Monthly Archives: July 2017
After Further Review, Police Reverse Venus Williams Fault Declaration
Recently obtained video footage in the tennis star’s wrongful death lawsuit appears to show that Ms. Williams did not run a red light, as Palm Beach Gardens police officials had previously stated. In a statement accompanying the surveillance video, police said that Ms. Williams “lawfully entered the intersection on a circular green traffic signal,… Read More »
Challenging Circumstantial Evidence In DUI Cases
Almost all DUI arrests start with either an informer’s tip or a traffic stop, except those that involve DUI checkpoints. The prosecutor only needs to establish reasonable suspicion, which is a combination of facts and instincts which indicate that the defendant may have committed a crime. That “crime” could be almost anything, including speeding… Read More »
Spousal Support In Florida: A Primer
Little has been heard about alimony reform in the Sunshine State since lawmakers pronounced the most recent bill dead in March 2017. Governor Rick Scott vetoed the first reform measure on a technicality, and a last minute add-on led to the demise of the 2016 bill after the Florida Bar Association withdrew its support…. Read More »
Two Port St. Lucie Residents Fatally Injured In Georgia Crash
An impaired driver ran off Interstate 75 in Bartow County, killing two passengers onboard. The two people were pronounced dead at a local hospital after the driver, a 58-year-old man, veered out of his lane and off the road. The Dodge Caravan then barrelled through several trees before rolling over onto its side. The… Read More »
Unexplained Swimming Pool Drownings In Brandon
The exact circumstances surrounding the deaths of a 12-year-old boy and 17-year-old girl in a hotel pool may never be known, but the details that are available shed considerable light on important legal issues. The two children left their hotel room about 2:45 in the afternoon and went to the hotel pool. About 30… Read More »
Supreme Court Limits Secondary Criminal Punishments
While it mostly stands for broad First Amendment protections in the face of government restrictions, Packingham v. North Carolina also has implications for probation violation cases in Florida. A North Carolina law prohibits registered sex offenders from accessing any Web or social media site that might have child visitors. During an investigation specifically designed… Read More »
Fatal Fort Pierce Car Crash
A serious rollover car wreck killed a 15-year-old girl and seriously injured two other teenagers. The Florida Highway Patrol says that the crash occurred near the intersection of 39th Street and Mariah Circle. One teenage driver apparently ran a stop sign at a high rate of speed, turned onto 39th Street, and smashed into… Read More »
LEP Woman Arrested For DUI
Florida Highway Patrol officers arrested a Port St. Lucie woman with limited English proficiency for DUI after she allegedly failed field sobriety tests and admitted to drinking. Although the woman, who was Russian, told the officer almost immediately that she spoke little English, the officer proceeded with the stop by using a translation app…. Read More »