What Are the Potential Costs? When an individual is charged with theft or shoplifting in Florida, he or she faces potentially serious penalties. This can affect one’s ability to secure a job because such a crime is classified as a crime of dishonesty. This is significant even though a misdemeanor…
Burglary in Florida is defined as entering a dwelling, structure, or a conveyance with the intent to commit an offense therein, unless the premises are at the time open to the public or the defendant is licensed or invited to enter. F.S. § 810.02(2) indicates that burglary is a felony…
I recently came across a story where a woman was arrested for stealing a car that Florida law recognizes as, in essence, half hers. After a verbal altercation with her husband, the woman left in the family car, which was registered in her husband’s name. The husband reported the car…
While entering a convenience store parking lot, you accidentally bump another car while pulling into a parking space. There is no one in the car. You go in side the store and ask around to find the car’s owner. However, you strike out. The owner is nowhere around. What do…
The second amendment is a staple in American constitutional law. Gun rights lawyers and other second amendment advocates quote and cite it often. After America fought and won its independence, our founding fathers knew that an armed militia was important to the survival of the new nation. Nevertheless, there are…
According to nbcnews.com, popular 1990s Rapper Vanilla Ice was arrested for burglary in Florida. As a child, I was a fan of Vanilla Ice, whose real name is Robert Matthew Van Winkle. Vanilla Ice is no longer captivating audiences with lyrics; most recently he has been the subject of a…
This weekend as I drove through my neighborhood, I noticed a street sign had been knocked down… it apparently, had been run over. I remember thinking, “Somebody in Jacksonville had a good time last night.” My criminal defense lawyer hat wasn’t quite on yet, but I did briefly start to…
“Crime doesn’t pay.” I’ve heard this cliché over and over, but rarely in my capacity as a Jacksonville criminal defense lawyer. The few times I did hear it as a criminal defense lawyer, it didn’t come from other Jacksonville criminal defense lawyers or from Jacksonville prosecuting attorneys for that matter.…
Photo credit: taliesin from morguefile.com On Christmas night at river city market place, chaos erupted when teenagers began fighting, jumping on cars and even rushing an off duty police officer. Jacksonville.com reported that hundreds of people became involved and approximately 62 police officers were called in to handle the unruly…