Tampa, Florida Criminal Defense & Family Law Blog

There are hundreds of Florida residents who face drunk driving charges each year. DUI is one of the most common criminal charges that a person can face, so it is important for our readers to know what will occur during the investigation of a potential DUI arrest. One important feature of such an investigation is field sobriety tests.

Most people are at least somewhat familiar with field sobriety tests, having seen generic versions of these tests on TV or in movies. The tests are not conclusive, but are used by police officers to attempt to gauge a person's intoxication during a DUI investigation.

As a previous post here mentioned, Florida is not currently taking the somewhat lenient approach to illegal drugs, particularly marijuana, that some other states are trying. In Florida, drug charges from possession to manufacturing to distribution can all lead to serious problems for an arrestee, not the least of which is the prospect of a potential prison sentence. Drug trafficking is probably considered the most severe of drug charges. So, what can you expect if you are facing drug trafficking charges in Florida?

Well, for starters, it is important to understand what the prosecution must prove in order to secure a conviction in a drug trafficking case. "Intent" is one key word in these types of cases. The prosecution must show that the defendant "knowingly" intended to distribute illegal drugs. Thus, the prosecution must have some evidence that goes to show the defendant's state of mind at the time of the alleged crime.

Many of our readers in Florida have probably seen news coverage of reported "crime sprees." These reports, which can be particularly hyped up by law enforcement officials and media personalities, can tend to inflame the passions of the public - oftentimes making a fair jury trial in the community difficult to achieve, among other problems with the case. That may be an issue with a recent arrest.

According to a recent report, a 40-year-old man is facing allegations that he is the culprit behind a string of auto burglaries in the Tampa area. The alleged crimes reportedly occurred over the course of a five-day period of time. Law enforcement officials allege that the suspect was seen on surveillance camera footage in the area of one of the auto burglaries in the middle of the night. In fact, the reports state that the camera footage actually shows the suspect getting into at least two vehicles. When a homeowner reportedly observed the suspect attempting to get into a vehicle in the early morning hours on September 6, the suspect was reported and arrested.

Every time there is a news story about an inappropriate teacher-student relationship or incident, there is a little bit of "shock value" associated with the coverage. No parent expects that their children will be the victims of sexual assault when they go off to school each day, but the news stories on these incidents bear watching to see what the end result actually is.

According to a recent report, a middle-school teacher in Tampa is facing a litany of charges based on allegations of "inappropriate relationships" with two students. The teacher, a 31-year-old man who teaches algebra to eighth-graders, was recently arrested on the charges. The charges alleged sexual assault, molestation, "lewd or lascivious conduct" and displaying obscene material to a minor.