However, they'd have to overcome serious legal hurdles in the process.

For starters, the county does not have the authority to ban handling on city and state roads that crisscross the county, so the ban would only apply to county roads. And to be legal, the ban would also have to apply to roadside fundraisers like sports teams and community groups. In addition to that, the county attorney's office claims that state law prevents local communities from banning cell phone use while driving, even though other South Florida counties have considered text messaging bans.

Source: Palm Beach County considers ban on roadside panhandlers and drivers using cell phones, South Florida Sun-Sentinel, February 2, 2010

One of the drivers the trooper cited actually lives in Peru, while others claim they were not on the road on the day that there traffic ticket was allegedly issued.

The trooper was arrested on 22 counts of official misconduct, which is a third-degree felony. Hundreds of his traffic citations have been dismissed. Authorities say that he wrote the tickets to boost his output, despite the fact that the FHP does not have a quota for its troopers.

The incident is being investigated by the State Attorney's Office.

Sources: Miami-Dade trooper accused of writing hundreds of fake tickets, South Florida Sun Sentinel, February 3, 2010
Trooper arrested for issuing bogus tickets, WSVN.com, February 3, 2010

Beginning either this fall or in 2011, homeowners will pay an average of $8 on their tax bills. Because the taxes to pay for new libraries and parks will soon expire, commissioners say tax payers will not notice a difference in their tax bills. They also argue that the county does not get voter approval on big projects like the convention center or sports arena.

The new courthouse will include 75 courtrooms and judicial chambers and spaces for clerk of court and prosecutor offices. It will also have a parking garage to accommodate roughly 1,300 cars.

Source: UPDATE: Broward residents to be taxed to build new courthouse, South Florida Sun-Sentinel, February 2, 2010

But some local residents and members of the American Civil Liberties Union say the strategy could backfire if it redirects crime to other areas or violates the privacy of law-abiding citizens in that area. Police counter that there is no expectation of privacy in a public place.

Lighthouse Point and Hillsboro Beach are the only agencies in Broward County that have opted for stationary cameras. Police in Coconut Creek, Plantation, Coral Springs, and Sunrise use portable scanners to record individual plates at the discretion of the officer. Several other agencies are testing systems of their own.

Source: Lighthouse Point, Hillsboro Beach add cameras to scan license plates entering their cities, Palm Beach Post, January 4, 2010

In fact, Mexico City police are so concerned about the trend that they are threatening fines and jail time to people to post the location of DUI checkpoints. But some DUI defense lawyers say that could violate freedom of speech.

Others say the trend doesn't pose a problem, because it raises awareness about the consequences of drunk driving. Plus, checkpoint locations often change after a few hours anyway.

Source: Police Concerned About DUI Checkpoint Tweets, WHTM.com, January 21, 2010

The 52-year-old man brought along all the necessary paperwork, including his United States password and Social Security card. But his renewal application was rejected because the names on his identification documents didn't match. Both had his first and last name listed, but his passport includes a middle name that was missing from his Social Security card. After making calls to the state Division of Highway and Safety and getting help from the office of a state representative, the doctor will be able to renew his driver's license.

Florida is among the first states to enact Real ID. All drivers must age 50 and younger must have the Real ID by December 1, 2014. Those over 50 have until three more years.

Source: Real ID a real problem for Port St. Lucie doctor who wanted to renew license, TCPalm.com, January 20, 2010

They also say there is reason to believe that law enforcement officials covered up failed machine inspections. The filing claims that officials covered up failed inspections by unplugging machines that looked like they not pass inspection. In fact, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement fired a breach-machine analyst in 2008 after discovering that the analyst instructed officers to unplug machines.

According to a traffic division commander for the Sheriff's Office, three deputies watch each inspection and the plugs may have been knocked out accidentally. Challenges elsewhere in Florida have failed, and our DUI defense law firm will be interested in seeing how this one plays out.

Source: DUI challenge leaves 300 cases in doubt, Palm Beach Post, January 2010

The food drive will begin on Monday, January 25, 2010 and will last for the entire week from 8:30 am to 5:00 pm.

We are asking for canned food, rice, and bottled water.

We are located at 2160 West Atlantic Avenue, in Delray. It is on the southwest corner of Atlantic Avenue and Congress, just west of I-95.

In fact, more than 14,000 Florida residents had their records sealed or obliterated in 2008 (which is the last year complete records are available at this time). That's double the number from 2007, which is not surprising given the current job climate.

