jacksonville lawyer

November 2, 2016

Explosive Pumpkin, Child Neglect

A grandmother in Saint Augustine, Florida worked with her granddaughter to create green flames in their jack-o-lantern for Halloween, according to Jacksonville.com. The pumpkin ended up being an explosive, rather than the awesome Halloween prop they probably intended. Sixty-two (62) year old Wanda Michelle Reyna and her seven (7) year old granddaughter had apparently been inspired by a Youtube video, which gave instructions on how to create the green flames. The green flames would have been a very cool effect if it were not for the minor accident that took place.

The Youtube video gave a recipe to combine household chemicals as a way to create the green fire. In a 911 called the grandmother placed as the seven year old screamed in the background, the grandmother frantically explained that the chemicals got on the child. As if that wasn’t bad enough, the chemicals were burning at the time. The little girl was thrown in the pool to put out the reportedly minor flames. She had to be taken to the hospital to be treated for her burns. As a Florida criminal defense attorney and Florida family law attorney, a few scary possibilities come to mind. Being prepared for the possibilities of what may come is important for a Florida attorney.

Criminal Law Implications

July 11, 2016

Florida Reckless Driving

by David M. Goldman

In most situations, bad driving gets you a traffic ticket. However, for some driving offenses, traffic tickets are not enough as far as the law is concerned. You can be arrested for being a bad driver. Recently, a woman was arrested in Virginia after being caught driving over 90 mph on three separate occasions within an hour. The third time she was stopped, Kai Kitchen was arrested for reckless driving.

Florida has its own version of reckless driving. Florida Statute 316.192 states, “Any person who drives any vehicle in willful or wanton disregard for the safety of persons or property is guilty of reckless driving.” Reckless driving is a criminal offense that can lead to jail, even prison in some cases, depending on whether it’s the first conviction or whether there are injuries or property damage. Reckless driving is deemed more serious than simple careless driving. Careless driving leads to a civil citation and is defined in Florida Statute 316.1925, which states, “Any person operating a vehicle upon the streets or highways within the state shall drive the [vehicle] in a careful and prudent manner, having regard for the width, grade, curves, corners, traffic, and all other attendant circumstances, so as not to endanger the life, limb, or property of any person.”

Reckless driving can be punished more severely, because it looks at situations where the driver is actively doing something that can be dangerous, while careless driving is more like being absent minded while driving. Causing property damage, an injury, or even a death while driving carelessly isn’t a criminal offense, but doing either while driving recklessly can result in a stiff punishment.

April 29, 2015

Jacksonville Gun Rights Lawyer on Florida Gun Rights: Concealed Firearms in a Car

by David M. Goldman

Gun rights are near and dear to the hearts of many Americans. The second amendment to the United States Constitution protects our right to arm ourselves to the delight of many gun enthusiasts. The States routinely regulate the way people can exercise their gun rights, even though the U.S. Constitution protects against those rights being infringed. In the debate over guns laws throughout the years, anti-gun factions have been in support of more regulation concerning the way guns can be owned and possessed. I imagine that this is where legislation comes from that makes it a crime to carry concealed weapons, and makes it a more serious crime to carry a concealed gun than to carry some other concealed weapon.

Florida law, specifically Section 790.01 Florida Statutes, makes it a third degree felony to carry a concealed gun or firearm, while carrying other concealed weapons without a permit is only a misdemeanor. This shows the strong stance the State of Florida takes against gun crimes. Carrying a concealed firearm is punishable by up to five years in Florida State Prison. As a Jacksonville criminal defense attorney, I have represented clients charged with Possession of a Concealed Firearm on many occasions. Most often, my client had come into contact with law enforcement after a traffic stop, which under some circumstance or another ends up with the car being searched.