Posted on August 23, 2014 in Miami Criminal Defense News & Articles

On Saturday, August 9, 2014, a chain of events occurred that caused the nation to collectively reexamine the power and discretion of police officers in an effort to put an end to police brutality.

On the morning of August 9th, police officers in Ferguson, Missouri, received a call relating to a robbery at a convenience store. The dispatcher then provided police officers with a description of the robber and informed police that the robber was walking towards a Quick Trip convenience store. Shortly after, a police officer encountered an individual named Michael Brown walking down a street with a friend. Brown is then shot to death as a result of the encounter.

The following day on August 10th, police officers provide the following information regarding the incident: Eighteen-year old Michael Brown was unarmed at the time he was approached by the police officer, but Brown physically assaulted the officer and shots were fired.

That same day, a candlelight vigil is held in honor of Michael Brown. However, the vigil turns violent as local businesses are vandalized and looted. Due to the increasing violence, school is cancelled the following day.

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 Posted on August 12, 2014 in Miami Criminal Defense News & Articles

DANIA BEACH - - They are not your typical rescue dogs.

Eighteen dogs sitting in kennels at the Humane Society of Broward County are considered evidence in a criminal case.

Their owner, Gisela Tacao, founder of Gigi's Rescue in Hialeah, was arrested April 17 on 53 counts of animal cruelty. She is accused of hoarding dozens of animals in a warehouse in Hialeah and in her duplex in unincorporated Miami-Dade County.

Tacao, 40, will plead not guilty when she is arraigned on May 5, said her attorney.

After Tacao's arrest, the Miami-Dade State Attorney's Office turned to rescue groups for help placing the dogs found in her duplex, primarily older Chihuahuas along with miniature pinschers, rat terriers, one Lhasa Apso and a blind Brittany spaniel.

In all, 25 dogs were taken to the Humane Society shelter in Dania Beach.

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 Posted on August 06, 2014 in Miami Criminal Defense News & Articles

Last month, a 4-week-old baby in North Carolina died after the baby's parents left him in a car for two hours. The parents of the newborn baby have now been arrested and charged with involuntary manslaughter and felony child abuse. Both parents are being held on a $200,000 bond.

Unfortunately, this is not the first reported incident of a child dying after being left in a hot car. Just a couple of months ago, in Georgia, 22-month-old Cooper Harris died after his father Justin Ross Harris left him in the backseat of a car for an entire workday. Justin Ross Harris was charged with murder and child cruelty. Harris told investigators that he forgot the child was in the car. However, investigators claim that Harris researched into how hot a car needs to be in order to kill a child and was also sending explicit text messages to several women while his child was left to die in the backseat of his car.

These two recent incidences are certainly not the first of their nature. Over the past decade, at least 388 children have died from a heatstroke related to being left in a hot car. Just last year, in 2013, it was reported that at least 44 children in the United States died from vehicular heatstroke.

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 Posted on July 29, 2014 in Miami Criminal Defense News & Articles

To outline some (but not all) specific drugs and their minimum mandatory amounts, see below:

1. Cannabis (Marijuana)

• 25+ pounds but less than 2,000 pounds (or 300 or more plants) = 3 year minimum mandatory sentence.
• 2,000+ pounds but less than 10,000 pounds (or 2,000 or more plants) = 7 year minimum mandatory sentence.
• 10,000+ pounds = 15 year minimum mandatory sentence.

2. Cocaine

• 28 grams to 200 grams = 3 year minimum mandatory sentence.
• 200 grams to 400 grams = 7 year minimum mandatory sentence.
• 400 grams to 150 kilograms = 15 year minimum mandatory sentence.
• 150+ kilograms = life sentence.

3. Oxycodone, Hydrocodine, Morphine, Opium and Hydromorphone

• 4 grams to 14 grams = 3 year minimum mandatory sentence.
• 14 grams to 28 grams = 15 year minimum mandatory sentence.
• 28 grams to 30 kilograms = 25 year minimum mandatory sentence.

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 Posted on July 25, 2014 in Miami Criminal Defense News & Articles

It is no surprise that sentencing outcomes can be more severe if you have prior convictions. If you have been previously convicted of a crime and are facing new criminal charges, it is crucial that you contact an experienced criminal defense attorney to learn more about your legal options and how to protect your rights. Every state follows different sentencing guidelines especially for individuals with past convictions. It is important to contact an experienced criminal defense attorney in your state to learn more about the sentencing guidelines applicable to you.

In Florida, individuals with a criminal past are given harsher sentences following subsequent convictions. Of course, the guidelines depend on the type of offender and the specific crime committed. Florida law requires sentencing enhancements for individuals known as "career criminals." Individuals that fall under this "career criminal" category include Habitual Felony Offender (HO), Habitual Violent Offender (HVO), Violent Career Criminal (VCC), and a Violent Felony Offender of Special Concern (VFOSC). Each designation carries different sentencing guidelines.

