Posted on October 09, 2017 in Miami Criminal Defense News & Articles

Miami criminal lawyers have a wide range of roles and responsibilities. Among these, it is our job to inform clients regarding the consequences that an arrest can have on their immigration status.

This is something that some clients do not immediately consider when choosing their Miami criminal defense attorney. When an individual is arrested and they are not a US citizen, there are deportation consequences that they may have to face and it is crucial that they are fully informed of what that may entail.

Even small misdemeanor criminal charges can potentially have serious implications for immigrants. The law actively requires criminal defense attorneys in Miami to discuss these potential outcomes with their clients and to advise them accordingly prior to their trial. This could impact their decision to plead guilty, or to make a no contest plea or a not guilty plea.

The problem here is that many of the criminal defense lawyers in Miami are not fully informed regarding these laws and they do not have all of the requisite information to pass on to their clients. Immigration laws in the US are vast and highly complicated and thus it is crucial when you choose someone to act as your representative and consult, that you ensure they have all of the most accurate, up-to-date and relevant information as it may pertain to your case.

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 Posted on October 05, 2017 in Miami Criminal Defense News & Articles

There are several types of criminal defense law, each requiring special skills and experience. Federal courts and state courts need to be navigated in very different ways. Often, what works in one court won't work in another so a good criminal defense lawyer in Miami should be your first call. A knowledgeable federal criminal defense attorney can get clients big advantages with acceptance of responsibility points towards a sentence reduction. A lawyer who only handles state court cases won't be as experienced in this area of law. If you've been arrested and charged with a federal crime, it's important to get in touch with a Miami criminal law firm that can help you get out of trouble.

Federal Sentencing Guidelines

There are federal sentencing guidelines, and those guidelines mandate certain terms for people convicted of federal crimes. Every federal crime is assigned a level of severity, and the points correspond to a sentencing recommendation. One of the few ways to lessen the sentence below the standard sentencing recommendation is to attain a point reduction through the Defendant's acceptance of responsibility. An experienced criminal lawyer in Miami is going to give you the best chance at resolving your case.

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 Posted on October 02, 2017 in Miami Criminal Defense News & Articles

If you're under investigation for any type of sex crime, you need to contact a criminal attorney in Miami right now. There is no time to waste. Every second you don't get in touch with a criminal defense lawyer in Miami could come back to hurt you. Your chances of quickly resolving the allegation go down the longer you wait to get in touch with a criminal defense attorney in Miami. If you've been accused of a sex crime, you really should not defend yourself. You could end up in jail for a very long time because of sex offense allegations so do not hesitate to reach out to a Miami criminal lawyer as fast as possible.

Anthony Weiner was a key reason that Hillary Clinton lost the 2016 election. The criminal sex offense allegations he was facing were quite serious. We all know how much it can damage your reputation to have a sex crimes charge filed against you. It's incredibly important to contact a criminal lawyer in Miami if you've had a sex crime charge filed against you. A sex crime attorney in Miami is your best chance of keeping your reputation clean.

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 Posted on September 27, 2017 in Miami Criminal Defense News & Articles

Florida's Stand Your Ground law is based on a basic belief that homeowners have a right to defend their home, person, and family from people who come into their residence with violent intentions. It is what's referred to as the "castle doctrine" from the English idea that every man's home is his castle, and that he can defend it.

Expanding the Stand Your Ground Law

Florida expanded the Stand Your Ground law in 2005 to say that you could defend yourself and others even when you weren't in your home. The Stand Your Ground law stipulates that people can use deadly force anywhere, and that they aren't required to run away from the threat. The law says that you have to believe that using such force was unavoidable to prevent death or serious bodily injury to oneself or someone else. Call our office now to speak with our criminal lawyer in Miami if you have any questions.

With this law, if someone is charged with murder or manslaughter, their defense may rest on the principle that they were legally allowed to do so because of the Stand Your Ground law. If that happens, the following would take place:

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 Posted on September 26, 2017 in Miami Criminal Defense News & Articles

Should you be pulled over for a DUI (driving under the influence) then it is important to know your rights and to act in a way that will ensure the best possible outcome for you.

When you are stopped because an officer believes that you may be driving drunk, you may be asked to exit the vehicle and to perform a number of tests in order to demonstrate your sobriety. These tests are known as standardized field sobriety tests (SFST).

But as we all know from television and movies, the police will need to read you Miranda warnings before they can legally interrogate you after detaining you. That's the part where they tell you your rights and let you know that you have 'the right to remain silent'.

At this point, they may also begin to search you and to ask questions such as whether you have been drinking, how much and where you have been prior. Keep in mind that as soon as a police officer stops you in this way, suspecting that you may be under the influence, they are then going to begin making a case against you to make an arrest and charge you with DUI.

