Florida criminal courts handle juveniles in a separate criminal division. A juvenile is under eighteen years old. The prosecutor can charge a juvenile in adult court and seek adult sanctions: this is referred to as a “direct file” case. The decision is entirely up to the State Attorney for the…
Since the Florida Legislature created the Drug Court Diversion program, many South Florida criminal courts have created “Drug Courts”. Here is how it works: If you have been arrested and charged with possession of cocaine, or possession of marijuana (Cannabis) or oxycodone, or other drugs (controlled substances) you can avoid…
Since the September 11th terrorist attacks, the newly formed Department of Homeland Security has decided that the best way to secure the homeland is to deport as many people as possible. This horror is inflicted on our most productive and hardest working residents with tragic results. Here’s how the system…
After an arrest a detained person is brought before an impartial magistrate (a judge) and has a right to a reasonable condition of release. It is the law. The only exceptions to bail are for capital charges, armed drug trafficking, kidnapping and some federal terrorist charges. At the bond hearing…
An outstanding warrant means a trip to Fort Lauderdale, usually by jitney bus in leg irons. It can take between four and ten days, and the hotels on the way prepare you for a stay at the Fort Lauderdale jail. Not so nice. A warrant, (also called a capias if…
Miami led Florida counties in arrests last year with a total of 154,257. Miami criminal arrests numbers are for Miami – Dade county which includes the major cities of Hialeah (11,765 arrests), Miami Beach (12,740) and the City of Miami (57,466 arrests). Broward County arrests last year totaled 90,820. Included…
A client of mine in 2009 paid over $1000.00 for extradition costs when he was arrested in New York on a Fort Lauderdale violation of probation warrant and transported to jail in Fort Lauderdale. He then waited ten days in jail before he saw a judge. Fort Lauderdale and Miami…
Thinking of adding your name to the growing list of white collar criminals with your own brand of Ponzi? Here’s some advice: New York’s federal courts are sympathetic to late lifers who commit white collar crimes. New York Federal Judge Jack B. Weinstein gave a nine year prison term to…
The Wall Street Journal and Slate, continue to ask why local authorities in Florida have not charged Elin Nordgren, wife of Tiger Woods, with aggravated battery. Florida’s domestic violence law, and the State’s policy of gender-neutral enforcement, has run up against a wall of silence from Florida authorities charged with…
On January 22, 2010 the chief administrative judge of the 17th Judicial Circuit (Fort Lauderdale, Florida) issued a new administrative rule which allows Drug Court to accept criminal defendants in Florida with substance abuse problems, even if their drug charges are more than mere possession. Prior to the new rule…