What is a Motion to Suppress?

A Motion to Suppress is a pretrial motion filed by the defense and must follow the Florida rules of Criminal Procedure. It presents the argument to the court that evidence was obtained in violation of the defendant’s constitutional rights and should therefore be inadmissible at trial. If the court agrees there were constitutional violations and decides in … Read more

What is a Motion to Dismiss?

A Motion to Dismiss is a formal request to the court asking it to stop the prosecution and dismiss the charges against the defendant. The Jacksonville criminal defense attorney who files the motion must include all the relevant facts of the case. According to the rules for Florida Criminal Procedure, the Defendant  must swear the facts … Read more

Sobriety Checkpoints: What Are My Rights?

The state of Florida is one of 38 states that conducts random sobriety checkpoints. The U.S. Supreme Court approved such checkpoints if certain requirements are met. Just a few of those are: The location of the checkpoint must be published to the public, or the checkpoint must be clearly visible to drivers. It is legal … Read more

Domestic Violence: It is Not Always What It Appears to Be

Domestic violence is a serious issue. The news media routinely reports on allegations of domestic violence that have been made against professional football players, famous athletes or actors. The public becomes outraged and decides the one charged must be guilty without waiting for a trial or resolution of the issue. There generally are serious consequences … Read more

Does my child / Juvenile need a lawyer?

Receiving a phone call informing you that your child is in police custody is generally life-changing. Although your first impulse might be to let your child suffer the consequences of the bad behavior that led to the arrest and detention, you need to ignore that reaction. There are serious implications for a juvenile arrest, detention … Read more