Category: Criminal Defense Articles

Sealing and expunging are legal mechanisms that prevent public access to a person’s criminal history. In 1995, Florida enacted its Sunshine Law, which grants public access to all non-sensitive government records. While the Sunshine Law benefits Florida residents looking to hold local government entities accountable, they present a roadblock for Florida residents with a criminal …

Continue reading “What Charges Can or Cannot Be Expunged in Florida?”

Last January, Florida lawmakers got a warning that the state’s prison system was facing a crisis. Florida Department of Corrections Secretary Mark Inch said the system was suffering from low salaries and mandatory 12-hour shifts, while gang violence and poor working conditions were exacerbating these problems. That was still a month before the coronavirus pandemic …

Continue reading “Does Florida Need Prison Reform Legislation?”

What is a Commutation of a Sentence in Florida[1]? Look at it this way: Is your husband or wife serving a lengthy prison or probation sentence?[2] Is your father, mother, son, or daughter wasting away in a penal institution? Perhaps you, a family member or loved one is serving a long prison sentence in the …

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As more people in the United States use DNA tests to learn about their ethnic origins and ancestry, law enforcement agencies seek to take advantage of this potential trove of clues to solve difficult or unsolved cases. For decades, detectives have used government databases to match the DNA of suspected criminals – a technique called forensic …

Continue reading “Are There Ways to Challenge DNA Tests in a Criminal Case?”

Since the coronavirus swept through the U.S., hand sanitizer, masks, cleaning, and paper products have vanished from retailers’ shelves nationwide. In the wake of this crisis, entrepreneurs have jumped at the opportunity to grab as many of these highly sought-after products to sell them online at absurdly high prices. With an increasing number of entrepreneurs …

Continue reading “Price Gouging During Coronavirus a Possible Felony”

It’s understandable to assume that if you’re alone in your home or outdoors with no one else around, calls made on your smartphone are totally private. In some cases, you would be wrong.  Voice Assistant-powered smart speakers are listening in on your calls, as well as eavesdropping on your daily activities. For those who presume voice …

Continue reading “Hey Google, Can Police Access My Smartspeaker Voice Recordings?”

While most of the country is under strict lockdown orders, people who are already confined in the country’s jails and prisons have no way to escape COVID-19. The virus is hitting jails and prisons particularly hard. In the U.S., the largest concentration of the virus outside of hospitals is in the Cook County Jail in …

Continue reading “COVID-19 Poses a Serious Threat to Florida’s Prison Population”

Having a criminal charge on your record can work against you even if you’re never convicted. A potential employer might see the charge when reviewing the results of your background check, and it can hurt your chances of getting an interview. In some cases, it’s possible to have your criminal charge dismissed before you even …

Continue reading “What Does it Take to Get Your Criminal Charge Dismissed in Orlando?”

Following behind Miami and Tampa-St. Petersburg, Orlando is the third-largest metro area in Florida. With a population of more than one million, it’s no surprise that metro Orlando sees its share of crime. Thousands of criminal cases are tried each month in The City Beautiful. According to the most recent Statistical Reference report from the …

Continue reading “Common Criminal Defense Cases in Orlando”

Making a good impression in court isn’t the same thing as making a good impression during a job interview or when meeting a landlord about renting an apartment. Criminal charges will have serious lasting impressions on your future, so the stakes are much higher. Going out of your way to demonstrate to the judge and …

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