Recent Blog Posts
Stand Your Ground Hearing Underway in Florida Movie Shooting Case
The defendant in a highly publicized Tampa Bay murder case took the stand February 27, 2017, explaining his version of the facts that led to him shooting and killing a man in a movie theater back in 2014. The Tampa Bay Times reported on the Stand Your Ground hearing, which is a preliminary proceeding… Read More »
Human Trafficking on the Rise in Florida
The Palm Beach Post recently reported on a disturbing trend that’s developing in Florida: Human trafficking is on the rise, with 1,900 reports across the state in 2016. According to the Department of Children and Families, that figure represents a 54 percent increase as compared to 2015. The incidents put Florida at number three… Read More »
Death Penalty Cases Will Proceed in Florida
In a reversal from its previous position on the death penalty, the Florida Supreme Court issued an order on February 20, 2017 allowing these cases to proceed. Fox 35 Orlando reported on the ruling, which came despite an unconstitutional law that’s still in effect. The state legislature is working to re-write certain provisions and… Read More »
Florida’s Sentencing System Under Attack
Several decades after the civil rights movement swept the country, it seems that Florida’s sentencing system is still treating certain minority offenders differently as compared to white people convicted of the same crimes. Sarasota’s Herald-Tribune issued a report based upon a year-long investigation into the state’s laws regarding punishment, finding that blacks are given… Read More »
Florida Drive-By Shooting Could Lead to Criminal Charges
A drive-by shooting in Palm Bay, Florida left two people injured recently in a late night incident on February 1, 2017. According to a Florida Today report, the car carrying the victims was traveling west on Palm Bay Road at the Interstate 95 overpass when a vehicle pulled up next to it. The driver… Read More »
South Florida Group Says Sex Offender Registry Goes Too Far
Florida has some of the most restrictive sex crimes laws on the books, but a South Florida group is putting pressure on lawmakers to make changes to the sexual offender registry system. Members of the Florida Action Committee think that various aspects of the laws are too broad and don’t account for lesser offenses… Read More »
Man Arrested on Weapons Charges After Accidental Shooting Death of Child, 5
In a tragic accident on February 4, 2017, an eight-year-old boy shot two other children with a gun he found in the Jacksonville, Florida home where the three had been left alone. According to News 4 JAX, just one shot was fired by the boy, but it was enough to kill his five-year-old sister… Read More »
Attempted Murder in Florida: Act Plus Intent
A Sarasota County Sheriff’s Deputy is facing multiple charges, including attempted murder, stemming from his relationship with an elderly woman he befriended during a service call in October 2016. According to a Miami Herald report, the man scammed the woman out of $65,000 and gave away her dog on Craigslist in the months that… Read More »
What is Unlawful Sexual Activity with a Minor?
A Bradenton, Florida woman faces multiple charges after being arrested for providing alcohol to underage individuals and engaging in sex acts with teenagers in December 2016. ABC Local 10 News reported that authorities were tipped off to the crimes by a caller who said the woman, 40, had inappropriate sexual encounters with five teens… Read More »
No Bond for Women Arrested in Armed Robbery Spree
Ormond Beach, Florida police finally caught up with two women suspected in a rash of robberies dating back to December 2016, according to a recent WFLA NBC News Channel 8 report. Officials had been on the lookout for perpetrators wearing a Batman mask and using a knife to threaten employees at Volusia County retail… Read More »