Florida Criminal Attorney Blog

That's right children, its scandal time once again in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. This time, Det. Albury Augustus Burrrows, of the Broward Sheriff's Office, was arrested for grand theft charges. Even though these charges are felony offenses, Det. Burrows was released on a $1,000.00 bond.

(Photo Courtesy, Sun-Sentinel.com and the Broward Sheriff's Office)

It is important to emphasize, that like the people he arrested for the past 11 years, Det. Burrows is innocent until proven guilty.

However, I am not surprised to learn that yet another BSO deputy has been arrested for a felony offense, especially one that involves moral turpitude. For some reason, this county routinely turns a blind eye to the rampant corruption that occurs on a daily basis in our police departments. Unless of course a cop is caught red handed or the corruption is so obvious that even when you turn your cheek, it is still staring you right in the eyes.

Of course, as a criminal defense lawyer, I have the benefit of seeing both sides of a case.

While there are plenty of cops who pocket cash from people they arrest and there are plenty of cops who create violent situations that quickly turn into arrests for battery on a police officer (don't you love how that works?) and there are cops who routinely force hookers to perform oral sex on them in exchange for not placing them under arrest, the most common form of police corruption is done with a pen. "Creative report writing" is the singularly most common form of police misconduct around.

Now I know what you are thinking: big deal.

Continue reading "Det. Albury Burrrows Arrested for Grand Theft in Fort Lauderdale, Florida" »

Alexis W. Polychronis, age 26, was arrested today for three counts of lewd and lascivious molestation in Port St. Lucie, Florida. The unnamed female victim was15 years old at the time of the alleged molestation.

The parents of the teenage girl claim that they both warned Polychronis to keep away from their daughter on multiple occasions. According to news reports, the girl is home-schooled and is only allowed out of the house to go to the family's place of worship.

By the sound of it, this teenager seems like she was kept on a tight leash by her parents. For that reason, her behavior in this case is not surprising. While Polychronis is certainly responsible for his actions as an adult male, we cannot forget that the alleged victim was a willing participant.

It is unknown whether or not Polychronis has retained a criminal defense lawyer.

Despite his ambition to one day marry this girl, Polychronis is undoubtedly in serious trouble. While he may have had true romantic ambitions, as opposed to a mere sexual objectification of the victim, the bottom line is that the woman he is in love with is just a 15 year old girl.

In other countries, such as Mexico, it is not uncommon for 26 year old men to date or even marry 15 year old females. However, in America, touching a 15 year old is a second degree felony that can land you in prison for up to 15 years per encounter.

That is why Polychronis must immediately hire the best criminal defense attorney he can find.

Continue reading "Alexis W. Polychronis Arrested for Molestation in Port St. Lucie, Florida" »

Jennifer Mee, 19, was arrested for and charged with first degree murder in St. Petersburg, Florida this week. For those that do not remember, Jennifer Mee was recently in the national news media as the "hiccup girl." She was given this nickname due to her unreal (and never ending) hiccup problem. After five weeks of constant hiccups, the condition finally went away, but the nickname "hiccup girl" still remains.

Regardless, insofar as her murder charges are concerned, Jennifer Mee is accused of luring the victim, Shannon Griffin, 22, to a home across the street from Mee's house where Griffin was robbed by other people. According to Sgt. T.A. Skinner of the St. Petersburg Police Department, Griffin fought back and was shot several times in the process. Griffin ultimately died from the gunshot wounds.

Given the nature of the charges, Jennifer Mee is being held without bond.

In order to get a bond on her case, Mee will have to file a motion for an "Arthur Hearing." These types of hearings have been discussed on this blog before. In an bond hearing of this type, a defendant is usually represented by a criminal defense lawyer, although it is unknown whether Mee has retained a private criminal defense attorney or not.

Anyway, in these bond hearings, the prosecutor has the burden of establishing that proof of the crime is evident and the presumption of guilt is great. On paper, this is supposed to be the highest legal standard in our criminal justice system, even more so than reasonable doubt. In reality, when a judge presides over an Arthur Hearing, he or she is first deciding whether or not the defendant is really guilty. Unless the judge has any real doubts, most judges simply rubber stamp the prosecutor's arguments... unfortunately.

Continue reading "Jennifer Mee "Hiccup Girl" Accused of Murder in St. Petersburg, Florida" »

Chris George, the owner of American Pain, went before a Federal Magistrate judge in West Palm Beach, Florida for possession of firearms and ammunition by a convicted felon. According to news reports, Chris George was convicted of a felony drug possession charge in 2002.

Mr. George is already represented by a criminal defense attorney and it appears as though he expects to fight his charges. He is presently being held in custody awaiting his bond hearing set for this Thursday.

The guns and ammunition were allegedly found by FBI and DEA agents when they raided Chris George's American Pain clinic on March 3 of this year. According to court documents filed by the FBI and DEA, Chris George's American Pain clinic generated $50,000 in business a day and was over 14,000 square feet in size.

Given a facility and business that large, it is surprising that law enforcement caught Mr. George in actual or even constructive possession of the firearms and ammunition. Odds are that facility was crawling with dozens of employees, patients, and other persons. I doubt this charge will be difficult for Mr. George's criminal defense lawyer to beat.

However, what it is more worrisome, from a criminal defense attorney's perspective, is the criminal investigation being conducted by the FBI and DEA that led to the raid where the guns and ammo were found.

Given Chris George's huge success as a pain clinic owner, it is obvious that the FBI and DEA are looking for violations that would support a drug trafficking case or some other violations like FDA regulations or even State law concerning the pain clinic business.

Continue reading "Pain Clinic Owner Arrested on Gun Charge in West Palm Beach, Florida" »

Jeremy Jarvis, the youngest boy arrested in the Michael Brewer burning case (who was never ultimately charged in that case), plead no contest to burglary and theft charges in Fort Lauderdale today. