Are Prostitution Stings Considered Entrapment?

Prostitution is a serious crime throughout South Florida. About every month, the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office sets up prostitution stings throughout the county to catch men and women engaged in criminal activity. Most recently in August, five men were arrested in West Palm Beach on prostitution-related charges. Their ages ranged from age 21 to […]

What to Expect at a Protective Order Hearing

Courts typically generally issue protective orders to victims of domestic violence who seek distance from their alleged abusers. Domestic violence victims have the right to request protection from their abusers in the form of protective orders that may be temporary or permanent. Such orders, often called “restraining orders,” place serious restrictions on the movement of […]

Top 4 Actions that Could Flag You as a Stalker

There is no typical profile of a stalking victim or a stalker. Victims of stalking may or may not be acquainted with their stalkers. Victims and stalkers can be men or women, young or old, and of any race, creed, or economic status. Likewise, there is no typical stalking scenario– people are stalked for a […]

Consequences of Registering Teens as Sex Offenders

Perhaps no offense is more damaging to juvenile offenders than a sexual offense. The consequences teens face for committing a sexual offense run much deeper than merely serving time in a juvenile facility. Too often, teen sex offenders’ lives are completely dismantled as a result of being placed on the sex offender registry — a […]

What to Know about Florida’s Juvenile Justice System

In Florida, crimes allegedly committed by minors under the age of 18 are handled primarily by the Department of Juvenile Justice (DJJ). This agency tries its best to rehabilitate offenders; in fact, its mission statement reads “To increase public safety by reducing juvenile delinquency through effective prevention, intervention, and treatment services that strengthen families and […]

Strangulation is the most Common Act of Domestic Violence

Battery differs from assault in that actual physical contact is made between the alleged offender and the alleged victim. In Florida, strangulation is the most common act of battery that occurs during domestic violence disputes. Domestic violence strangulation is an act of abuse is classified as its own offense in Florida, and it is treated […]

3 Tips for Surviving a Carjacking Attempt

Like robbery, carjacking is a felony criminal offense that can lead to life in prison if certain elements are met. Robbery covers many of the same elements as carjacking in Florida; the main difference is that carjacking is the taking of a motor vehicle specifically through force, violence, assault, or threats. As a victim, a […]

Child Victims Can Enhance Penalties and Present Obstacles

Child victims present unique obstacles in criminal defense cases that many who are charged with such crimes are not aware of. Penalties for violent or sexual crimes are usually much stiffer when the victim is a child. There are several rules that must be followed when representing a person charged of such an offense. Other […]

Who Must Register as a Sex Offender in West Palm Beach?

Florida retains some of the harshest sex offender laws in the U.S. Despite scant evidence that sex offender registries protect communities or reduce the number of sexual offenses committed, those who have been convicted of certain sexual offenses are required to register as as a sex offender in the state, regardless of the severity of […]

What Constitutes a Hate Crime in Florida?

In Florida, many crimes have the potential to be classified as hate crimes. A hate crime is a crime based on prejudice or bias against an individual or group considered to be part of a protected class. These crimes are believed to carry enough influence to cause greater societal harm. As a result, Florida’s hate […]