This article from the National Association of Counties reveals that it cost about $110 per day to detain someone in the county jail. This cost simply can’t be rationalized when dealing with offenses that aren’t serious to begin with. However, these largely homeless offenders were being held because they weren’t likely to return to court if discharged.

The new court will hear only minor offenses where there is no violence or victim involved. For the homeless, community service and other programs will take the place of unaffordable fines. The goal here is to resolve these minor cases quickly and effectively.

While any criminal charge should be taken seriously, misdemeanors are the less serious classification. Generally, these offenses carry a potential sentence of less than 1 year in jail and are largely taken care of with no jail time at all.

However, misdemeanor offenses can become more serious if you have a criminal history. A judge takes many things into consideration when sentencing, the offense is only one of these.

Whether you are facing misdemeanor marijuana possession charges or misdemeanor disorderly conduct charges, you need the assistance of an aggressive and experienced local defense attorney. Depending on the circumstances of your case, we may be able to work out a plea arrangement with the prosecution, negating the need for any jail time.

Contact me today for a consultation on your case. While not every county has a “homeless court” or a court dedicated to non serious misdemeanors, I can help make certain that you are treated fairly no matter where your case is heard.

One West Palm Beach woman is accused of using her job to get names and identifying information of numerous clients of her former employer, Diabetes Direct. She is currently being held on $250,000 bail, $10,000 for each one of the 25 counts she faces.

According to the Palm Beach Post News, she is accused of racking up bills with utility companies, banks, and credit cards under her former clients’ names. Because she is reported to have an extensive criminal history involving numerous fraud convictions, she could be facing a lengthy prison stint.

Another story making waves, this one out of Tampa, involves a woman who had 40 prior convictions. This no doubt made a difference this past week when the woman was sentenced to serve 10 years in federal prison.

She pled guilty to charges of bank fraud and identity theft, no doubt as part of a plea agreement. According to 10Connects.com, she was accused of stealing licenses, social security cards, checks, wallets and purses. She would then use these articles to open accounts. In all she is said to have collected over $18,000 from her exploits.

Both of these cases are fairly typical when it comes to identity fraud. Under Florida law, if you are caught in possession of someone else’s personal identifying information (social security card, driver’s license, etc.), you can be charged with identity theft, a 3^rd degree felony.

The charges are increased as the seriousness of the allegations increase. For instance, if you are accused of benefitting from the other person’s information financially, you can face up to a 2nd degree felony. This particular charge carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 3 years and a maximum of 30.

When facing charges as serious as this, you need to be confident in your choice of defense attorney. Call me today to discuss the case against you and to get some useful legal advice.

According to the officer, he came only two feet from the car before stopping and revving his engine. It apparently took the alleged suspect a few moments to open his window to the officer trying to speak with him, telling the police that he had to “get through.”

At 3:35 am at a police roadblock, telling them you cannot detour where they want you to may be a red flag to the officers that something is amiss. Police reportedly smelled alcohol on the Dolphin’s breath and asked him 3 times to exit the car.

The legal limit in Florida is .08%. He took two breath tests that found him to be at .152 and .167, about twice the limit.

Because his blood alcohol content was over .15%, he can face enhanced DUI penalties. Enhanced DUI was written into the laws to ensure those who were extremely intoxicated faced harsher penalties than a regular DUI.

A normal first-time DUI charge will carry a potential jail sentence of 180 days, while an enhanced sentence is up to 270 days. Fines are steeper as well with an enhanced DUI and the offender will be required to have an ignition interlock device installed on their vehicle, if convicted.

The cornerback could also face sanctions from the NFL if he is convicted or pleads guilty.

Regardless of who you ware, being accused of drunk driving is scary. You could potentially lose the use of your driver’s license for up to 1 year with a first time offense. This is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to DUI penalties.

If you are facing a DUI charge, whether it is your first or your third, I can help. Call me today to discuss the charges against you and the best way to handle them.

Eriksson had reportedly jailed about 20 people and issued more than 20 additional arrest warrants over the past 5 month period, all for unpaid court costs. An Appeals Court ruled his actions were in violation of the people’s constitutional rights but Eriksson kept at it.

The concern was that the people who were unable or unwilling to pay weren’t being informed of the possibility of jail time and weren’t told of their right to an attorney. When ruling in contrast to Eriksson, Appeals Court Judge Donna McIntosh set those people free and cancelled the outstanding arrest warrants.

