is… Read More »