Recent Blog Posts
Common Misconceptions About The Fifth Amendment
If you took a civics class in high school or passed the civics portion of the citizenship test to become a naturalized U.S. citizen, then you have a general idea about which Constitutional amendment does what. A summary definition of the Fifth Amendment says that it protects against self-incrimination, but when was the last… Read More »
Yes, You Can Get Criminal Charges For Attempting To Commit A Crime That Never Occurred
You have probably heard news stories about police investigations that led to the arrest of one or more people who were planning to commit a major crime. When a grand jury hears the evidence about the communications exchanged among the conspirators or sees the drugs or weapons recovered during a search, it is usually… Read More »
Can You Get Criminal Penalties For Working As An Unlicensed Contractor?
Gig work is an important part of the income of most households in Florida; enterprising people use their talents to bring in enough money to cover the current round of bills, since salaried jobs are in short supply, and most of the ones that are available do not pay enough to put employees in… Read More »
Florida Indecent Exposure Laws
As sex crimes go, indecent exposure is a minor one. It is a first-degree misdemeanor, and a conviction for indecent exposure can lead to a one-year jail sentence, a $1,000 fine, a year on probation, and court-ordered counseling. The court can also require you to register as a sex offender if you plead guilty… Read More »
Florida Domestic Battery Laws
According to Florida, battery is a violent crime that involves intentionally making physical contact with someone with the intention of causing physical pain or physical injury. Battery and assault are different crimes, although many defendants have faced charges both for assault and for battery as the result of a single incident (such as a… Read More »
When Does A Dietary Supplement Become An Illegal Drug?
Most of the items you find at gas station convenience stores where you stop in the middle of the night on road trips are the same as products you would find at a supermarket in the daytime, such as sunflower seeds, candy bars, potato chips, soda, and bottled coffee drinks. The pills in the… Read More »
Yes, You Can Go To Prison For Failing To Report Child Abuse Or Neglect
Reports from members of the public are an important first step in many criminal investigations. Whistleblowers have stopped financial crime operations before they could steal or defraud people out of more money. Tips from neighbors or family members about someone they had reason to believe was plotting a violent crime have saved lives. Likewise,… Read More »
Is It DUI If You Sleep In A Parked Car When You Are Drunk?
There is no law against sleeping in your own car in a parking lot, and in this age, when everyone is overworked and sleep-deprived, and given how cars are virtually the only transportation option in Florida, most of us have done it on at least one occasion. In some cases, though, the fact that… Read More »
Ketamine Chic And Other Bogus Reasons To Send In The Drug-Sniffing Dogs
Imagine if, during a trial in a drug possession case, a police officer who had arrested the defendant during the incident that led to the charges told the jury that he or she conducted the traffic stop because of a broken taillight or expired tags but then decided to search the vehicle for drugs… Read More »
Florida Open Container Laws
Did you know that you could get a citation in Florida for opening a beer can in your car, even if you have not taken the first sip? Did you know that it is illegal for Uber and Lyft passengers to drink while the ride is in progress? Florida’s laws against possession of an… Read More »