Tampa, Florida Criminal Defense & Family Law Blog

Domestic assault charges are both sensitive and serious charges which is why it is important to understand the legal resources available to parties involved in a domestic violence situation. Recently, a Hillsborough County Sheriff's Deputy was arrested and relieved of duty without pay following domestic assault allegations. The deputy was accused of choking and beating her spouse, as well as holding a gun to her wife's head.

The 29-year old deputy was arrested after her spouse alleged multiple incidents of abuse dating back several months. The deputy was charged with a felony count of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and was also charged with two misdemeanor counts of domestic battery by strangulation and domestic violence battery. According to authorities, the deputy's wife suffered multiple injuries. The deputy had been with the sheriff's office for eight years.

There are certain things you are legally obligated to do if a Florida police officer pulls you over in a traffic stop. For instance, if the officer asks to see your driver's license and vehicle registration, you are obligated to meet the request. When you obtained your driver's license in this state, you also implicitly agreed to take chemical tests that a police officer may lawfully request. Should you refuse such a request, you will incur automatic administrative penalties, which often include a driver's license suspension.

Do you know, however, that you do not have to submit to requests to take field sobriety tests? Such tests are entirely voluntary, and there are no additional administrative or legal penalties for your refusal. However, some say it's best to cooperate with lawful requests for field sobriety tests to avoid legal complications down the line if prosecutors wind up filing criminal charges for DUI. Knowing what to expect in such tests and where to seek support when needed can help lessen your stress in such situations.

This blog has on previous occasions reported how even people who hold steady jobs and live what seems to be an upstanding life wind up getting in to trouble for possession of or even selling illicit drugs or prescription drugs that were not obtained lawfully.

Indeed, many people in the Tampa area are quietly struggling with drug addiction as they go about their lives, and no one really knows it until they get arrested on drug charges. Unfortunately, a conviction on these charges can cause a person's life to spiral even more out of control, as a conviction could mean jail time, probation, and perhaps more importantly, the loss of key professional and personal opportunities that can help keep a person out of the addiction cycle.

Florida authorities in a city near Tampa arrested a former sheriff's deputy and his son on charges related to what the police described as a case of road rage. In addition to battery charges, police have filed other charges against the duo, including a criminal confinement charge.

According to police, the former deputy and his son were called to the scene of what may have started as an argument between the alleged victim and a third party about the alleged victim's driving. The pair started to argue with the alleged victim.