Fort Lauderdale Criminal Attorney Blog

September 8, 2019

Florida Man Whose Case Ended Juvenile Life Sentences Loses Key Appeal

By The Law Offices of Richard Ansara, P.A.

After he was sentenced to life in prison at age 16 for a non-murder felony, Terrence Graham argued the injustice all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court – and won. Because of that case, teens convicted of felonies that did not involve a homicide cannot be locked up for life without parole. Doing so, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled, amounts to cruel and unusual punishment because youths change. For better or worse, one is rarely the same person at 36 that they were at 16.

But the namesake of the landmark 2010 ruling in Graham v. Florida is still locked up – nearly a decade after that ruling and having served more than 15 years behind bars. He recently lost an important appeal in his ongoing bid for freedom. The loss of this appeal means he’ll be behind bars for at least another six years.

At 16-years-old, he and two others robbed a restaurant in north Florida, beating a manager with a metal pipe in the process. After pleading guilty, he spent one year in jail and was placed on probation. The following year, he was arrested for home invasion robbery, F.S. 812.135, a first-degree felony that carries a possible life sentence if a firearm is used. Because of the prior felony, he was sentenced to life in prison. Continue reading

August 25, 2019

Nursing Home Workers Charged With Manslaughter in Florida

By The Law Offices of Richard Ansara, P.A.

Manslaughter is the killing of another human being without malice aforethought. That means a person may not have intended for the other person to die (unlike homicide/murder), but nonetheless that was the result of one’s conduct, usually reckless or criminally negligent. It can stem from crimes like driving drunk, criminal assault or neglect. In these cases, it is not necessary to prove intent.

Recently, several nursing home employees were arrested on charges of manslaughter, pursuant to F.S. 782.07, following the deaths of 12 elderly patients who overheated in sweltering conditions with no air conditioning after Hurricane Irma struck South Florida in 2017.

Manslaughter is considered aggravated when it involves the death of an elderly person or disabled adult due to culpable negligence without lawful justification. Culpable negligence, as noted in Florida Standard Jury Instructions, is defined as a course of conduct that shows reckless disregard for human life or for the safety of individuals exposed to it that displays recklessness or wantonness. Continue reading

August 20, 2019

Data Suggests Florida Traffic Stops Being Used to Initiate Deportations

By The Law Offices of Richard Ansara, P.A.

It’s no secret that immigration enforcement has increased in recent years under President Donald Trump’s administration, the stated purpose being to target undocumented residents who commit crimes. However, The Tampa Bay Times reports that federal data shows detention of immigrants with no criminal conviction has soared. This is especially true here in Florida, where arrests of undocumented persons with no criminal records were seven times more likely to be arrested now than they were four years ago – twice the national average.

As our Fort Lauderdale criminal defense lawyers understand it, traffic offenses in particular are the primary vehicle by which this crackdown is being facilitated. Immigration attorneys report clients frequently being pulled over on their way to work for minor traffic infractions. Some agencies are accused of relying on racial profiling to net the highest number of undocumented immigrants, with heavy (some say excessive) enforcement of traffic laws being carried out in Hispanic neighborhoods.

It is true that anyone – regardless of criminal background – can be arrested, detained and deported. However, the priority has historically been to target undocumented individuals who pose the greatest threat to public safety, border security and national security.

That doesn’t appear to be what’s happening. Continue reading

August 15, 2019

Florida Petty Thefts Treated as Felonies; Bill to Change That Fails

By The Law Offices of Richard Ansara, P.A.

It’s hard for some folks to believe that non-violent, small-time, petty theft can land people in a Florida prison for years. But it happens all the time, both because of Florida’s low felony theft threshold and minimum mandatory penalties for those convicted of prior offenses.

Two bills that had been advancing through the Florida legislature earlier this year sought to address it. Both, however, have since been defeated, meaning at least this year, the Sunshine State won’t be joining the ranks of a growing number of states that are increasing the dollar amount threshold for felony theft charges (the dollar amount at which a theft crime becomes a felony instead of a misdemeanor).

Lowest Felony Theft Threshold in the Country

In fact, Florida has the second-lowest felony theft threshold in the country – just $300, per F.S. 812.014. Someone may end up in prison for stealing even less than that if they have prior convictions or are on probation/parole. Other states, on average, have a felony theft threshold of somewhere between $1,000 and $2,500. Plus, many don’t have the punitive provision that Florida has, wherein the third petty theft is an automatic felony charge. Continue reading

August 2, 2019

When Drug Dealing Ends in Death – Florida Criminal Defense Perspective

By The Law Offices of Richard Ansara, P.A.

Florida’s penalties for drug traffickers are harsh. With few exceptions, penalties imposed for homicide are much harsher. But increasingly, when drug users die, their dealers are being charged with their murder – thanks to a 2017 Florida law passed unanimously by the state legislature.

For example last year, a 26-year-old father reportedly died one month after moving from Ohio to Florida, where his girlfriend and son were slated to join him weeks later. The medical examiner reported finding a form of opioid fentanyl in his system, at which point his death investigation became a homicide investigation. Several neighbors were interviewed, after which police identified the suspected dealer of the drugs in the decedent’s system. They arranged two undercover buys, after which time he was arrested for selling drugs near a school – a felony. The investigation continued, and the suspect was charged with first-degree murder in the death of the man who had overdosed.

It’s not that defendants in Florida couldn’t be charged with homicide for dealing drugs that someone later died of on overdose after using. Technically, that law has been on the books since the early 1980s, when the War on Drugs was raging. However, it was rarely used in practice, individuals were rarely convicted and it wasn’t until 2017 that fentanyl was added to the list. Now, our Fort Lauderdale criminal defense lawyers have noted an uptick in these types of criminal case. Those facing first-degree homicide charges in Florida overdose cases can, themselves, face the death penalty.

