Category Archives: Sex Offense
Can a Mental Health Disorder Lead to a Reduced Criminal Sentence in Florida?
In Florida, judges have broad discretion when sentencing a defendant convicted of a crime. While criminal offenses have a “lowest permissible sentence,” a judge can decide to make a downward departure from that minimum if two conditions are met. First, there must be a valid legal ground, as well as adequate factual support for… Read More »
Can a Witness Testify Against You Via Zoom in a Florida Criminal Trial?
One of the most important rights that a defendant has in a Florida criminal prosecution is to “confront” the witnesses and other evidence against them. The Sixth Amendment to the United States Constitution explicitly protects this right of confrontation. As one Florida appellate judge recently observed, the Sixth Amendment was a direct response to… Read More »
Can You Receive “Multiple Punishments” for the Same Crime in Florida?
You have likely heard the term “double jeopardy” used in connection with criminal law, although you may be unsure what it really means. The Fifth Amendment to the United States Constitution–as well as Article 1 of the Florida Constitution–state that a person cannot be placed in legal jeopardy twice for the same criminal offense…. Read More »
Can the Police Search Property You Don’t Claim to Own?
In most cases, the police need a warrant before they can search your property without your consent. More precisely, the Fourth Amendment to the United States Constitution protects you from an unreasonable search in any place where you have a “reasonable expectation of privacy.” This includes any devices where you may store private information,… Read More »
Understanding the “Right to Remain Silent” in Fort Lauderdale
Whenever Fort Lauderdale police question you in connection with a criminal investigation, you have the right to remain silent. The police must advise you of this right before conducting a custodial interrogation. But you always have the right to refuse to answer questions even in non-custodial settings. Florida Man Receives 15-Year Sentence After Volunteering… Read More »
Ex-Royal Caribbean Employee Sentenced to 30 Years in Prison for Producing Child Pornography
Medical professionals define voyeurism as an interest in observing unsuspecting people while they undress, are naked, or engage in sexual activities. Many people suffer from voyeuristic disorder, which means they regularly have intrusive thoughts of engaging in voyeurism, even if they never act upon them. Unfortunately, some people do act upon these thoughts and… Read More »
It Is Easier to Produce Child Pornography Than You Might Think
When most Florida residents hear the term “child pornography,” they assume that the victims are always small children. However, it is important to remember that these laws protect all children in the Sunshine State – even those on the verge of adulthood. It may be easier to “produce” child pornography in Fort Lauderdale than… Read More »