Category Archives: Criminal Defense
Challenging The Circumstantial Evidence In A St. Lucie County DUI
If a DUI defendant provides a breath or blood chemical sample, the conviction rate is around 90 percent in many jurisdictions. Although it is not impossible to challenge the evidence in a chemical test case, it is very difficult to do so. But if the defendant refuses to provide a chemical sample, the conviction… Read More »
What To Expect In A St. Lucie County Criminal Case
Agreed plea bargains resolve over 90 percent of the criminal cases in Florida. That proportion has increased considerably since the 1980s. Most cases end the same way, and most criminal cases also follow the same basic procedure. Many cases, such as DUI matters, involve other proceedings as well. For example, most DUIs also involve… Read More »
Will Florida’s Marijuana Laws Change in 2019?
Some believe that the broad support for medical marijuana would create momentum for legalization in the Sunshine State. But that trajectory is in doubt. Incoming Gov. Ron DeSantis says he supports legislation which would end a ban on smoking medical marijuana. Many see this law as the next step towards full legalization. But the… Read More »
Discrediting Sobriety Test Results In St. Lucie County
The recent refusal-to-submit law cut the number of Breathalyzer refusals in Florida in half. This law makes refusal to provide a breath or blood sample a criminal offense, as opposed to an administrative infraction. Nevertheless, the Breathalyzer refusal rate in the Sunshine State is still a rather high 40 percent. In refusal cases, St…. Read More »
Fort Pierce Police Arrest Hit-And-Run Suspect
Authorities arrested a 69-year-old man and charged him with leaving the scene of an earlier fatal pedestrian collision. The man supposedly came home and told his roommate that he thought he hit someone or something. When the man refused to call police, the roommate called police and relayed the conversation to officers. Investigators later… Read More »
Some U.S. Supreme Court Cases Worth Watching This Term
Roughly forty years ago, the United States Supreme Court routinely considered over a hundred cases a year. The Court’s calendar for 2018-19 contains fewer than half that number of cases. That caseload is fairly typical for the modern era. Furthermore, the docket lacks any groundbreaking cases. Given the Court’s mostly-conservative makeup, there would probably… Read More »
Report: Number Of Alcohol-Related Crash Fatalities Essentially Unchanged
In 2017, the number of alcohol-related fatalities in vehicle collisions declined, but only by 1.1 percent. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Uber, Lyft, and other rideshare services were mostly responsible for the decline. Florida MADD director David Pinsker welcomed the news, but not with open arms. “Certainly any decrease is what… Read More »
Sorting Out Florida’s Confusing Marijuana Laws
Florida’s middle-of-the-road stance regarding marijuana legalization is already somewhat bewildering, and an ongoing court fight has increased that confusion. Earlier this year, a Tallahassee judge threw out the state’s medical marijuana law. The judge claimed that the Legislature had failed to implement a 2016 amendment which significantly broadened the law. It looked like this… Read More »
The Case Against Cesar Sayoc: Three Things We Know Now
Federal authorities recently arrested 56-year-old Cesar Sayoc, of Plantation, Florida, and charged him with mailing a series of explosives to outspoken, left-leaning public figures. At this point, no one knows very much about the alleged pipe bomber or the case against him. However, the case seems to be moving forward rapidly, and prosecutors appear… Read More »
Five DUI Roadblock Requirements In Florida
Typically, police officers must have reasonable suspicion of criminal activity before they may detain motorists. This standard is very low, and the United States Supreme Court has watered it down even further, with recent decisions like 2016’s Utah v. Strieff. However, the underlying doctrine is still in effect. But when it comes to DUI… Read More »
