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What is considered Child Abuse in Florida?

Published on: March 7, 2018 | by Lasnetski Gihon Law

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Criminal defense attorneys in Florida often struggle to answer questions related to what is and what is not considered child abuse in the State of Florida. The reason is that the child abuse statute is so very broad and covers such a wide array of actions, some of which do not even include physically touching a child. That statute often runs up against the age old adage that a parent has the right to raise their child as they see fit.

Ask ten different people and you will get ten different answers on how a child should be punished for different behaviors and actions. What was considered acceptable parental corporal punishment decades ago could be considered child abuse today. So, what is considered child abuse today?

What is the child abuse law in Florida?

What are the gun laws in the State of Florida?

Published on: March 1, 2018 | by Lasnetski Gihon Law

adobe-spark-post-8 There has been a lot of talk about new legislation regarding firearms, but what is the current status of the law as it relates to guns? Criminal defense lawyers know that there are plenty of firearm statutes with extreme high range of punishments already on the books in Florida. These laws are coupled with very long minimum mandatory sentences. There are also many different and often overlapping state and federal laws regulating all aspects of firearm possession, use, distribution, manufacturing, and more. This blog will lay out some of the more common firearm statutes in the State of Florida.

What are the common gun laws in the State of Florida?

Many of the Florida gun laws are located in Chapter 790 of the Florida Criminal Statutes. Here are some of the more common statutes:

What is “Safety Valve” in Federal Criminal Court?

Published on: February 20, 2018 | by Lasnetski Gihon Law

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As every criminal defense lawyer knows, there are some very draconian minimum mandatory sentences in Federal criminal court. There are federal minimum mandatory sentences for certain drug offenses, firearm offenses, and for defendants who have certain convictions. There are two ways to break the minimum mandatory sentence, which then allows a judge to sentence you below the minimum mandatory. The first is called “substantial assistance.” Basically, if you snitch and the government wants your information, uses your information, and they determine that it was worthy of a sentence below the minimum mandatory, they can file a substantial assistant motion and if granted by the judge, the minimum mandatory would no longer apply. You can only get less than the minimum mandatory sentence if the prosecutor files the motion. If they decide not to file the motion, the judge must sentence you to the minimum mandatory sentence up to the maximum sentence. But what if you don’t want to snitch? What if you don’t have any information that the government is interested in? There is one more option that will allow the judge to sentence you below the minimum mandatory sentence: Safety Valve.

What is Safety Valve?

The “Safety Valve” provision is a provision of law codified in 18 United States Code §3553(f). It specifically allows a judge to sentence you below the minimum mandatory required by law. However, you must be eligible. There is also a two level reduction in the sentencing guidelines under United States Sentencing Guidelines §2D1.1(b)(17).

Criminal Law Update: When Can A Police Officer Stop And Search You?

Published on: February 13, 2018 | by Lasnetski Gihon Law

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When can a police officer stop and search you? This is a question often asked to criminal defense lawyers, but can rarely be answered with any degree of specificity. Why? Because whether a police officer has illegally stopped and searched you is a mixed question of fact and law. Rarely, are two cases exactly the same factually. So, it is up to the trial judge to listen to the testimony and evidence at a suppression hearing, to determine which facts he or she believes to be true and whether under those facts, the officer acted within the law based on prior case law. Recently, in a rare reversal, the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeal reversed a Federal District Judge’s denial of a motion to suppress. Here’s why?

The stop and seizure of Patrick Heard

Officers received a 911 call stating that there were gunshots in the woods behind an apartment complex. Patrick Heard was walking his dog at the apartment complex when two police officers arrived and approached him approximately 15 – 29 minutes after the 911 call. The officers asked Patrick if he had heard gunshots. Patrick told the officers that he had heard gunshots coming from the woods. The officers asked Patrick for his identification, which he readily provided. The address on his license didn’t match the address to the apartment complex so the officers asked him if he was staying with someone in the apartment complex. Patrick answered that his mother lived at the apartment complex and pointed up towards an apartment, but didn’t provide the apartment number. According to the officers, Patrick was swaying. The officers asked Patrick if they could search him and he stated, “I didn’t do anything wrong.” An officer told Patrick to raise his hands so they could pat him down. The officers found a firearm on Patrick and arrested him because he was a convicted felon in possession of a firearm.

What is Pretrial Diversion or Pretrial Intervention and How Can I Get It?

Published on: January 31, 2018 | by Lasnetski Gihon Law

adobe-spark-post You were arrested or given a Notice To Appear. It was a petit theft, grand theft, possession of drugs, or some other non-violent offense. You’ve never been arrested before, or if you have, you have a very minor prior record. You’re scared. You don’t know what to expect. Will you go to jail? Will you lose your job? Will this haunt you forever?

In many cases, you may be eligible for pretrial diversion or pretrial intervention. In Duval County, it is commonly referred to as PTI (Pretrial Intervention). For many non-violent, less serious offenses, the prosecutor has the discretion to divert your case from the court system. I often like to refer to it as a kind of front-loaded probation. If you complete certain conditions, the State agrees to drop the charges against you and you may be eligible to have your record sealed or expunged.

How can I get PTI?

What Is A Motion To Suppress?

