Broward County commissioners have voted unanimously to slash the punishment for those caught in possession of small amounts of marijuana. The measure allows a person to be issued a civil citation instead of an arrest if: –The amount of the drug with which they are caught is 20 grams or…
A former pediatric surgeon who was later in retirement worked part-time for a pain clinic in Palm Beach County has been acquitted of murder charges related to the fatal overdose of a 24-year-old patient on Oxycodone. However, the 81-year-old physician was convicted of “selling” (over-prescribing) high quantities of Xanax to…
A number of cities are weighing local proposals to reduce the penalties for low-level possession of marijuana. The measures would effectively decriminalize possessing the drug in small amounts for personal possession. So far, council members in Miami Beach and commissioners in Miami-Dade County have offered preliminary support for an action…
Four people in South Florida have been arrested for trafficking in synthetic drugs that were reportedly ordered from a group of Tampa residents from suppliers in China, who then shipped the drugs to various locations throughout South and Central Florida. According to the Sun-Sentinel’s recent report, the operation allegedly netted…
The Fourth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution protects citizens from unreasonable searches and seizures. The law requires that with only a few exceptions, law enforcement officers have to get a warrant before they can conduct a search and seizure upon a suspect. Most modern technology we enjoy today – cell…
Police officers may not enter one’s dwelling, absent consent by owner or a warrant, except in the most extreme circumstances. Such a case might involve the reasonable belief that someone inside is in danger. Beyond that, any evidence collected as a result of unlawful entry – no matter how powerful…
In criminal prosecutions in Florida, the state has to establish a “chain of custody” for certain kinds of evidence in order for it to be admitted. Prosecutors have to show that what they are offering into evidence is exactly what they purport it to be. For example, the drugs being…
In the recent case of Green v. Florida, a man convicted of trafficking cocaine appealed on several grounds, most notably for the fact the court allowed officers to testify he was arrested in a high-crime neighborhood. Although the Fourth District Court of Appeal upheld conviction, it wrote to address this…
For the first time in the history of the Sunshine State, a jury in Broward County acquitted a man for growing a Class I illegal substance based on his argument of medical need. Defendant was the first in Florida to argue medical need in a marijuana case, despite the fact…
A man previously convicted of drug dealing has been given another trial, after Florida’s First District Court of Appeal ruled certain testimony from a law enforcement officer was improperly admitted. According to court records in Smith v. Florida, an officer, over the objection of defense counsel, detailed the “typical” drug…