Tag Archives: Florida Criminal Charges
Florida Pretrial Release: A Primer
Many advocates have closely scrutinized bail and pretrial release systems in recent years. The common criticism is that the money-based bail system unfairly penalizes indigent defendants, and that in many cases, a $500 bond might as well be $500,000. Indeed, there are a number of county jails in the United States which contain more… Read More »
How Do Criminal Records Affect Employment Prospects?
A few years ago, largely at the behest of the federal government, many states passed so-called “ban the box” laws that prohibited potential employers from asking about job applicants’ criminal records. The laws had very good intentions, as jobless ex-convicts are normally more likely to fall back into their old habits and reoffend. However,… Read More »
Avoiding A Checkered Past
A criminal record often makes it difficult or impossible for a person to find a place to live or practice certain professions; moreover, these individuals often face considerable social prejudice. Fortunately, Florida has a rather broad expunction law that allows many people to either seal their records or have them deleted altogether. Additionally, there… Read More »
High Court Throws Out Death Penalty Case
Although the United States Supreme Court is normally deeply divided, almost all the Justices agreed that racial bias during jury selection invalidated a Georgia man’s murder conviction. Facts Foster v. Chatman began in 1986 with the brutal slaying of an elderly woman from Rome. A black man allegedly confessed to the crime. During voir… Read More »
Offhanded Admission Leads To Arrest
A Port St. Lucie mother is facing multiple charges after she allegedly took her teenage daughter to a local park for the purpose of physically assaulting a cyber-bully. According to an arrest affidavit, the 52-year-old woman contacted police in late March, complaining that her 15-year-old daughter was receiving unwanted and aggressive text messages from… Read More »
