Category Archives: Criminal Defense
How Can I Prove Self-Defense After Being Charged With Domestic Violence?
Florida courts take charges of domestic violence extremely seriously, and are justifiably predisposed to believe alleged victims. However, not every case should result in a conviction. There are cases in which a person charged with a crime of domestic violence is innocent, and there are some in which the defendant acted in self-defense. While… Read More »
Florida Stalking Laws Under Microscope After Tragic Murder
In February 2024, a Clearwater woman was killed when her former boyfriend shot her as she ran to a neighbor’s home – mere days after she was denied an anti-stalking injunction from a judge in her district court. The judge ruled that the woman had failed to show enough proof that a stalking situation… Read More »
Homestead Police Officer Charged After Fight With Wife
While we all like to think that we would never be placed in a position where domestic abuse can happen – either as victim or perpetrator – sometimes things can simply get out of hand. In late February 2024, a Homestead police officer was arrested for domestic violence after an argument with his wife… Read More »
I Swear I’m Innocent!
Being charged with a crime of domestic violence, particularly if you have never been in trouble with the law before, can be a terrifying and shameful event even if you know you are guilty – but if you are truly innocent, it can be easy to feel overwhelmed by the system. Florida law defines… Read More »
Legal & Practical Consequences Of A Domestic Violence Conviction
Domestic violence is a serious crime that is treated as appropriately serious by Florida authorities. The state does not have one specific cause of action referred to as ‘domestic violence;’ rather, it is treated as an umbrella under which several crimes fit. If a person is convicted of a crime of domestic violence, there… Read More »
“Greyson’s Law” Takes Effect In Florida
In the middle of 2023, Florida’s governor signed “Greyson’s Law” into law, planning for it to take effect in July of that year. The law was named for a young child killed by his father in a 2021 murder-suicide, and its intent is to strengthen the law’s ability to protect children at risk of… Read More »
When Women Commit Domestic Violence
Statistics from the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence (NCADV) estimate that roughly 1 in 3 women and 1 in 4 men have experienced “some form of physical violence” perpetrated by an intimate partner (currently, there is not enough data to report on trends involving people of other genders). While women are the more frequently… Read More »
Can You Face Federal Charges For Domestic Violence?
Domestic violence is generally an intimate offense, involving family or household members (at least in Florida) and perpetrated by someone sharing some kind of relationship with their victim. However, there are rare instances in which a domestic violence-related offense can be charged under federal law. More often than not, a federal conviction means a… Read More »
Florida May Consider “Hope Card” Program
When a victim of domestic violence obtains an injunction (a DVI) against their abuser, it is with the intent that the injunction be read and honored – however, there are situations in which a physical copy of an injunction can be too long and cumbersome to keep on hand, and the DVI must be… Read More »
“Gabby Petito Act” Proposed In Florida Senate
It is a sad truism that many victims of intimate partner violence (IPV) pay the ultimate price, often because the system simply fails them. The 2021 murder of Gabby Petito caused awareness of this issue to rise, but very little changed in the legal system. In early December 2023, two Florida legislators used the… Read More »