July 29, 2019

Judge: Florida Defense Lawyers Should Rely on Hearsay Statute, Not Case Law

By The Law Offices of Richard Ansara, P.A.

An appellate judge for the Fourth District Court of Appeal says he sees a recurring problem in Florida criminal cases when it comes to hearsay. Specifically, it’s being confused with the Confrontation Clause of the Sixth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, and therefore subject to being weighted more heavily by case law standards rather than Florida Statute.

The problem, said the judge, is that courts are veering further and further from legislators’ intent in these interpretations.

What is Hearsay in Florida Criminal Case?

Fort Lauderdale criminal defense attorneys know hearsay is one of the most misunderstood criminal laws in its application. Some mistakenly think prosecutors can’t pursue charges based on he said/she said evidence. In fact, the state can pursue charges on nothing but verbal testimony, but there are specific definitions and exceptions. Continue reading

July 19, 2019

Court in Gang Criminal Case Orders Social Media to Release Private Posts

By The Law Offices of Richard Ansara, P.A.

In an unprecedented move that not only greatly concerns criminal defense lawyers but also prosecutors and free speech advocates, the California Supreme Court in a gang-related murder trial has ruled that attorneys can subpoena private social media posts pertinent to the case.

Interestingly, the request for production of those records came from the defense team.

Facebook, Twitter and Instagram are all subject to the order. Facebook’s public relations team issued a statement saying the company was weighing legal options, but believes federal law bars any order mandating the platforms turn over private content of alleged crime victims to defendants and defense lawyers. The Fortune 500 company’s goal, it says, is to protect the privacy interests of its customers. So the company may be slow to comply – or it might not comply at all, though the latter could set off an intense legal battle with potential to reach the U.S. Supreme Court and have extensive implications.

The court’s decision lifted a previous stay imposed by the appellate court on the San Francisco trial court’s order, which high court justices cited as providing compelling enough reason to justify access to the private messages. This is the very first time that an order like this has been imposed in California. Continue reading

July 12, 2019

New U.S. Hemp Law Halts Marijuana Drug Arrests Based on “Sniff Tests”

By The Law Offices of Richard Ansara, P.A.

Florida arrests that begin with probable cause searches initiated by the “sniff test” (i.e., detecting the distinct aroma of cannabis) may be no more. For that, we can thank the 2018 U.S. Farm Bill legalizing hemp and its derivative CBD (cannabidiol), as well as the Florida statute that followed to align with it as Congress instructed.

The federal law, which went into effect Jan. 1st, removed industrial hemp and CBD from the U.S. Controlled Substances Act list of unlawful and dangerous drugs. However, many states – Florida included – still had laws on the books that criminalized these substances. Florida’s new law fixes that.

Florida’s New Hemp/CBD Law Sweeping in Effect on Criminal Pot Cases

What this now means, as Fort Lauderdale criminal defense lawyers can explain, is not only will future marijuana arrests in Florida most certainly be significantly curtailed, but it may even impact pending cases – at least going back to July 1st and possibly all the way back to January. Continue reading

July 3, 2019

Floridians Guilty of Prostitution: Prepare to Have Your Mug on Blast

By The Law Offices of Richard Ansara, P.A.

Florida has one of the broadest public records laws in the nation, which means one of the most powerful bargaining chips Florida prosecutors have – particularly in sex offense cases – is shame. There are the initial mugshots, incident and arrest reports and identifying details all available for public release – and that’s even before a person is convicted.

Now, a new Florida law will have those arrested for misdemeanor prostitution solicitation in Florida facing additional public ridicule – with potential to even further impact one’s employment, housing, education and financial situation – not to mention personal relationships.

Those arrested in Florida for misdemeanor prostitution (often overlooked as a sex offense) may be tempted to simply plead guilty, pay the fine and enter a diversion and/or complete other requirements so they can quickly put it all behind them. That’s generally not advisable, but because of the potential long-term implications, Fort Lauderdale criminal defense attorneys especially warn against doing so until you’ve spoken with a a lawyer experienced in defense of prostitution solicitation crimes. Continue reading

June 28, 2019

Unconscious DUI Suspects May Have Blood Drawn by Police, SCOTUS Rules

By The Law Offices of Richard Ansara, P.A.

Florida DUI defense attorneys know that a key part of due process in these cases from the very beginning is that if police want to secure blood from a suspect who is unwilling, they’re going to need a warrant first.

Of course, there are exceptions, which the U.S. Supreme Court has just drastically expanded. But as noted in tersely-written dissents in Mitchell v. Wisconsin from Justices Neil Gorsuch and Sonya Sotomayor, the court ended up deciding a question it was never asked.

This case arose from an incident in Wisconsin, which like Florida and dozens of other states, has an implied consent law. Similar to Florida’s implied consent law, Wisconsin holds that drivers who assume the responsibility of controlling a motor vehicle on public roads also accept the responsibility to submit to chemical testing if asked by a law enforcement officer with reasonable suspicion of DUI. In Florida, this is applicable to breath and urine samples only, with failure to do so resulting in an automatic one-year license suspension.

In a 2013 ruling, the U.S. Supreme Court held that extracting blood samples (sometimes deemed to produce more scientifically accurate results than the other two) are different because it requires a personal body intrusion. Thus, barring exigent circumstances, if a person refuses to submit to a blood test, police need to obtain a warrant to do so. A person who is unconscious cannot provide consent to such an act, and thus a warrant is required, defendant argued. But the state upheld his DUI conviction.