Recent Blog Posts
“No Contest” Pleas In Domestic Violence Cases
When a person is charged with a crime of domestic violence, they will be asked how they wish to plead. What many do not realize is that while not every plea is appropriate for every case, there are more plea options besides guilty and not guilty. One of the options available in many cases… Read More »
Florida Man Looking For Turtle Nests Finds Bricks Of Cocaine On Beach
In mid-June 2024, a man searching a Nassau County beach for sea turtle nests stumbled upon something very different: a bunch of cocaine bricks with an estimated street value of around $4 million. While drug smuggling is common in the waters surrounding Florida, it is much rarer to find contraband so far north. Regardless,… Read More »
“Gabby Petito Act” Took Effect July 1
In 2021, the 22-year old Gabrielle “Gabby” Petito was tragically killed by her then-fiancé during a cross-country van trip the two were taking. Before her death, the two were spotted arguing by police in Utah. After her body was found, her parents filed a civil lawsuit against the police department, alleging that they negligently… Read More »
What Is Florida “Doctor Shopping?”
Florida has very strict laws surrounding the possession, sale, and trafficking of drugs, seeing these crimes as dangerous not only to specific individuals, but to society at large. Generally, this does not apply to those who have legitimate prescriptions for controlled substances – for example, a person diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)… Read More »
How Can Domestic Violence Affect Divorce?
Divorce is never easy, but when domestic violence is a factor, things can get infinitely more complex. Discussions of child visitation and custody are immediately made minefields if a parent has been convicted of a crime of domestic violence, and it can cause major problems for that parent in terms of establishing that they… Read More »
Possession With Intent To Sell/Distribute Drugs In Florida
Possession of drugs is a fairly straightforward offense in Florida, prosecuted strictly because of the state’s history as a cartel playground. However, Florida law distinguishes simple possession from possession with intent to sell or distribute drugs, and for many, it is easy to become confused, particularly if they have never been in trouble with… Read More »
Are Plea Bargains Possible In Domestic Violence Cases?
The plea-bargain is a tool in an attorney’s arsenal, used in cases where a prosecuting attorney is unsure they will get the outcome they wish for at trial, or where a defense attorney is unsure they will be able to successfully establish a person’s innocence. They are far more common than the average person… Read More »
Felony Drug Offenses In Florida
Committing a drug-related crime in Florida can open a person up to a long jail sentence, given the harshness of the state’s drug laws. Florida’s legislature considers possession and distribution of drugs to be crimes against society, rather than simply against those who use drugs, and state’s attorneys tend to charge these offenses aggressively…. Read More »
Can A Florida Domestic Violence Conviction Be Expunged?
In Florida, there is no specific crime of domestic violence. Rather, the presence of domestic violence in a criminal offense is used as a sentencing enhancement of sorts. This means that domestic violence crimes are not in a category by themselves; rather, they are treated the same way as any other offenses when the… Read More »
Civil Asset Forfeiture After A Florida Drug Crime
Asset forfeiture is a legal process by which property that is believed to be connected to an offense – or was obtained via proceeds from that offense – can be seized by law enforcement. In terms of what may be seized and why, Florida’s law is broad, potentially permitting law enforcement to retain the… Read More »