In June, a jury acquitted the man of vehicular homicide.

He was convicted of misdemeanor reckless driving and sentenced to 60 days in jail, followed by six months of probation. He was also fined $250 and will serve 100 hours of community service.

Source: Ex-officer who fatally hit woman is sentenced, Miami Herald, July 23, 2010

Already, a class-action lawsuit has been filed that questions the law’s constitutionality, since it’s aimed at criminalizing behavior, but only at a certain type of business. One lawyer likened it to police being selective about what types of cars they pull over for speeding, which is not fair to drivers.

However, because there’s a legal precedent for regulating tobacco and alcohol-related products, it’s likely that the bill will stand. If that happens, people may continue purchasing these products by going to different stores or driving to other cities that don’t have such strict regulations.

Source: ‘Bong bill’ affects head shops, Alligator.org, July 6, 2010

Some of these Florida motorists were out of the country when they were allegedly pulled over for traffic violations, and in a few cases, actually had their driver’s license suspended. The 38-year-old former trooper allegedly wrote the traffic tickets using information from drivers had pulled over previously in order to boost the number of tickets reported to his supervisors. However, the FHP says it does not work on a quota system.

He was originally charged with 22 felony counts, but those charged were reduced after he agreed to permanently relinquish his law-enforcement certification. As of the result of the investigation associated with his case, the state dismissed over 200 traffic citations.

Source: Ex-FHP trooper gets jail time for falsifying tickets, Miami Herald, July 22, 2010

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A recent decision by the Florida Supreme Court said inmates have no reasonable expectation of privacy if they know calls are being recorded. While the policy is in accordance with the law, some Florida attorneys worry that it could slow down the legal process, because they will need to visit clients in prison rather than handling questions over the phone.

Lawyers are still permitted to visit clients in private during face-to-face visits or discuss their cases through a secure videoconference link. Some worry that will take longer to resolve cases and that innocent people will be stuck in jail longer.

Source: Sheriff Says He Will Record Inmate Calls to Lawyers and Use Them as Evidence, TheLedger.com, June 21, 2010

According to a Davie police complaint, the man became angry when he arrived home and asked his wife for his Viagra medication. She reportedly told him she’d tossed them into the front yard, which sparked his outburst. The wife apparently told police that in 31 years, she’d never seen him that angry.

The man’s bail was set at $10,000 after the wife told the judge she was not afraid of her husband and that she thought he’d learned his lesson. The judge has ordered that the man accused of battery may only have indirect contact with his wife for the time being following his release.

Source: Dispute over Viagra leads to arrest for battery, South Florida Sun Sentinel, June 29, 2010

Here’s how the program works: when someone is arrested, booked, and fingerprinted, their information is automatically checked against immigration records. This only applies to those who are convicted of a crime, not those who are merely charged with a crime.

The program began in 2008, and should be nationwide by 2013. Palm Beach County joined in April. Broward and Miami-Dade counties joined in 2009. As of last month, all 67 Florida counties were participating.

While law enforcement has embraced the program, others have criticized it. Immigration activists say the program could violate the suspect’s presumption of innocence. We’ll be interested in seeing how this plays out. So far, more than 1,800 criminal immigrants have been deported through the program.

Source: Police to share fingerprint data with feds to ID criminal immigrants, South Florida Sun Sentinel, June 29, 2010

The Florida Legislature is funding the commission for one year to the tune of $200,000. The commission will explore issues such as false confessions, eyewitness misidentification, jailhouse informants, and police interrogation.

Since 200, eleven Florida inmates who were wrongly convicted have been freed thanks to DNA testing and the work of the Innocence Project Florida. Another inmate was exonerated after he died of cancer on death row.

Four of those wrongly convicted inmates were from Broward County. Brevard County had two inmates freed.

Source: Why are so many innocent people convicted of crimes? Florida Supreme Court wants to find out, Palm Beach Post, June 14, 2010

As Fox News points out, several DUI arrests over the past few months have involved Hollywood notables like Chris Klein, Jason Wahler, and Stephanie Pratt. Lindsay Lohan was also recently sentenced to 90 days in jail for violating her probation after arrested for drunk driving several years ago.

So, are more celebs driving drunk or are police simply getting more aggressive about arresting them?

