For the death of his 5-month-old son as a result of violent shaking, a Lake Worth man will serve five years in prison after pleading guilty to manslaughter. Initially, defendant had been charged with first-degree murder and faced up to 30 years in prison. Defendant’s wife, the child’s mother, supported…
Two insurance underwriting company employees were arrested in Hollywood, accused of embezzling at least $25,000 but possibly as much as $80,000 from the firm. The workers, age 31 and 41, are accused of taking some customer’s monthly cash premiums and pocketing them, while at the same time recording the payment…
A Florida man convicted of burglary of an occupied dwelling and sexual battery will receive a new trial after an appeals court agreed the trial court wrongly entered evidence of statements he made to authorities prior to his arrest. In Moss v. Florida, the state’s 1st DCA found there was…
A man who reportedly directed a high-stakes prostitution ring in South Florida – one with ties to a law firm tainted by a huge Ponzi scheme scandal – has been sentenced to three years in federal prison. The 51-year-old defendant admitted guilt for arranging encounters with prostitutes from his “high-end…
A mother and her two adult children were arrested after an apparent attempt at group shoplifting ended in violence, with two workers alleging they were spat on and battered. The incident reportedly happened in Sunrise, where authorities arrested a 59-year-old woman, her 27-year-old son and her 20-year-old daughter. According to…
Rapper and music mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs will avoid felony charges after an incident in which he allegedly swung a kettlebell weight during an angry confrontation with one of his son’s college football coaches. Initially, Combs was arrested on a number of serious crimes, including battery, making criminal threats and…
In many Florida theft cases, a key point in determining one’s sentence upon conviction is proving the value of the items allegedly stolen. For example, a person who steals less than $300 worth of valuables may be charged with petit theft, which is a second-degree misdemeanor. However, once the value…
This Independence Day, travel experts estimate some 35 million people are going to travel by car to BBQs, pools, beaches, parades and firework shows. Many people celebrate these occasions with booze. In fact, authorities say in 2013, Americans cracked open some 68 million cases of beer over the July 4th…
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…
A man convicted of murder will soon be released after the Florida Supreme Court ordered the lower court to enter acquittal, upon finding DNA evidence of defendant’s DNA under victim’s fingernails was not enough proof of guilt. The court ruled the state had not met its burden of proof in…