ARRESTED? INVESTIGATED?
ARRESTADO? INVESTIGADO?
Miami Criminal Defense Insights
Aggressive representation for DUI, Domestic Violence, Gun Crimes & more
If you have been caught over the limit in Florida and you have been charged with DUI, you need to consider carefully your next move so that you don’t end up with the maximum penalty for such an offense. Florida treats DUI offenses seriously and even if you are a first time offender you could […]
Breaking the law in Florida sometimes happens quite unexpectedly, maybe an extra glass of wine at an office party, or a second or two losing attention on a cell phone resulting in a fatal crash. Whatever the offense, there are often consequences that have to be faced apart from the penalties imposed if convicted. In […]
There are almost always consequences if you get convicted of a felony in Florida but you won’t always know exactly what the penalty is likely to be until you go to court and the judge and jury decide. Before any decision is made, the prosecutor will have made up a sentencing score sheet just for […]
It’s hard to know just how many people have been wrongfully convicted across the U.S. over the last few decades. We are a little clearer about the numbers these days mainly because of the use of DNA technology, but the figures that we do know about since this was introduced back in 1989 may still […]
If you have been caught and arrested when involved with a crime, the chances are you will face a number of charges. If you are convicted you could end up in prison or doing jail time as well as been given a hefty fine to pay. Some penalties may involve you being forced to do […]
When a person is charged with a sex crime, sometimes the defendant probably wonders why the sexual engagement was really worthwhile when it comes to how devastating the impact is when labeled a sex criminal. As a way of preventing violent sexual acts, or repeat offending, legislators have passed laws that regulate where a sex […]
In the not too distant past, it was a crime to send a letter, post a notice in a newspaper or over the radio which involved a threat of violence, i.e. a threat to kill someone, or do them serious bodily injury. In Florida, statute 836.10 came into law back in 1913 and is still […]
Is it possible for a police officer to arrest you when outside his / her own jurisdiction? The answer is a qualified ‘yes,’ but there are definitely some circumstances when an out of jurisdiction detention could be considered unlawful. This doesn’t mean you can evade the law and get away with it, but it does […]
If someone is killed in an accident, whether it was caused by the driver running a red light or speeding, there is a good chance that the driver could be charged with vehicular manslaughter. This is a serious offense and could lead to a 15 year prison term. If you have been charged with vehicular […]
When thinking about a wrongful conviction you may well be thinking of the Netflix movie ‘Making a Murderer.’ While watching it you probably came up with an opinion as to whether the verdict should be guilty or not guilty. There is without a doubt most certainly a bone of contention about the outcome for the […]
Most criminal proceedings reach a conclusion based on indisputable evidence. Evidence comes in different forms, including DNA and bite marks. The use of bite-marks as evidence Throughout a criminal trial expert witnesses can be called upon to testify if the defendant left any teeth marks or lacerations on his or her victim. The expert witnesses […]
States can legally enforce their own state laws, but many overlap with federal laws. For example, when it comes to the manufacturing of drugs it is illegal under both federal and state law. Overall, if a federal law is broken, the penalties are far more severe than when a state law is broken and a […]
Something has happened regarding drunk driving in South Florida and everyone is scratching their heads trying to figure out why. It’s not bad news, in fact, it’s the quite the opposite. DUI arrests have dropped dramatically in and around the City of Miami as well as in Miami-Dade County since 2014. Only 594 people were […]
Getting your criminal record expunged or sealed is never an easy task. You probably assume that once you have completed all the paperwork and had it approved that that will be the end of the matter. It seems that it’s not as simple as that as there are some unscrupulous businesses preying on vulnerable people […]
The Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles put out a new ad earlier this year to try and stem the number of crashes that take place when drivers are stoned. ‘Drive Baked, Get Busted’ it says, but how easy really is it for police to spot a ‘baked’ driver and how easy really […]
You get a call from school. Your son was pulled out of class, a detective talked to him for an hour, and he “explained everything.” Nobody called you first. Your first thought is that none of it can count, because you were not there. It is a fair thought. Florida law does not give that […]
Your son is filling out a college application. Your daughter just got a call back for her first real job. Then comes the question on the form: “Have you ever been arrested?” And you remember something you heard years ago. Juvenile records disappear at 18. Don’t they? Not exactly. Florida has several record rules, and […]
Your child is 16. You assumed this would stay in juvenile court, with its focus on rehabilitation, confidential hearings and a judge who sees a kid in front of them. Then someone uses the words “adult court,” and everything changes. That phrase deserves to be taken seriously. It also deserves precision. Whether a Florida teenager […]
Somebody says the word “diversion,” and for the first time since the arrest, you feel like you can breathe. A way out. A second chance. Your child keeps their future. That can be exactly what diversion is. But before you sign anything, ask the question that matters most: what exactly must my child do, and […]
Your teenager comes home with a piece of paper instead of a booking photo. An officer stopped them at a store, at a park or outside school, and instead of taking them to the Juvenile Assessment Center, wrote a citation. Your first feeling is relief. Your second is confusion. Is this an arrest? Does my […]
It is late. Your phone rings, and a voice you do not recognize tells you your son or daughter has been arrested and taken to the Juvenile Assessment Center. Your stomach drops. You want to get in the car, you want answers, and you want your child home tonight. Take one breath before you do […]
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida announced this week that two 27-year-old Miami men were sentenced to 121 months and 131 months in federal prison for roles in a conspiracy that distributed fentanyl, fentanyl analogues and cocaine in Miami-Dade County. According to the announcement, the case was built on sales to […]
Police say a heated disagreement over weights at an LA Fitness on West Flagler Street in Miami ended with an arrest this week. According to the arrest report, a 67-year-old man grabbed a dumbbell and struck another gym member on the side of the head and forearm. Officers found the alleged victim with a bump […]