Jacksonville Criminal Defense Law Blog

According to sources, the case against one Florida doctor was an unusual one. Dr. M. was charged with drug trafficking after he allegedly had illegally prescribed undercover detectives prescription drug pain killers. But the doctor and his defense team argued that standard policy was followed and that the pain medication was prescribed lawfully.

A Florida jury was unable to come to a unanimous agreement over the drug case, which left it up in the air whether another trial would take place. The State Attorney, however, decided earlier this week not to continue in the efforts to convict the area doctor with the alleged drug crimes.

A Florida corrections official and his wife were in the midst of a divorce when their issues escalated into something serious. According to the South Florida Sun-Sentinel, the divorcing couple was still living in the same home when their disagreements turned into a mutual shoving match.

The husband and wife called authorities to report the other's violence. Their case went before a judge who ordered that the husband leave the home in order to protect the safety of both of the spouses and their son.

Both parents brought out the violence in each other, and reports do not indicate that the husband is more violent or guilty than his wife. The Florida judge issued mutual domestic violence injunctions to both the husband and wife, which prohibited both spouses from having intentional contact with each other.

Everyone has said or done something to a person whom they greatly love that they wind up painfully regretting. That regretful moment often happens in adolescence, when a teen's mind is not fully developed and immaturity limits a youth's understanding of right, wrong and future repercussions.

A 13-year-old Florida boy is dealing with the ultimate regretful moment that has forever changed his life and the loved ones who surround him. In August, the teen shot his mother in their home. She tragically did not survive her injuries, and now the boy is left not only without his mother, but also with the knowledge that she died because of his mistake.

At his arraignment yesterday, the juvenile defendant pleaded not guilty to the manslaughter charge he faces. According to reports, the teen has no recorded history of violence, and this one-time incident was an accident with the most extreme personal consequence a young person is forced to handle -- the loss of a parent.

Children of the 70's likely remember mega heart throb David Cassidy. Many teen girls likely had the celebrity's image tacked up on their bedroom walls. But recent news reports could affect that squeaky clean image of the former Partridge Family member. He is charged with driving under the influence.

Yesterday, Florida police saw a driver swerving onto the side of the highway and then cut off another driver. They pulled the car over, and found that the man they were questioning was none other than the Partridge star. Instead of singing to the tune of "I think I love you," however, Cassidy was singing the tune, "I think I'm sober."

Some think that a new Florida opinion gives judges too much subjective authority and sets offenders up for reckless sentencing. According to sources, the Florida Supreme Court ruled last Thursday that judges can add time to the standard sentencing for certain violent crimes, including drug trafficking, sexual assault and more.

Based on an interpretation of what Florida calls the "10-20-Life" law, judges now have the power to add years onto a minimum sentence following a crime committed with a firearm. The "10-20-Life" law automatically gives either 10, 20 or 25 plus years in prison to those who use a gun in a crime.

In 2007, the public watched their TVs to see a 15-year-old girl battling an agonizing case of the hiccups. For five weeks, Ms. M. suffered from the hiccups, and the public watched and wondered, why won't they stop? Now, Ms. M is hiccup-free, but freedom has taken on a whole new meaning in the now 19 year old's young life.

Last weekend, Ms. M. was arrested and charged with a homicide that took place in St. Petersburg, Florida. According to sources, Ms. M. was involved in a theft operation and wound up in deeper than she anticipated when the robbery turned fatal for the target involved. Sources do report that Ms. M. was not responsible for pulling the trigger in this felony case, but that detail makes little difference according to Florida law.

The MTV program "Teen Mom" has become a guilty pleasure within many American households. The show follows a group of various young mothers who became pregnant as teenagers and are now living their lives as teen parents.

One of those teen moms who has allowed cameras into her daily life is Amber. The teen mom is known among the program's viewers as pretty hot-tempered, and she and the father of their toddler routinely add drama to the reality show with their predictable arguments. According to sources, those petty arguments allegedly escalated, and now charges of domestic violence are swirling around the couple's high-drama relationship.

The prosecution for a recent drunk driving case had quite the stage set for them. A local police officer was killed in a Jacksonville DUI crash, and his family and supporting community members filled the courtroom. The defendant, a 27-year-old, had fewer supporters in the form of his family members and friends.

According to reports, the defendant was out drinking with his friends in Jan. 2010. He admittedly was consoling himself with drinks after having broken up with his girlfriend and made the decision to get behind the wheel and drive. That decision led to a car accident that killed a 44-year-old officer.