It’s summertime, school’s out (or soon-to-be) and throughout South Florida, teens and young adults are celebrating – fairly often with substances they aren’t legally allowed to have or consume (namely, alcohol). As Fort Lauderdale criminal defense attorneys can explain, these scenarios can result in several different criminal charges: Unlawful possession…
Cash bail has long been integrated into the Florida criminal justice system as a means of assuring those released from jail post-arrest/pre-trial show up to court, and that risk to the community is minimized. But criminal justice reform advocates, like those at the ACLU, are calling for an end to…
If you are questioned by police in connection with suspicion of a crime, should you talk? What if you’re innocent? Even if you aren’t, won’t it look worse if you refuse to cooperate? As a Fort Lauderdale defense lawyer, we generally assert that where possible, communication with law enforcement in…
A Florida DUI arrest of a man driving a lawn mower has raised questions about the type of “vehicle” on which one might be arrested for DUI in Fort Lauderdale. Local news reports are that a Haines City police officer was inside a business when a loud crunch from outside…
The intense media spotlight of the vigorous Florida criminal defense case being mounted following the Boca Raton prostitution arrest of billionaire NFL team owner Robert Kraft has revealed some interesting facts about South Florida police use of secret surveillance cameras. One of the main takeaways for those facing criminal charges…
In both federal and state criminal cases and even some civil case, the law (thanks to the U.S. Supreme Court decision 55 years ago in Gideon v. Wainwright) affords defendants the right to representation by a criminal defense attorney – even for misdemeanors. It is only when the individual is…
Law enforcement officers wishing to obtain a blood sample of a driver suspected of being impaired would be wise to get a warrant. However, the latest practice of so-called “e-warrants” is making that process much easier, a fact our Fort Lauderdale DUI defense attorneys want to make individuals aware. When…
The Florida Supreme Court recently overturned the first-degree murder conviction for a 2013 crime committed when he was a teenager. He was supposed to be in prison until he was in his 70s. Now, assuming he gets no further time, he’ll walk out in his 40s. That’s a rare outcome.…
The saying goes that one man’s trash is the next man’s treasure, basically meaning that we all place different value on material goods. But in the case of a South Florida defense attorney, it’s more likely to refer to the fact that you’re literal trash may be the treasure of…
If you are accused of a crime in Fort Lauderdale, you are guaranteed the right to a speedy trial. That means that criminal cases can be successfully dismissed if there are prosecutorial delays that violate a defendant’s due process right to a speedy trial. But what is the exact period…