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 Posted on September 22, 2017 in Miami Criminal Defense News & Articles

The way that a police officer needs to go about handling an arrest is very sensitive and highly complex. There are certain things that a police officer may and may not do and if they don't follow the precise protocol then the results from their actions may include the case being thrown out of court.

These rules are here to protect us from being unfairly prosecuted and it's very important that we know our rights going into any criminal case. That's why it's so valuable to have the help of a Miami criminal lawyer who can advise you on the best ways to proceed and whether or not there is in fact a strong case against you.

For example, in Miami and across Florida, it is common to see drug dogs (K-9s) used in drug searches. These dogs have been trained to detect the odor of marijuana, cocaine and a range of other drugs. They can be used to detect drugs and then to search for them.

It is highly important that the dogs themselves and the police that handle them are thoroughly trained and certified in order to ensure that they are qualified to accurately detect the odor of drugs. If they do not meet such requirements, then a Miami criminal defense attorney might be able to help you avoid criminal charges.

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 Posted on September 14, 2017 in Miami Criminal Defense News & Articles

If a federal agent ever calls you to "interview" you, get in touch with a Miami criminal defense lawyer immediately. You don't have time to waste. Anything you say could be used against you. Don't answer their questions without a criminal attorney. A good criminal lawyer in Miami should be the first person you call after a federal agent calls you. A Miami criminal defense attorney is going to advise you of the best way to talk with a federal agent, from what to say to how to say it.

Every federal agency calls people all the time. Most just do it for routine reasons. However, when a federal agent contacts you, you should be cautious and contact a criminal lawyer immediately. Federal agents come from: FBI, Coast Guard, ATF, DEA, ICE, IRS, Homeland Security, and more. Let's look at the main reasons a federal agent will call you.

You are a Witness

In this situation, a federal agent might call and tell you, "I only want to talk. Don't worry about a thing." A lot of people just go along with it, especially people who don't think they've done anything wrong. They talk to the federal agent alone, and they give them information that could be used against them later in a court of law or when attaining an indictment.

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 Posted on September 06, 2017 in Miami Criminal Defense News & Articles

The United States is suffering from an opioid epidemic. Almost 80 people die of an opioid-related overdose daily. Over 30,000 Americans died in 2015 because of an opioid overdose. We have this crisis in America today because pharmaceutical companies push these drugs on people and doctors overprescribe them. They're highly addictive. People addicted to opioids commit crimes to keep buying the drugs. It's truly a tragedy. There is no end in sight, either.

Fentanyl is a Major Problem

The opioid epidemic has gotten a lot worse in the last couple of years, somewhat because of fentanyl. Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid that is used for extreme pain. It is mostly used in operating rooms and hospice locations. It is up to 100 times stronger than morphine and up to 50 times stronger than heroin.

OxyContin is another of the most commonly abused opioids, both with physician over-prescription and illegal selling. The federal and state governments are concentrating on the OxyContin problem, but drug users are just turning to fentanyl. This highly addictive drug is usually mixed with cocaine or heroin because it is cheaper than both of them and creates a super powerful combination. People who take these drugs often don't know what they're putting in their bodies, and it can lead to injury and death.

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 Posted on August 30, 2017 in Miami Criminal Defense News & Articles

If you or someone you know has been put in jail and can't bond out, we may be able to help you get a bond. Our Miami criminal attorney wanst to help you understand the bond process, including:

• What is a bond?
• What are the basic elements of a bond?
• How bond hearing schedules work
• How a bond amount is decided

Luckily, the law says that the judge has to set a bond hearing quickly and make it reasonably easy to get released.

If you work with our firm, we will work hard to schedule a bond hearing as fast as possible and request the lowest bond or easiest conditions for release.

What exactly is a bond?

Pretrial Release is another term for a bail or bond.

From a technical standpoint though, a bail or bond is just the amount that you have to post before an individual can be released from jail before a trial.

But, even if you post the bond amount, you have to meet other conditions before they'll actually let you out of there. The set of conditions they impose is called the Pretrial Release. A Miami criminal lawyer is going to be your best if you've been arrested in Miami.

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 Posted on August 28, 2017 in Miami Criminal Defense News & Articles

There are a ton of different ways that social media posts can land you in jail. Here are eight examples of people that got in trouble for using social media. If you've been arrested and charged with a crime because of social media, you need to call a criminal defense attorney in Miami who knows what they're doing.

#1. Snapchat and the Stove Thief

therefore Wallace had been on the run from police for several weeks because he stole a stove from a campground. For a while the police didn't have any clues regarding where Chris lived, until one night, they got a tip from someone that said Chris just posted a snap of himself back at his Fairfield home.

The police headed right to his house, however, he wasn't anywhere to be seen. While police kept searching the house, they got another tip. Apparently, Chris had taken a snap of himself hiding in a cabinet in his home. The police found him easily and he was arrested right there. Unfortunately, Mr. Wallace retained the counsel of a criminal defense attorney after his bad decisions.

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