Author Archives: William Wallshein
Illegal Possession Of Sea Turtle Eggs
Florida law protects the nests and eggs of endangered wildlife species as much as it protects the endangered animals themselves. Perhaps you have seen signs in parks, or even in the grassy medians of shopping center parking lots, warning you to avoid disturbing the habitats of burrowing owls, and you might have even seen… Read More »
Unsuccessful YouTube Stunt Leads To Drug Charges
According to Florida’s Youthful Offender Law, if you get convicted of a crime you committed before you turned 21, the longest sentence you can get is six years of prison time, six years of probation, or some of each adding up to six years; longer sentences are only possible for violent felonies and repeat… Read More »
Impersonating A Law Enforcement Officer
Several months ago, police approached a man who was sitting in an ordinary looking parked car in a driveway in Florida and asked him why he was there. He said that he was a police officer and that monitoring the area was part of his duties, and he showed them a police badge to… Read More »
Is Hit And Run A Misdemeanor Or A Felony?
Late at night, when no one else was around, you were driving from one gig to another. While backing your car out of a parking spot, you hit the back bumper of another car in the parking lot. In your overworked, sleep-deprived state, the only focus you could muster was to concentrate on getting… Read More »
Can An Anonymous Letter Prove A Defendant’s Guilt?
Everyone has complaints about the effect that the Internet has on our lives. Most people complain that it competes for our attention, taking it away from the things that really matter, like family and sleep. For people who work in professions where evidence matters, such as medicine and law, have a specific pet peeve,… Read More »
Look Out, Florida, Here Comes Flysky
Visits to the vet are stressful for pets and their human handlers alike. Even though our animal friends do not have the language to tell us what is bothering them, they often receive diagnoses similar to the ones that human patients receive from physicians. They suffer from the aches and pains of old age… Read More »
What Is Ineffective Assistance Of Counsel?
What does it mean to have a fair trial? The Bill of Rights sheds some light on the matter, and case law has further interpreted it. For example, a fair trial should take place soon enough after the original accusations that the defendant does not have to spend years in suspense about his or… Read More »
Lottery Winner Arrested For Assaulting Police Officer During Trip To Florida
If you win the lottery jackpot, the lessons you will learn will be more valuable than anything you buy. Money can’t buy happiness. There is no such thing as a free lunch. Be careful what you wish for. No one is above the law. News stories about lottery winners fall into two categories. Either… Read More »
Florida’s Sentencing Guidelines For Youthful Offenders
People in their late teens and early 20s are legally adults. They can engage in adult activities such as marriage and getting tattoos, but the current version of you probably resembles your 25-year-old self more closely than it resembles your 20-year-old self. The criminal justice system acknowledges that the defendant’s age makes a difference;… Read More »
Theft From The Trust Of A Deceased Person
Estate planning is a big business. People will pay a lot of money to keep people from stealing their money, or otherwise using it in ways other than what the client wants, after the client dies. You could chalk people’s efforts to micromanage from beyond the grave to a fear of mortality. They are… Read More »
