Drug trafficking crimes in Tampa, Florida, can carry heavy penalties, so it's essential to understand some of the best defenses for these charges. Read on to learn more about managing drug trafficking charges. What is drug trafficking? Before we look at common...
Florida law includes separate definitions for different crimes that involve stealing. In order to understand the possible punishments someone could face if convicted of one of these crimes, it is first necessary to differentiate between how the law defines theft and...
Before they can search your home, office, vehicle or other private property for evidence of a crime, local police and federal agents generally (with certain exceptions) must get a search warrant first. Otherwise, the search could violate your Constitutional right...
If you have been charged with a crime, there’s a chance that the prosecution will offer you something known as a plea deal, also called a plea bargain or plea agreement. This offer gives you a unique opportunity to avoid going to trial – but at a price. Let’s say...
A person commits the crime of embezzlement when they take advantage of their position and steal from someone who had entrusted them with money. Like in the crime of theft, the penalties for embezzlement vary depending on how much money a person takes. These penalties...
Our readers may have heard that in Florida if a person sold or gave drugs to another person who later overdosed on those drugs and died, the first person can be charged with 1st-degree murder. This differs from most other forms of first-degree murder, which require a...
A man serving a life sentence for the 1997 Tampa murder of a nine-year-old girl may be looking at a new trial. His co-defendant in the same matter is likely on the same path to filing a similar motion. New evidence challenges conviction Imprisoned for over 20 years,...
On May 17, 2021, the United States Supreme Court ruled that engaging in non-investigative "community caretaking" does not excuse police from getting a warrant before entering a home and seizing property. The Court's unanimous decision in Caniglia v. Strom could have...
Healthcare fraud is a serious federal offense that can carry felony charges and jail time. Taking kickbacks is an area of fraud that can have serious consequences and both federal and state charges. It is also an offense that carries penalties for both the provider of...
On February 19th, 2021, the Hillsborough County Commission voted unanimously to decriminalize small amounts of marijuana possession. The new ordinance also creates a pathway for individuals to get help through treatment and educational programs. What the new law does ...