Category Archives: General Legal Opinion
When Can Law Enforcement Enter Your Home in Florida?
Recently, law enforcement entered a Coral Springs home that belonged to twin TikTok stars, Alex and Franky Venegas, known as the “Island Boys” on the social media platform. The police were not there for the Venegas brothers but rather, Andrew Thomas, who was staying at the home for a few days. Allegedly, Thomas was… Read More »
Top Mediation Myths in Florida
In most Florida divorce cases, mediation is a mandatory part of the process. During mediation, both sides will meet with a third party mediator, who is an objective and neutral party. The sole purpose of the mediator is to try and foster compromise and communication between the couple so they can reach an agreement… Read More »
Understanding Moving Violations in Florida
During a traffic stop, a person may be ticketed or even arrested for a moving violation. Just as the name implies, these tickets are issued when a person has broken the law with their vehicle in motion. However, there are times when a person may be charged with a moving violation even when their… Read More »
New Laws to Know in Florida
During the legislative session last April, there were many new laws passed and they have gone into effect as of October 1, 2021. It is critical that all Floridians know what these laws are, so they do not find themselves in trouble with the law. Unfortunately, not knowing that something is against the law… Read More »
Blame My Genes, Not Me.
A criminal defendant in New Mexico, Anthony Yepez, wants to use neuroscience as a defense to his admittedly criminal act. Yepez didn’t merely wander the streets screaming, nor steal something because of some irresistible impulse to have it. No, Yepez beat a 75‑year-old man to death while he was drunk. Now, in effect, he… Read More »
Sanctuary Cities: Patriotism or Criminality?
The term sanctuary has long held a place of esteem in our religious vernacular. It harkens back to the days when people were persecuted because of a political or religious belief. The church would use its authority to protect individuals and, in effect, to use that God-imbued authority to stand up against the government. … Read More »
Why Would I Need to Hire an Attorney?
There are many reasons why you would need to hire an attorney. The fact of the matter is that before the need for an attorney arises, most people do not consider that they would ever need one in their situation. Believe it or not, a large percentage of small businesses are family businesses. Even… Read More »
Thoughts on the Sam DuBose Settlement
Last week, we won a big settlement in Cincinnati for the family of Sam DuBose. In July of 2015, University of Cincinnati police officer Ray Tensing shot and killed Sam DuBose during a routine traffic stop. Sam, a Black man, was unarmed. Tensing, a white officer, wrote 81% of his traffic tickets to African… Read More »
Ethan Couch recklessly abused court’s trust
As a criminal defense attorney, I’m naturally inclined to give citizens accused the benefit of the doubt, but I get angry when defendants like Ethan Couch abuse the court’s trust. When the court granted Couch probation for a DUI manslaughter charge (which usually carries a sentence of 10 to 20 years in prison), I… Read More »