Blog Posts in 2019

Are Criminal Records Public in Florida?

If you were arrested for a crime in Florida, or if you were arrested and convicted of a crime, you may be wondering if your criminal record is public information. Trust me, you are not the first or the last person to wonder about this; clients ask me about this often. Usually, they want to know if their boss, a prospective employer, or their ex can find out about their arrest or conviction if they ...

What Are the Shoplifting Laws in Florida?

If you were recently arrested for shoplifting in Florida, you’re probably wondering about the applicable laws. Florida does not have a specific law about shoplifting. Instead, Florida’s shoplifting offenses are prosecuted under Florida’s theft law, which is covered under Section 812.014 of the Florida Statutes. Under Florida law, you commit the offense of “ theft ” when you knowingly obtain or ...

Should I Take a Plea Bargain?

If you’re wondering if your criminal case will go to trial, I want you to know that by far, the majority of criminal cases do not make it to trial. While some cases don’t make it to trial because charges are dismissed or because a motion to suppress evidence is accepted by the judge, most criminal cases are resolved by plea bargains. This isn’t just the case in Florida, this is how it is in all ...

Can I Expect My Criminal Case to Go to Trial?

If you are facing criminal charges for the first time in your life, you probably have questions, lots of questions . Will your charges be dropped? Will you go to jail or prison? Will you ever be able to get a good job again? Will your case go to trial? For the purposes of this article, I’m going to answer the last question about your case going to trial. If you’re like a lot of people, what you’ve ...