Florida Criminal Defense Blog

In the early morning hours in St. Petersburg several weeks ago over 50 shots rang out and ripped through a Barlett Park home. Inside, 8 year old Paris Whitehead Hamilton was sleeping. Three of those bullets struck the girl, killing her while she slept. This happened in a scene played out many times across the country involving gang retaliation and assault weapons.

It didn’t take long for officers to arrest the first of four suspects in his apartment. What was found there didn’t surprise the police as assault weapons, drug paraphernalia, and firearms are fairly commonplace in the ruthless world of street gangs. This article from the St. Petersburg Times compares owning an assault weapon to any other teenage trend in that everyone involved in that sort of scene wants or already owns one. [Read more...]

Florida domestic violence workers are noticing a frightening trend that they have seen before. In times of economic hardship, incidences of domestic violence climb. Shelters are seeing a definite increase from last year, and last year’s numbers were also a jump from 2007.

When people are laid off and money is tight, frustrations in the home tend to rise greatly. As this article from the Tallahassee Democrat points out men who have been laid off are also home more, which can increase the incidences of violence.

Domestic violence, under Florida law, doesn’t just occur between a husband and wife. Roommates, former spouses, and people who share a child can all be parties to domestic violence offenses. These pairings can go through serious stress when the bills can’t get paid and when the budget is tight, tempers are short. [Read more...]

Getting charged with a DUI once is a difficult and seriously stressful experience. Being arrested and charged on a 2nd or third offense DUI can land someone in jail for an extended period of time and change their life dramatically.

Some counties in Florida are helping DUI offenders get the treatment they need with a second chance and a path that leads to sobriety. The goal is to reduce the incidents of 2nd or 3rd offense DUI charges in Florida, which are often the result of alcohol addiction problems.

Currently only active in three counties, DUI courts are typically available for multiple time DUI offenders. They seek to give people help rather than simply push them through the court system. [Read more...]