Having practiced as a prosecutor and/or criminal defense attorney for over twenty years in Miami, and throughout South Florida, one thing I’ve noticed is that law enforcement seems to be rather unpredictable as to what alleged crimes they choose to investigate. Some offenses get a pass, while others become the…
The jurors screwed up. Yeah, I said it. Miami Jurors convicted 23 year old Eric Rivera of second degree murder for his role in the crimes that led to the death of famed Washington Redskins safety Sean Taylor six years ago. Rivera was also found guilty of Armed Burglary. The…
While in court one day, I came across an arrest report (also known as arrest affidavit and/or A-form ) that caught my attention. Bridget Gomez, a black thirty three year old female, was arrested for engaging in prostitution at Angel’s Bar on West Dixie Highway, in violation of Florida Statute…
You hear those dreaded words, “Come with us.” Police give you the opportunity to speak with them. They tell you things like, “We’re giving you a chance to help yourself.” You think, “I’ve got to try to talk my way out of this. Maybe they’ll let me go.” Do you…
I’m often asked, “How can you defend those people?” My response includes, amongst other things, “My job is to get the best possible outcome under challenging circumstances.” I further explain that just because I’m representing someone does not mean that I like what they did. In fact, in some cases,…
How far would you go for a beer? I don’t mean how far you would drive. I mean, what lengths would you go to purchase one? One Maine resident arguably went too far recently. He allegedly used his own lawn mower to drive to a convenient store to purchase some…
So it appears that police chose not to charge Chris Brown with felony assault, opting instead for a misdemeanor. Based on my experience, having practiced as a prosecutor and defense lawyer in the criminal arena for over twenty years, I’m confident that the reason had nothing to do with his…
In Winter Garden, Florida, a gas station clerk’s life may have been saved by his cell phone. The clerk was shot at during an attempted armed robbery and his cell phone blocked a bullet fired at his chest in an attempted armed robbery. The shooting occurred Friday when a man…
Bernie Madoff. O.J. Simpson. Casey Anthony. Jerry Sandusky. Jodi Arias. We know those names. All “high profile” defendants at one time in the criminal justice arena. How about Kevin Byrd? Darryl Hunt? Ben Salazar? I didn’t know who those guys were either until I started doing some research this morning.…
The only good thing about Miami Dolphins center Mike Pouncey being served Sunday afternoon with a grand jury subpoena is that it temporarily took the focus off the fact that the Dolphins, who were undefeated after the first three games of the season, have dropped four straight. Pouncey, who was…