Category Archives: Criminal
Is Mental Illness A Valid Defense In Criminal Cases?
It seems like everyone is talking about mental illness these days, but no one is listening. Approximately a quarter of Americans have been diagnosed with a mental illness at some point in their lives. Medical privacy laws prevent people from having to disclose their health history, including diagnoses and treatment related to psychiatric illness,… Read More »
How to Avoid Legal Trouble When Traveling With Firearms
Is it legal to bring a gun to an airport in Florida? As with so many laws about firearms, it depends. When you see all the warnings in the airport about not transporting forbidden items in carry-on bags or checked luggage, you might assume that making an honest mistake in how you transport the… Read More »
Which Crimes In Florida Are Most Common During The Holiday Season?
If you meet a police officer at a neighborhood party, and she tells you that she is busier at Thanksgiving and Christmas than other times of year, do not make a joke about how much work it must be to eat the doughnuts with the red and green sprinkles. You may have noticed increased… Read More »
Should You Plead The Fifth Amendment?
In casual conversation, people sometimes say, “I plead the Fifth” to get out of answering awkward questions. In a legal context, however, pleading the Fifth Amendment is serious business. The Fifth Amendment grants everyone the right not to be pressured into making self-incriminating statements during a court case or investigation, such as telling a… Read More »
Is Public Nudity A Crime In Florida?
Floridians are famous for their skimpy clothes. Daisy Dukes, thong bathing suits, and visible bra straps were a common sight in Florida long before they became a fashion trend in parts of the country where the weather is less appropriate for such revealing clothes. According to Florida law, though, there is such a thing… Read More »
Inchoate Offenses And Florida Law
Is it a crime to almost commit a crime? It depends on how close you were to the completion of the criminal act. Federal and state laws recognize inchoate offenses, which are where a defendant planned to commit a serious crime (known as the “target offense”) or helped someone else. For example, if the… Read More »
Failure To Report Child Abuse Or Neglect
If you get arrested on suspicion of a crime, it is easy to be indignant and to insist that you did not do anything. In some cases, that is exactly the problem. Several laws in Florida criminalize something that people don’t do instead of something that they do. For example, you can get criminal… Read More »
Can You Restore Your Voting Rights After A Felony Conviction In Florida?
When a judge hands down your sentence, you might begin counting the days until you can do all the things you used to enjoy, and which you used to take for granted. If your sentence involves prison, you look forward to your release, when you can sit at your family’s dinner table again. If… Read More »
Florida Criminal Mischief Laws
The word “mischief” sometimes carries the connotation of harmless fun, such as the exchange of joke gifts or piling up pennies from floor to ceiling outside the dorm room of the student who usually sleeps in late enough for his neighbors to be able to pull off such a stunt. In the context of… Read More »
Sarasota Man Sentenced For $500K COVID-19 Benefit Fraud, USAO Says
SARASOTA, Fla. (WFLA) – A Sarasota man was sentenced to time in federal prison after the U.S. Attorney’s Office said he “engaged in a scheme to defraud several federal and state programs by obtaining COVID-19 related benefits.” Randy Xavier Jones, 34, will spend five years and one month in federal prison for wire fraud… Read More »