With cocktails on the beach at sunset and endless dining options, nightlife on the Keys is a big draw to locals and tourists alike. It can also lead to trouble when a night out ends in an altercation. If you’re involved in altercation and the police respond, you could also be charged with battery. The
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In Florida, assault and battery are two separate crimes, despite often being linked together. Both carry potentially serious penalties, including incarceration and fines. The difference is that assault refers to a threat that causes fear of harm, whereas battery is an unwanted touching or causing of physical harm. An incident can be both assault and
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When you’re arrested for driving under the influence (DUI) in Florida, you must deal with the criminal court charges as well as the mandatory suspension of your driver’s license. A typical DUI arrest occurs after a traffic stop, which could be due to a violation like running a red light or speeding or to the
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A DUI conviction, in addition to carrying stiff penalties such as jail and driver’s license suspension, can be hurt your finances. The Florida Department of Motor Vehicles estimates that the total cost of a DUI conviction, including fines, insurance increases and attorney fees, is typically around $8,000. This alone is incentive to seek out the
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Despite the Miranda warnings familiar to every TV crime show audience, people in custody often talk to police and prosecutors without an attorney present. But the TV shows are right: If you are under arrest, you should never submit to police questioning without the presence of an attorney who has experience defending clients in criminal
Key West offers abundant opportunities to enjoy marine activities, whether you are a deep-sea fishing or flats fishing enthusiast. But it’s easy to run afoul of the vast network of Florida laws protecting fish and other marine life. Anything from not having the right license to going over the maximum lobster catch allowed could land
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Battery is the intentional touching of another person without consent, even if that person isn’t harmed. In Florida, this is known as a simple battery, a misdemeanor that carries a maximum sentence of one year in prison and a $1,000 fine. But where the touching results in injury, it is an aggravated battery, a second-degree
What Is The Difference Between Simple and Aggravated Battery? Read More »
Probation is always preferable to jail, but the key to successful probation is to avoid violating it. And that means knowing what kinds of conduct rise to the level of violations. In Florida, such conduct can include refusing to pay fines ordered by the court; traveling or meeting with certain people without first seeking permission
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The terms robbery, theft and burglary are sometimes used interchangeably in popular discourse, but they are distinct crimes under Florida state law, even though the lines between them aren’t always clear. For example, taking merchandise from a publicly accessible space in a store is shoplifting, a form of theft. But taking merchandise from a portion
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