Of course, one issue remains unresolved, and that is the data mining companies who compile information from courthouse records and sell that data for a fee. Unfortunately, there is no legal precedent for forcing these private companies to remove outdated information, if a judge approves sealing or expunging someone's record.

Source: Florida Criminals Expunging Records, LiveShots, January 5, 2010

The Fort Lauderdale Traffic Attorneys at Leifert & Leifert have learned that the Ft. Lauderdale city commission will be voting tonight on the installation of red light cameras. Should the vote pass, Fort Lauderdale will be installing the red light cameras at the following pre-determined locations:

Eastbound E. Sunrise Boulevard at NE 15th Ave.
Southbound NE 15th Ave. at E. Sunrise Boulevard

Southbound N. Federal Highway at E. Oakland Park Boulevard

Westbound NW 62nd St./W. Cypress Creek Road at NW 9th Ave./Powerline Road

Eastbound NW 62nd St./W. Cypress Creek Road at NW 31st Avenue

Southbound NW 31st Avenue at NW 62nd Street/W. Cypress Creek Rd.

Eastbound W. Sunrise Boulevard at NW 9th Avenue
Westbound W. Sunrise Boulevard at NW 9th Avenue

Eastbound E. Commercial Boulevard at N. Federal Highway/US 1
Westbound E. Commercial Boulevard at N. Federal Highway/US 1

Broward County Traffic Ticket Lawyer Discusses Fort Lauderdale and Red-Light Cameras

"10 stop lights getting red light cameras in Lauderdale; vote is tonight", South Florida Sun-Sentinel, January 20, 2010.

Update: Fort Lauderdale City Commission Approves Red Light Cameras

The church had a closed circuit TV connection to a judge at a Daytona courthouse. Dozens of people made a safe surrender, and most of them came in on minor crimes such as violation of probation or too many traffic tickets. Some of those people went to prison, but after police and volunteers checked their warrants, a few realized they didn't have a warrant after all.

The public defender, clergy, police, and the state attorney have already deemed the event a success and say they plan to repeat it in the future.

Source: Fugitives Turn Themselves In At Church, WFTV.com, January 13, 2010

However, the decision has gotten protests from a majority of states, who claim it has placed extra burden on their labs. The new case asks the justices to limit or overturn the 2009 decision, saying that prosecutors are reducing the charges or dropping drug charges altogether because states don't have enough lab analysts to provide witnesses in criminal cases.

According to the Virginia Supreme Court, the confrontation right is satisfied if the defendant has the chance to call a prosecution witness for cross-examining. But criminal defense attorneys say this puts on the burden on the prosecution to call the analyst. Our South Florida criminal defense lawyers will be interested in seeing how this issue plays out.

Source: States protest Supreme Court ruling on live testimony, USAToday.com, January 11, 2010

Some people say the app is a convenient way to do background checks on potential dates, employees, babysitters, and others.

But some people worry that applications like this could be a privacy infringement, particularly if someone has had their criminal record expunged and the information available on the app hasn't caught up yet. As mobile apps and internet records become more sophisticated, our criminal defense lawyers anticipate that this issue will only become more important.

Soure: iPhone App gives you free background checks, KDVR.com, January 6, 2010

One piece of identification is "primary identification" and can include an original birth certificate or passport. A green card or visa can be used by immigrants or foreign nationals. Those seeking a driver's license will also need to show a social security number, which can be in the form of a paycheck, w-2 form, and other forms. In addition, applicants must show two proofs of a residential address such as a utility bill, a mortgage statement, or a voter registration card.

Before the new guidelines went into effect, those with an old driver's license or an out-of-state license need only hand over the old license to receive a new one. Now their documents will be scanned and sent to state and federal agencies to be verified. Officials predict that this could lead to long lines at the Department of Motor Vehicles.

Source: VIDEO/POLL: Tougher background checks will slow those seeking Florida driver license, NaplesNew.com, December 30, 2009

The Port St. Lucie Police Department and the Indian River County Sheriff's Office each reportedly arrested four people for DUI. Fort Pierce Police made two DUI arrests and Vero Beach Police made one arrest overnight.

Police cited the increased presence of Florida Highway Patrol as one of the main factors in the decreased number of DUI arrests. However, there were dozens of noise and disturbance complaints phoned in over the course of the evening.

Source: No New Year's Eve Highway fatalities, DUI arrests few on Treasure Coast, TCPalm.com, January 1, 2010