Monthly Archives: September 2020
What You Should Know About Pedestrian Crashes
In the United States, a fatal pedestrian accident occurs about once every 88 minutes. Statistically, these incidents are much more fatal than car crashes because pedestrians are completely exposed to danger. Making matters worse, many pedestrian accidents occur on semi-rural roads. As a result, first responders do not reach the scene straightaway. A few… Read More »
Infant Dead Following Reckless High-Speed Police Chase
Lakeland Police Department officers apprehended an auto theft suspect after he smashed head-on into an Altima with a 10-month-old baby in the backseat. The pursuit began on Martin Luther King Boulevard, when an officer tried to pull over an allegedly stolen Infiniti. Rather than submit to police authority, the 21-year-old suspect accelerated away. As… Read More »
The Financial and Emotional Costs of a Divorce
In Florida, the average cost of a divorce is about $15,000. But the average cost of a divorce is like the average cost of a house or a car. There is so much difference between the low end and high end that an “average” figure is almost meaningless. Nevertheless, a divorce almost always costs… Read More »
What is a DUI Chemical Test, and Do I Have to Consent?
There are four basic ways that the police can test for intoxication, in order to determine whether a person is fit to drive or is driving while under the influence of alcohol or another controlled substance. These are (a) field sobriety tests, which are subjective tests that give early indications of intoxication; (b) breath… Read More »
Some Effective Defenses to Assault Charges
In late summer and early fall, conditions are often ideal for violent assaults. There is a direct relationship between warm weather and assaults. The effect is not as pronounced during the height of summer. When temperatures get too high, people stay inside. Ordinary assault, which is a misdemeanor, is an intentional (non-accidental) assault. Physical… Read More »
Classifying and Dividing Property in a Florida Divorce
Like most other jurisdictions, the Sunshine State is an equitable division jurisdiction. A divorce property settlement must divide property in such a way that the divorce is not an unfair financial burden for either spouse. Property division begins with property classification. On its face, Florida’s property classification rule is rather straightforward. Debts or assets… Read More »
Transit Bus and Ambulance Involved in Fatal Stuart Collision
The ambulance was transporting a 77-year-old man to the hospital when it t-boned a bus in an intersection and careened into a parked car. This wreck occurred on Velasquez Avenue between Southeast Seville and Madrid. According to the Florida Highway Patrol, the ambulance turned southeast, directly into the path of an oncoming Martin County… Read More »
Successfully Challenging DUI Chemical Test Results
In the early 2010s, Florida had the highest Breathalyzer refusal rate in the country. Then, lawmakers approved a failure-to-submit law which makes refusal a criminal offense. Before then, refusal was only an administrative offense. The refusal rate then declined, but it is still well above the national average. The conviction rate in test cases… Read More »