When criminal activity occurs within the borders of a single state, state courts tend to have jurisdiction. This means that most crimes are tried at the state level. Whether it is a DUI charge, allegations of robbery or theft, or charges for violent crimes like...
Popular media depictions of burglary often give people inaccurate ideas about this common crime. Most burglaries do not involve professionals with specialized equipment gaining access to secure facilities. In fact, burglaries do not even necessarily involve criminals...
People facing drug charges, especially those with no prior record, might expect a slap on the wrist. Unless the state pursues distribution, manufacturing or trafficking charges, drug defendants may expect to receive lenient treatment. However, Florida has relatively...
You are protected from illegal searches and seizures by the Fourth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. You have an expectation of privacy on your own private property. What this means is that you do not have to submit to a search of that property, even if the police...
You find yourself facing an arrest, but you claim it is all a misunderstanding. You did not mean to do anything wrong, and you did not realize you were violating the law. But this raises an intriguing question. Can you accidentally commit a crime? Does claiming that...
Self-defense is a vital legal right in Florida. Nonetheless, you can get into trouble if you fail to observe the conditions stated under Florida’s "Stand Your Ground" law. You must be extra careful when applying this legal right. Here is what to know: Use of...
As a parent, you never expected to get a phone call saying that your teenager had been arrested. You were shocked when that call came in. You were also surprised when you were told that your teen had been shoplifting, and that was the reason for the arrest. It can be...
When you remember an event that happened to you, it often feels like you are watching a video in your head. This leads people to think that their memory is perfectly reliable. In the same way that they could rewatch a video that they took on their phone, they think of...
Disagreements can easily become contentious and downright volatile. People who start arguing verbally may eventually get into physical altercations. Even if they don't lay hands on one another, they may threaten to do so. People lost in the heat of the moment can...
Certain types of crimes are obviously minor, as they only minimally impact others or risk impacting others minimally. Other offenses are far more serious and could warrant felony prosecution. There are also many criminal offenses that are wobbler crimes. A wobbler is...