Following McIntosh’s ruling a copy of her order was sent to Eriksson’s office. This did not stop him. Only when the media got wind and showed up in his courtroom did he play by the rules.

It seems, according to this report from the Orlando Sentinel , that Eriksson was upset with the estimated $3 million court costs that go unpaid in Florida every year. This was his attempt to ensure the people coming through his courtroom weren’t contributing to that shortfall.

Court costs, fines, and restitution are just some of the monetary penalties that can be levied when you are faced with criminal charges. As the seriousness of your offense increases, so does the potential fine.

In cases that involve damage to someone else’s property or injury to a person (as with an assault), restitution can also be ordered.

Whether you are facing fines or a combination of fines and several years in prison, a criminal trial can be extremely stressful. Oftentimes, the money is the least of your concerns.

If you are facing charges and are unsure of how you will handle the sentence you have before you, I may be able to help. Contact me today to discuss the case against you and the effects it might have on your future.

In a ruling that even some of the Justices questioned the repercussions of, the Court was tasked with making a definite decision on something the lower courts had disagreed on. A ruling out of the Third District Court of Appeals stated that unless the police have a legitimate reason to stop you in the first place, running away is not a crime in itself. The Second District Court found the opposite.

The issue with this ruling is that it only applies in high crime neighborhoods, neighborhoods where running away from the police can be seen as a sign of additional criminal activity. The logic is that if you run, you must have something to hide.

On the other hand, you can run from the police if you live in a nicer neighborhood, one that isn’t plagued with crime. The double standard is what has many people worried.

The Supreme Court of Florida, according to this article from The Jacksonville Observer, has asked that the Legislature clarify the law, potentially clearing up this potentially discriminatory ruling.

Even Justice Barbara Pariente, who sided with the majority, states that this ruling based on the law creates “the potential for disparate and unnecessary criminalization of otherwise innocent conduct.”

Particularly for people who live in high crime neighborhoods, law enforcement has become something to fear. This new ruling does nothing to improve that situation and instead creates an even bigger potential for distrust of authority.

Whether you are facing charges of drug possession or assault, you may be in that same distrustful state, wondering if you will be treated fairly in the legal system. Choosing a defense attorney can help assure your rights will be looked out for.

Call me today to discuss the details of the charges against you. I may be able to quell some of that fear and ensure you get the best results possible on your case.

• 24 Deputies
• 4 Hours
• 633 Cars stopped
• 1 DUI arrest

Imagine how much more effective those officers would have been if they were out patrolling, looking for motorists driving suspiciously or dangerously.

DUI checkpoints, which are announced in advance, can also be avoided by savvy drivers.

Everyone wants less drunk drivers on the road, but these roadblocks ultimately provide little besides officers looking busy while inconveniencing average citizens. When it comes to Florida DUI enforcement, this policy just doesn’t make sense.

The identity of the suspect is still unknown but curious folks can watch him work here at CBS News. The theft occurred at the Peoples Pawn Shop where the suspect made off with three rifles and two shotguns.

The suspect is reported to have cut a hole in the roof and dropped a rope. When he comes into camera range you can see he carries a bag on his back, the bag he later deposits the stolen weapons into.

While officials work to identify and capture the suspect, the nation gets a laugh at his escapade thanks to modern technology and a smart store owner’s decision to install cameras.

Burglary or breaking and entering are far more serious offenses than just theft. This is because the crime involves more than one criminal action. First, you are forcing entry to somewhere where you should not be. Second, you are stealing.

A theft charge, however, involves simply taking control over something you don’t have a right to. This could be shoplifting or it could involve simply walking away from someone’s home with something that doesn’t belong to you.

In theft cases, the charge you face depends on the value of the item that is alleged to have been stolen. The most serious theft charge is called Grand Theft and involves the theft of property valued over $100.000. This is a 1^st degree felony and carries a potential 30 years in prison.

On the other end of the spectrum is 2^nd Degree Petty Theft. This is the least serious of theft crimes and involves something valued at less than $100. If charged and convicted of this offense you face 2^nd degree misdemeanor charges and 60 days in jail.

Whether the case against you involves a fairly minor incident or one that involves a large amount of money, I may be able to help. Contact me immediately to discuss the details of your theft case.

