Florida Criminal Lawyer Blog

Earlier this month, the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office issued a warning to the public that misusing a laser lighting device is a third-degree felony. If the light is deliberately pointed at and harms someone operating a boat, car, or aircraft, it is a second-degree felony. And if the aircraft crashes as a result of the laser beam, it becomes a first-degree felony.

In the past year, the Palm Beach Sheriff's Office has fielded about 20 complaints about laser beams from pilots and air traffic controllers at Palm Beach International Airport. According to a spokeswoman for the sheriff's office, the most recent incident occurred on October 10 when someone shined a laser beam into the cockpit of a JetBlue flight for approximately two minutes over the Palm Beach Gardens area.

Those with information on the misuse of a laser are asked to report it to authorities.

Blind a driver, boater or pilot with a laser and get a felony, South Florida Sun Sentinel, October 14, 2009

Continue reading "Palm Beach County Felony Defense Attorney Discusses Lasers" »

Our South Florida defense lawyers recently heard about an incident involving reality TV starlet Tila Tequila (real name Tila Nguyen) and San Diego Chargers linebacker Shawne Merriman. Merriman allegedly tried to choke Nguyen when she tried to leave his home. She signed a citizen's arrest warrant accusing him of battery and false imprisonment. Both are felonies.

Merriman was arrested on Sunday morning and claims he was trying to protect her, because he thought she was drunk and didn't her to leave and hurt herself. Merriman statement said, "I in no way caused any harm to Ms. Nguyen, however, paramedics were called and she was examined but no injuries were reported."

Merriman and his attorney expect that the football player will be found blameless, while Nguyen's attorney predicts that will his story will be discredited. Prosecutors are still deciding whether to press charges.

Tila Tequila's lawyer blasts Shawne Merriman's denials, South Florida Sun Sentinel, September 9, 2009

Continue reading "Shawne Merriman Arrested, Lawyer Claims He Was Keeping Tila Tequila Safe" »

A Palm Beach County middle school teacher was charged with two felonies on Monday after the corpses of her two cats were discovered at her Boca Raton apartment on February 23. Boca Raton Criminal Lawyer Douglas Leifert has learned that Allison Dinsmore, 26, was originally accused of misdemeanor animal cruelty, but Palm Beach County prosecutors increased the charges to two counts of felony cruelty to animals. Each count carries a maximum penalty of up to five years in jail.

Phone messages and emails to Dinsmore and her defense attorney went unanswered. In February, Dinsmore told police that she couldn’t remember the last time she had been at her home in Boca Raton, because she’d been spending a lot of time at her boyfriend’s and working long hours at the middle school. However, she thought she’d left food and water for the cats.

According to Boca Raton investigators, the cats had been dead for about a month before the corpses were uncovered by an apartment manager. The manager also found signs of a frantic search for food and water.

Source: Teacher charged with felonies in deaths of two cats in Boca Raton apartment, Sun Sentinel, March 31, 2009

Continue reading "Boca Raton Criminal Lawyer Explores Recent Animal Cruelty Case" »