Blog Posts in January, 2011
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Posted on Jan 31, 2011 By Eric Matheny
A criminal conviction can be devastating. In my opinion, a conviction is a life sentence because it is something that will have ongoing consequences for the rest of your life. A conviction means an ...
Continue reading "The Consequences of a Conviction" »
Posted on Jan 30, 2011 By Eric Matheny
In every Florida county no matter what the charge, you will have to pay court costs if you are found guilty or if you enter a plea of no contest or guilty. Court costs are mandated by statute. That ...
Continue reading "Court Costs" »
Posted on Jan 29, 2011 By Eric Matheny
In Florida, every criminal charge has a statutory maximum. This means that the Florida legistlature has set limits on penalties for certain crimes. It would be illegal for a judge to sentence you ...
Continue reading "Will I Be Sentenced To The Maximum Penalty?" »
Posted on Jan 28, 2011 By Eric Matheny
Yesterday, I discussed how a 19-year old man accused of DUI manslaughter had entered an open plea to the court and was about to be sentenced. Well, he was. Yesterday's post dealt with how a young ...
Continue reading "Palm Beach Teen Learns Sentence for DUI Manslaughter" »
Posted on Jan 27, 2011 By Eric Matheny
The Miami Herald reports that a 19-year old man will soon learn his punishment after he pleaded guilty to DUI manslaughter and other charges in a crash which killed a 45-year-old man. On the day the ...
Continue reading "Teen To Be Sentenced In DUI Manslaughter Case" »
Posted on Jan 26, 2011 By Eric Matheny
"ROC" stands for Repeat Offender Court, and it exists in Miami-Dade and Broward. Essentially, ROC Court is a specialized court division (two divisions in Miami-Dade) that deals with repeat felony ...
Continue reading "ROC Court (Repeat Offender Court)" »
Posted on Jan 25, 2011 By Eric Matheny
A new Florida law has established an amnesty period for Habitual Traffic Offenders whose driver's license revocation results from a third driving while license suspended (DWLS) violation that ...
Continue reading "Amnesty for Habitual Traffic Offenders (HTOs)" »
Posted on Jan 24, 2011 By Eric Matheny
As you probably know, driving while license suspended (DWLS) is a misdemeanor. If it is your first offense, it is a second-degree misdemeanor. If you have a prior conviction, it becomes a first-degree ...
Continue reading "Driving While License Suspended 3rd and Subsequent Offense" »
Posted on Jan 23, 2011 By Eric Matheny
News website www.cbs4.com reports that A Ft. Pierce man has been charged with animal cruelty after he reportedly killed his dog by stabbing it more than two dozen times. Animal cruelty that results in ...
Continue reading "Cruelty to Animals" »
Posted on Jan 22, 2011 By Eric Matheny
The Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) reported on their website about the arrest of Daniel Saylor. Mr. Saylor has been the chief of the Windermere Police Department for nearly 9 years. Mr. ...
Continue reading "Florida Police Chief Arrested" »
Posted on Jan 21, 2011 By Eric Matheny
Thanks to warm weather, beautiful beaches, and vibrant nightlife, South Florida is a very popular tourist destination. In particular, South Beach and Fort Lauderdale draw huge crowds year-round, ...
Continue reading "Arrested While On Vacation" »
Posted on Jan 20, 2011 By Eric Matheny
In Florida, it just became harder to be a registered sex offender. Today's Sun Sentinel told the story of a small Florida town that has effectively banned registered sex offenders from residing within ...
Continue reading "Florida City Makes It Harder to Live as a Sex Offender" »
Posted on Jan 19, 2011 By Eric Matheny
A 32-year-old Nigerian man was arrested by Miami-Dade police after he was seen walking through Miami International Airport and taking pictures. An officer stopped the man in the Dolphin parking ...
Continue reading "Miami Police Arrest "Suspicious" Person at Airport" »
Posted on Jan 18, 2011 By Eric Matheny
Today's Sun Sentinel featured an interesting article regarding Florida new Attorney General Pam Bondi and her quest to take down pain clinics. The Sun Sentinel reports that pill overdoses occur at ...
Continue reading "New Florida Attorney General Declares War on Pain Clinics" »
Posted on Jan 17, 2011 By Eric Matheny
If you got arrested for a DUI you may have performed the field sobriety exercises administered by the police. You know, walk the line, touch your nose, stand on one foot...those things. And if you got ...
Continue reading "Why You Can't Pass Field Sobriety Tests" »
Posted on Jan 16, 2011 By Eric Matheny
By now you have probably heard about the alleged gunman who entered the Broward County courthouse. The Sun Sentinel reported that the gunman accused of entering the Broward County courthouse on Friday ...
Continue reading "Gunman Allegedly Enters Broward Courthouse" »
Posted on Jan 15, 2011 By Eric Matheny
In terms of felony possession of marijuana, there are two instances in which you can be charged with a 3rd-degree felony. One is if you are in possession of more than 20 grams of marijuana. The other ...
Continue reading "Possession With Intent to Sell Marijuana" »
Posted on Jan 14, 2011 By Eric Matheny
The Miami Herald reports that a Broward County school principal was arrested Friday after police found marijuana and drug paraphernalia in her Coral Springs home. Due to the amount being more than 20 ...
Continue reading "Broward County Principal Arrested on Marijuana Charges" »
Posted on Jan 13, 2011 By Eric Matheny
Now here's a look at how the system can work in favor of innocent people who exercise lawful self-defense. In Tampa, A jogger who was carrying a concealed handgun will not be charged for shooting and ...
Continue reading "Stand Your Ground Prevails" »
Posted on Jan 12, 2011 By Eric Matheny
A felony warrant is known as an alias capias. It is issued when an accused person charged with a felony fails to appear for court. Unlike bench warrants in misdemeanor cases, a capias may cause you to ...
Continue reading "Felony Warrants (Alias Capias)" »
Posted on Jan 11, 2011 By Eric Matheny
Driving is a privilege, and the DHSMV will not let you forget it. If you are convicted ( adjudicated ) of certain crimes, your driving privilege can be taken away from you. Here are some scenarios in ...
Continue reading "Mandatory Driver's License Suspensions" »
Posted on Jan 10, 2011 By Eric Matheny
The best thing that can happen when you are on probation is to get off probation succesfully. This can happen one of two ways: either you complete your full term of probation or you ask the court for ...
Continue reading "How Can I Get Early Termination From Probation?" »
Posted on Jan 9, 2011 By Eric Matheny
Robbery by sudden snatching is a third-degree felony punishable by up to 5 years in prison. It is essentially a "purse snatching" where somebody, usually on foot, grabs an item out of another person's ...
Continue reading "Robbery By Sudden Snatching" »
Posted on Jan 8, 2011 By Eric Matheny
I have discussed a number of robbery crimes on this blog before, but today I want to specifically focus on armed robbery with a firearm. Florida statutes defines robbery as "the taking of money or ...
Continue reading "Armed Robbery With A Firearm" »
Posted on Jan 7, 2011 By Eric Matheny
Second degree murder is a serious felony wherein the State charges a person with the unlawful death of another. Unlike first degree murder, premeditation is not required. That is, you are not required ...
Continue reading "Second Degree Murder" »
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