The chase supposedly started when 67 year old Charles Richard Barrow was seen swerving on U.S. 41 shortly after a hit and run had been reported. Barrow was driving a Mazda Miata with no headlights, forcing drivers off the road as he avoided police.

In all, the Herald Tribune reports Barrow caused 17 accidents and about $17,500 in property damage.

The chase reached speeds of 80 mph in 45 mph zones and ended when Barrow’s tire blew out.

Barrow was arrested and held in the Charlotte County Jail before posting a $20,250 bond. He is facing 7 counts of DUI with property damage, 7 counts of hit and run, 2 counts of DUI with bodily injury, 2 counts of hit and run with physical injury, and fleeing to elude.

Because the penalties for a DUI get stricter with each offense, Barrow will be facing several years in prison for the DUI charges alone.

Likewise, the multiple hit and run charges carry lengthy prison terms. Hit and run involving only property damage is a misdemeanor. However, hit and run involving injury is a 3^rd degree felony and carries up to 15 years in prison.

Barrow is looking at a quite frightening encounter with the Florida courts as he faces so many charges and allegedly put several lives at risk.

When facing any number of DUI or hit and run charges you have a right to be nervous about your court dates and even frightened about the potential outcomes.

Having an aggressive defense attorney on your side can help take some of the pressure off. Together we will examine every angle of your case to ensure we are doing all that we can to gain a positive outcome in court.

If you are facing DUI or hit and run charges, call me immediately to discuss the details.

Some are rushing out in a questionable fear that the Obama administration will be reining in gun rights while others simply want to protect themselves from the rise in crime they believe is happening. Whatever the case, more and more citizens are legally owning weapons.

The 2^nd Amendment of the U.S. Constitution protects our right to bear arms. However, just because we are granted that right doesn’t mean there aren’t restrictions on it. There are many laws and ordinances created to ensure maximum safety for the community.

Despite this, we often hear about gun violence on the news, one of the things possibly leading to this influx of weapons permits.

As this article from News 4 relays, the majority of gun crimes are committed by people with illegal firearms, not the average Joe who buys a weapon to lawfully protect his home. However, even the average Joe may be called on to use that gun in order to protect himself or his family.

A concealed weapons permit is not difficult to obtain and the consequences of being caught with a concealed weapon without the permit are plenty.

The criminal charge of carrying a concealed weapon is a misdemeanor when the weapon is registered but a 3^rd degree felony when it is an unregistered firearm. A third degree felony carries a potential sentence of 5 years in prison and fines reaching $5,000.

Perhaps your license had lapsed or you believe the charges are just a misunderstanding. Defending a weapons case can be tricky, but I can help.

If you are being charged with a weapons offense in Florida you need the assistance of an aggressive defense attorney. I am ready to hear about the specifics of your case and ready to get to work. Call me today for some free legal advice and to discuss the particulars of your charge.

According to the Associated Press, 60 year old Samim Anghaie and his wife, 55 year old Sousan, submitted several fraudulent grant request to NASA for research contracts. Altogether the couple is accused of fraudulently obtaining or converting about $3.7 million.

The money was reportedly used for homes and vehicles and even given to their sons.

The couple now faces serious federal charges of wire fraud and money laundering. With over 71 counts against them the possibility of spending the rest of their lives behind bars is quite likely.

Not what one might picture as a crime family, the Anghaies were both professionals. He is the director of the University of Florida’s Innovation Nuclear Space Propulsion Institute and his wife the president of New Era Technology Inc. It just goes to show that there isn’t a “typical” criminal.

While federal charges are different than state criminal charges, fraud is against the law no matter who you are stealing from and the court you are charged in. This case marks a very serious crime with extremely severe potential penalties, but not all fraud crimes are this large.

Fraud crimes are typically committed for financial gain and can be as simple as writing a bad check. Worthless checks in Florida is considered a misdemeanor charge when the amount in question is less than $150.

However, there are high level fraud crimes under Florida law as well. Identity theft is a fraud charge and is a felony. Criminal Use of Personal Identification Information is the name of the law and can lead to up to 30 years in prison, depending on the specifics of your case.

In most cases, people commit offenses like this because they believe the benefits outweigh the risk. More than likely they don’t believe they will get caught.

If you have made a bad decision and are now facing fraud charges in a Florida court, we may be able to help. Contact our attorneys immediately to discuss the details of your case.