Manslaughter may either be voluntary or involuntary. Florida state laws establish the criminal offense of manslaughter when a homicide, the killing of a human being, does not meet the legal definition of murder. Manslaughter, unlike murder, does not require evidence of the defendant’s premeditation or “depraved mind” with disregard for human life; instead, the state […]
Sealing or expunging a criminal record in Florida has many benefits to the individual. For one, if you are successful in either case, you may legally deny that you’ve been arrested for that crime (except you must disclose the issue if you’re purchasing a firearm, if it was sealed). When a criminal history record is
The Difference Between Sealing and Expunging a Criminal Record in Florida Read More »
Normally, a defendant’s prior bad acts are not admissible as evidence in a criminal trial. The underlying reasoning for this evidentiary rule is that a person should be judged for his or her present conduct and not for things that he or she may have done in the past. In this case, prosecutors want to
Clearwater Parking Space Shooting Case Heats Up Read More »
Today, a US pilot was killed when a Ukranian fighter jet crashed during a joint training exercise held by the two countries. Yesterday, the Moscow Patriarchate of the Russian Orthodox Church split from the Ecumenical Patriarch in Constantinople (present day Turkey)over Ukraine. Coincidence? Irrelvant? Yes to the first and no to the second. The United
Why We Should Start Paying Attention to Ukraine Read More »
If you’re planning to vote in November, Florida has a surprise for you. This year there are 12 Constitutional amendments on the ballot. That’s the most since 1998 and probably stems from the fact that the Constitution Revision Commission met this year. Amendment 4 concerns the restoration of voting rights for felons. Presently, Florida is
Two Constitutional Amendments in Florida Involve Crime and Criminals Read More »
Last week the Senate passed sweeping legislation to address the opioid epidemic, which President Trump says he will sign into law. The bill, known as the Substance Use Disorder Prevention That Promotes Opioid Recovery and Treatment for Patients and Communities (SUPPORT) Act, tackles prevention, treatment, and recovery as well as enforcement. However, the legislation can’t
Five Docs Charged in Opioid Scandal Read More »
Recently, we’ve been getting a lot of inquiries concerning paternity, how to establish it, and what it means. Paternity is assumed when the child enters the world with a married father and mother. It’s not quite so simple however when the mother is unwed. In cases where both parties agree to the identity of the
Establishing Paternity in Florida Read More »
Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi announced last Thursday a statewide investigation into the Catholic Church in Florida concerning the sexual abuse of children. Her office will coordinate with local prosecutors in the effort. A month ago, I sent a letter to Pam Bondi urging her to launch just such an investigation of the Catholic Church.
Florida AG Investigating Catholic Church in Florida Read More »
As the calendar turned to October, the weather didn’t change but some good legislation became law. One of those pieces of legislation involves our first responders and their susceptibility to PTSD as a result of their difficult and stressful work. Finally, the Florida’s lawmakers acknowledged that and decided to take care of those who take
Florida Recognizes Stress and Difficulty of Its First Responders Read More »
Sex. Sex abuse. Sexual assault. He said. She said. All of these could partially explain the country’s fascination with the train wreck that we refer to as the Supreme Court nomination process. Of course, we’ve seen this before with Justice Clarence Thomas and Anita Hill but the frenzied nature of the 24-hour news cycle wasn’t
Why the Kavanaugh Spectacle Has Riveted the Nation Read More »