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The pervasive use of social media is helping police and prosecutors charge people with crimes more easily - with significant consequences for people who are facing charges. No longer for just the technically savvy, social media is ubiquitous and helps police find information and witnesses that used to stay hidden. With a quick computer search,...

Knowing what to do if you are ever wrongfully arrested can make a huge difference for your future. Police officers can make mistakes. They may inaccurately judge a situation or arrest the wrong person while in pursuit of a suspect. When mistakes are made, your freedom could be on the line In a recent incident at...

Tough new drug laws in Florida will deal harsher penalties, including mandatory-minimum prison sentences, to many criminal defendants, particularly those ensnared by the opioid crisis. News4Jax reported that new measures which took effect July 1 will limit doctors' ability to write prescriptions for certain narcotics used to treat acute pain to only 3 days. The...

Since last summer, Florida has had some of the toughest fentanyl-related laws in the country. WPTV 5 reported on the law, House Bill 477, which was signed into law in July 2017. Under this law, individuals who possess large amounts of fentanyl face drug trafficking charges with lengthy mandatory minimum sentences. In addition, fentanyl dealers...

Government Technology recently reported the ongoing effects of body-camera videos on criminal cases. Experienced Clay County criminal defense attorneys know such footage can cut both ways. You are likely most familiar with footage of on-duty officers when allegations of police brutality arise, dating all the way back to the Rodney King case in Los Angeles....

Drivers have important constitutional rights which protect them during a DUI stop. Answers to incriminating questions, field sobriety tests, and tests of blood or breath can all incriminate a driver for drunk driving. This is why the protections of the Fourth and Fifth Amendments are so important during these procedures. It is also important for...

An illegal search is one in which a law enforcement officer invades a person’s legal expectation of privacy of his or her person, property, or papers. Case law in recent years has also explored the extent to which suspects have a reasonable expectation of privacy over the electronic contents of their phones and mobile devices....

Citizens often wonder how they can safely interact with police officers, whose job it is to serve and protect the public. It's best to practice caution when being questioned by the police in any circumstance. Anything you say can later be used to indict you for a crime, even if you're 100 percent innocent. The...