Florida Criminal Lawyer Blog

"Operation Bad" (Blitz on Aggressive Drivers) is on the prowl today in Western Broward County. Enforcement will be concentrated on I-75 and the Sawgrass Expressway.

Local law enforcement officers will be looking for violations of the "Move Over" law as well as speeding and any aggressive driving behavior.

Continue reading " Broward County Traffic Ticket Attorney Warns of Enhanced Traffic Enforcement " »

Everybody is feeling the economic slowdown, especially government in Palm Beach County. With declining property values and declining consumption, the Government is faced with declining revenues which are based on these values. Instead of tightening budgets, eliminating positions and consolidating operations, government's answer in Palm Beach County is to increase fines and also the amount of traffic tickets being issued. As a Palm Beach County criminal defense lawyer, I've seen this first hand.

We are all being targeted with special enforcement with the goal being to fill the government coffers with money generated from traffic violations. Fines and Court costs have increased dramatically over the last year as have the amount of Palm Beach County traffic tickets being issued.

Driving defensively and with strict observations of all traffic laws will help you avoid being selected by police for some special enforcement and revenue generation. Drivers need to be vigilant to increased law enforcement activity and expect to see increased patrols and prolific traffic ticket writing for the foreseeable future.

Does anybody know of any Palm Beach County police officers losing their jobs? Something to think about......

Earlier this month a woman was granted early termination of probation who initially received a lengthy prison sentence followed by fifteen years probation. Louann Wagner was on probation for second degree murder charges surrounding the death of her infant son in the Ocala National Forest in 1992.

Fifth Circuit Judge Hale Stancil agreed to the early termination of probation after Wagner had completed over half of her initial probation term.

Early termination of probation requests in Broward County are best filed after at least half the term has been completed and without any prior violations of probation. As a Fort Lauderdale Criminal defense lawyer we have helped numerous individuals with requests for early termination of probation.

Continue reading " Early Termination of Probation Applauded by Fort Lauderdale Criminal Defense Lawyer " »

The wheels of justice at one of Florida's busiest courthouses are plodding through a soggy mess - again! A broken bathroom fixture on the eight floor of the Broward County Main Courthouse was the culprit this time.

The courthouse remained opened today but some hearings were delayed and the building sustained some minor property damage.

Broward County lawyers, Judges, courthouse workers and citizens faced a one week work stoppage in early December as a result of major courthouse flooding. The juvenile division of the Broward County State Attorneys Office faced damage last month as a result of a burst pipe.

Florida may soon become the eighth State to ban texting while driving. We all know the dangers of driving under the influence. As a Broward County DUI defense lawyer, I have seen DUI laws in Florida become tougher and tougher with each Legislative session.

Next month, Florida's Legislature will take up a bill proposed by Representative Doug Holder from Sarasota. His proposed bill seeks to prohibit the operation of a moving vehicle while reading, manually writing or typing, or sending messages on electronic wireless communication devices.

The National Safety Council, (citing a Harvard study), notes that cell phone usage in general contributes to an estimated 6 percent of all automobile accidents, which amounts to 636,000 crashes, 330,000 injuries and 2,600 deaths each year.

Stay tuned. If the bill passes, penalties will almost certainly be civil in nature consistent with traffic tickets.