Florida's Romeo and Juliet Law Offers Protection Some Other States Don't A recent article highlighted a disturbing case where an 18-year-old named Henry was sentenced to 6 years in prison for having consensual sex with a 16-year-old he met online. The story, included in sociologist Emily Horowitz's new book From Rage to Reason, illustrates the severe consequences that strict statutory [...]
Man Exonerated After 35 Years of Wrongful Conviction Based on Misidentification A miscarriage of justice was finally corrected this week when Perry Lott was officially exonerated after spending over 35 years wrongfully imprisoned for a rape and burglary he did not commit. This long-overdue reversal came after post-conviction DNA evidence incontrovertibly excluded Mr. Lott as the perpetrator. An Erroneous Identification [...]
How to Withdraw a Guilty or No Contest Plea in Florida If you have entered a guilty or no contest (nolo contendere) plea in a Florida criminal case, you may be able to withdraw your plea under certain circumstances. Withdrawing a plea after it has been formally accepted by the court is not easy, but it can be done. This [...]
Law Enforcement Use of Drones: What You Need to Know As drones become more prevalent in the commercial and recreational spheres, their use by law enforcement is also growing. Police and federal agencies now operate over 1,500 drones across the country. While drones provide tools to aid investigations and enhance officer safety, their use also raises important questions about [...]
Up to 70 Broward Sheriff's Employees Accused in Massive PPP Loan Fraud Scheme A jaw-dropping report published this week by Florida Bulldog reporter Dan Christensen alleges that between 50 and 70 Broward Sheriff's Office (BSO) employees will soon face federal charges for defrauding the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) during the COVID-19 pandemic. As a criminal defense attorney practicing in [...]
'Witch Test' Sending Women to Prison for Murder As a criminal defense attorney, I was alarmed to read this recent investigative report by ProPublica about the lung float test being used to prosecute and imprison women for murder after experiencing stillbirths or pregnancy complications. This so-called "test" has no scientific basis whatsoever. It dates back to the 1600s when suspected [...]
How a Domestic Violence Charge Could Impact Your Gun and Firearm Rights A domestic violence accusation can turn someone's life upside down. Even if the charges are exaggerated or false, just being arrested and accused can threaten one's reputation, livelihood, and, critically—their Second Amendment rights. Criminal defense attorneys who regularly defend domestic violence charges know how high the stakes are [...]
Understanding the Shopkeeper's Privilege in Florida If you've ever been detained by a store owner or employee under suspicion of shoplifting, you may be wondering about your rights and the legality of the situation. This is where the concept of the "Shopkeeper's Privilege" comes into play. This post explains how the Shopkeeper's Privilege works in Florida, what it allows [...]
Loss Prevention Officers in Miami Shoplifting Cases Who Are Loss Prevention Officers, and What is Their Role? If you've been accused of shoplifting in Miami, chances are a loss prevention officer confronted you. Loss prevention officers, sometimes called LP officers or LPOs, are specially trained retail store employees whose primary responsibility is to detect and apprehend shoplifters. While regular [...]
Who Has Jurisdiction When a Crime is Committed on a Cruise Ship? While most people embark on cruises to escape the daily grind and indulge in a slice of paradise, the unfortunate reality is that crimes can and do happen on the high seas. Cruise ships frequent the port of Miami and embark on tropical getaways through international waters. But [...]