Published on: December 21, 2017 | by Lasnetski Gihon Law

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A motion to suppress is an important arrow in the quiver of any criminal defense attorney. It is a weapon to defend the true meaning of the Fourth Amendment to the Constitution of the United States. It is a powerful tool that protects all Americans from unreasonable searches and seizures by law enforcement officers. Anytime a law enforcement officer detains you, searches you or your property, or seizes you or your property, there is a question whether that detention, search and/or seizure was lawful and reasonable. Your criminal lawyer would file a motion to suppress and the burden would be on the State to prove the police action was lawful and reasonable.

Amendment IV

The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.

What Is A Federal Grand Jury And What Is It’s Purpose?

Published on: December 14, 2017 | by Lasnetski Gihon Law

adobe-spark-post-10 A Federal Grand Jury is an integral part of almost any federal criminal case. Grand jury testimony often becomes a key issue in a federal criminal trial. But what is a Grand Jury exactly? How is it different than any other jury? How is the federal system different than in the Florida criminal justice system? What are your rights when it comes to a Grand Jury?

What is a Federal Grand Jury?

A Federal Grand Jury is a group of citizens that come together to determine whether there is probable cause to issue an indictment in federal court. An indictment is the charging document that lays out the crime or crimes that a person is being charged with. A Grand Jury must have between 16-23 people. The Grand Jury will generally meet over the course of several months and will sit for many cases. The court will appoint one foreperson to serve as a type of chairperson who organizes and leads the discussions.

Rian Rodriguez, A 27 Year Old Soccer Coach Is Accused Of Interference With The Custody Of A Minor After Running Away With A 17 Year Old Student. So, Why Hasn’t He Been Charged With A Sex Offense And What Is The Law In Florida Relating To Sexual Acts Between 16-17 Year Olds And Adults, Young Adults, And Teenagers?

Published on: December 11, 2017 | by Lasnetski Gihon Law

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A twenty seven year old soccer coach has been arrested for interference with the custody of a minor after leaving Jacksonville, Florida with a 17 year old girl. Mr. Rodriguez’s criminal defense lawyer will surely challenge any allegation that the girl was taken against her will or that there was any nonconsensual sexual contact, but does that matter? What is the age of consent in the State of Florida? Is it a crime to have a sexual relationship with a 17 year old? What if it is consensual? Let’s break down the law in the State of Florida as it relates to sex offenses between two consensual people, one of whom is younger than 18 years old.

What is the age of consent in the State of Florida for a sexual relationship?

In the State of Florida, the age of consent is eighteen (18) years of age. This means that anyone younger than 18 years old cannot consent to sexual contact. It is a crime for any person of any age to have any sexual contact with a minor that is 15 years old or younger. There are specific requirements for minors that are between 16 years of age and 18 years of age. So, two minors or one minor and one young adult that engage in willing sexual contact could be in violation of very serious sex offense statutes, which could result in incarceration and being labeled a sex offender.

When Do You Have To Register Your Firearms? Bernandino Bolatete Has Been Arrested In Jacksonville After Making Terroristic Threats, But He Was Only Initially Charged With Possession of An Unregistered Silencer

Published on: December 6, 2017 | by Lasnetski Gihon Law

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Bernandino Bolatete has been arrested and charged by criminal complaint in federal court in Jacksonville, Florida after threatening to a mass shooting at a local mosque. But what he has initially been charged with might surprise you? Rather than a charge related to a terroristic threat, Mr. Bolatete has been charged with knowingly receiving and possessing a silencer that was not registered to him in the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record. 26 U.S.C. §5861(d) makes it a federal offense to receive or possess certain unregistered firearms. Included in the definition of a firearm under the applicable section is a silencer. Mr. Bolatete is charged with receiving and possessing a firearm provided to him by an undercover officer.

What is the National Firearm Registration and Transfer Record (NFRTR)

The National Firearm Registration and Transfer Record (NFRTR) is a national registry of certain firearms that are subject to the National Firearms Act. It is a federal criminal offense to possess or receive certain firearms that have not been registered to you in the NFRTR. The Act only applies to certain firearms. The registry includes:

Can You Really Get A DUI On A Golf Cart Or Bicycle In Florida?

Published on: December 4, 2017 | by Lasnetski Gihon Law

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One of the more common cocktail party questions criminal defense attorneys get asked is whether you can get a DUI while driving a golf cart, or even riding a bicycle. In Florida, the answer is yes. You can be arrested, charged, convicted and sentenced for DUI (Driving Under the Influence) for operating a golf cart or a bicycle while under the influence of alcoholic beverages or controlled substances to the extent that your normal faculties are impaired. This will become more and more of an issue with the creation and expansion of golf cart communities, like our very own Nocatee in Ponte Vedra, Florida, where you will see scores of golf carts traveling between residences and local bars and restaurants on a daily basis.

“Surely I can’t get a DUI on a lawn mower or a horse?“

AdobeStock_117707955-300x200 Believe it or not, yes, you can. Florida’s DUI statute, Fla. Stat. §316.193, prohibits a person from driving, or being in actual physical control of, a vehicle while under the influence of drugs or alcohol or while having a .08 BAC level or more. Notice that the word “motor” is not present before the word “vehicle.” The legislature specifically wanted the DUI statute to apply to more vehicles than just motor vehicles. So, what is the definition of a vehicle for purposes of the DUI statute?