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 Posted on July 25, 2014 in Miami Criminal Defense News & Articles

Streaking is the act of running through a public or private place naked, without clothes on. The act of streaking essentially consists of an individual exposing his or her body to the public eye. Although the act of streaking is usually done to complete a dare or prank and is oftentimes a great source of comedy in movies, it is illegal in Florida. Amidst all the fun and games, everyone forgets that streaking is an actual offense punishable by the law. If you are charged with indecent exposure and subsequently convicted, you could be facing serious consequences. Contact an experienced Florida criminal lawyer to discuss your case and learn about your legal options.

Indecent exposure laws vary between states. A criminal defense attorney in your state is best equipped to protect your rights and help you achieve the best results.

Florida law classifies indecent exposure as a first-degree misdemeanor. Those found guilty of the offense can serve up to one year in jail or face twelve months of probation as well as incur fines. Additionally, a successful indecent exposure conviction carries significant lasting effects. If you are found guilty, the offense can interfere with various aspects of your life including employment and school. Contact an experienced criminal defense attorney to learn more about the lifelong devastating consequences of an indecent exposure conviction. A qualified criminal defense attorney can work with you and your prosecutors to help reduce the negative consequences that can stem from an indecent exposure conviction.

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 Posted on July 23, 2014 in Miami Criminal Defense News & Articles

Marijuana delivery services are taking off! And it is no surprise that this new service is proving to be a success! It's quick, easy and convenient for consumers.

Following the legalization of medical marijuana in California, dispensaries opened up in order to provide qualified patients a safe and comfortable place to obtain their medical marijuana. However, the recent emergence of marijuana delivery services may just make those dispensaries a thing of the past!

California's most popular marijuana delivery service is known as Speed Weed. The company has about 25 drivers, a delivery area of about 6,000 square miles and multiple offices around the Southern California area in order to meet delivery requests in a timely manner. When patients need a refill on their supply of marijuana, pre-rolled joints, and pot-infused edibles, they either place a call to Speed Weed or use Speed Weed's website to place an online order. Within an hour, a driver pulls up to the patient's home carrying a white paper bag filled with the patient's order and leaves the order with that patient. It's quick and easy.

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 Posted on July 22, 2014 in Miami Criminal Defense News & Articles

Research shows that marijuana can remedy some medical conditions and ailments. Below are ten ways that marijuana can be beneficial to your health!

1. THC, the active ingredient found in marijuana, can help stimulate appetite in people with cancer.
2. Marijuana can help ease symptoms associated with Inflammatory Bowel Disease such as inflammation of the digestive tract.
3. Marijuana can decrease a person's chances of developing bladder cancer. This research is based on an 11 year study that included 83,000 people.
4. Individuals who use marijuana have healthier levels of insulin than those who don't use marijuana. This can be extremely beneficial to Diabetics who rely on insulin to regulate blood sugar levels.
5. Marijuana can help ease migraines.
6. Marijuana can also alleviate symptoms associated with Multiple Sclerosis such as spasticity and overactive bladder.
7. Marijuana can also treat nausea and inhibit vomiting.
8. Post Traumatic Stress Disorder symptoms can be eased with marijuana.
9. Studies show that marijuana eases neuropathic pain (burning sensations in the nerves).
10. Marijuana has also been used to treat seizures related to epilepsy.

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 Posted on July 21, 2014 in Miami Criminal Defense News & Articles

Legalizing marijuana should be a top national security objective – that is, if the United States wants to minimize terrorism and border instability. How do legalizing marijuana and maintaining national security relate to each other? Well, here's the breakdown!

The United States has been waging wars with Iraq and Afghanistan for the past two decades and has tried relentlessly to stabilize both Iraq and Afghanistan by attempting to build some type of political and economic structure within each of those nations. Additionally, as the 2011 U.S. National Strategy for Counterterrorism states, the President's top national security priority is ensuring the security of the citizens of the United States and the interests of the United States from terrorists.

With that in mind, Afghanistan is the largest provider of cannabis in the world and the United States is the world's largest consumer of cannabis. Citizens of the United States spend about $40.6 billion a year on cannabis. Therefore, if the United States legalizes cannabis, Afghanistan and its people and economy could establish a source of income by supplying the United States' legal cannabis industry. This would create some sort of economic stability in Afghanistan and even destabilize terror groups.

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 Posted on July 18, 2014 in Miami Criminal Defense News & Articles

Congress has just helped out the legal marijuana industry in a big way! On Wednesday, July 16, the House of Representatives decided to pass two amendments that will permit marijuana businesses to function similar to other businesses. The Senate has yet to approve, but voting should take place later this summer.

Since the start of the legal marijuana movement, businesses engaged in the sale of marijuana have struggled to obtain financial assistance from safe and reliable banks. This was primarily because marijuana is still federally illegal despite any states' laws legalizing the drug. Therefore, banks were afraid of the potential penalties that could arise from working with businesses engaged in the production, manufacture, and sale of the federally illegal substance.

However, now that fear can be put to rest. Banks can begin working and providing much needed services to legal marijuana businesses without fear of prosecution. The new amendments just recently approved by the House of Representatives will help marijuana businesses obtain financial services such as capital, loans, and safe deposits from large national banks.

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