According to a spokesperson from the Los Angeles Police Department, has implemented more DUI and sobriety checkpoints thanks to increased funding. Despite high-profile arrests of starlets like Paris Hilton and Khloe Kardasian, many celebs apparently believe that their fame will protect them from prosecution (some reporters claim this is the case but LAPD says otherwise).

Ironically, these celebrities have more than enough money to pay for a cab ride or even a chauffeur. Still, DUI arrests often have a negative impact on their careers and endorsement opportunities.

Source: Driving While Famous: Why Are More Stars Getting Busted for DUI? FoxNews.com, July 13, 2010

The court was split 5 to 4 in this decision. Interestingly, this ruling had traditionally conservative and liberal judges voting on the same side.

The issue of criminal restitution and the ninety day limit emerged after Brian Dolan pleaded guilty to federal charges of assault resulting in serious bodily injury. The judge sentenced him to 21 months in prison and three years of supervised release, but said he had insufficient information to order full restitution at the time of sentencing. (Restitution was mandatory in Dolan’s case.)

The judge ordered Dolan to pay the victim over $100,000 in restitution, but the order was issued after ninety days had elapsed. The Tenth US Circuit Court of Appeals upheld the restitution order.

Source: Supreme Court: judges have leeway on criminal restitution deadline, The Christian Science Monitor, June 14, 2010

According to an article in The South Florida Business Journal, she allegedly received and failed to disclose a $2,300 lease payment for a BMW. The payment came from developers who were trying to get a building project approved. She voted to approve that project and is also accused of receiving $4,000 cash from the same builders for a victory party after she was elected to the commission in 2006.

Atkins-Grad is charged with bribery, official misconduct, and conspiracy to commit unlawful compensation. Bribery and unlawful compensation charges are considered second-degree felonies, carrying a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison for each count. The other charges are third-degree felonies and carry a maximum sentence of five years each. Her bond has been set at $15,500.

Florida Governor Charlie Crist has suspended Atkins-Grad from the commission.

Source: Tamarac commissioner faces criminal charges, South Florida Business Journal, June 25, 2010

Lawyers and staff in the State Attorney’s Office stepped over puddles and soaked carpets as they left the building. Because some of the fallen ceiling tiles had exposed asbestos, employees were asked not to return. They attempted to save legal files by stacking boxes of files on desks and other areas that were not under water.

According to a court administrator, the courthouse should return to business as usual today, though there may be delays in records requests due to water damage.

Source: Broken water pipe forces Broward courthouse workers to flee offices, South Florida Sun Sentinel, July 2, 2010

Under the new law, anyone who facilitates underage drinking, by selling, giving, or serving alcohol to minors, will be subject to a first-degree misdemeanor on the second offense. A 2007 study found that 48% of high school seniors said they had drunk alcohol within the previous month.

The legal drinking age in Florida is 21.

Source: Underage Drinking Bill Becomes Law On July 1st, CBS4.com, June 28, 2010

During the 19th century, courts had ruled that the Amendment only applied to federal gun laws and should not impact local or state gun laws. That ruling has been overturned by this more recent decision, which legal experts say will no doubt lead to more firearms lawsuits.

In most states, residents (with the exception of those with a felony record or a history of mental illness) can possess a rifle or shotgun without a permit. But seven states forbid assault weapons or semi-automatic weapons. After the Supreme Court ruling, these restrictions may be challenged. We’ll be interested in seeing how the firearms laws impact South Florida.

Source: Supreme Court extends 2nd Amendment protection to state, local levels, South Florida Sun Sentinel, June 29, 2010

Two other drivers had already called the Florida Highway Patrol saying that a semi had almost forced them off the road. The 51-year-old truck driver’s blood-alcohol level was reportedly at .127. Florida’s legal limit is .08. He has been charged with two counts of DUI.

Our advice? Next time, consult a DUI attorney.

Source: D.U.Idiot: Trucker Drank Beer to Stay Awake, NBC Miami, June 17, 2010

According to Florida law, possession of less than 20 grams of pot is a misdemeanor. The current maximum sentence for possessing small quantities of pot is a year in jail and a $1,000 fine.

The Committee for Sensible Marijuana Policy has already succeeded in passing a similar ballot initiative in Massachusetts in 2008. Legal experts point out that even if Florida voters pass the pot initiative, it could get shot down at the state or federal level.

Source: Campaign under way to decriminalize marijuana in Miami Beach, Miami Herald, June 17, 2010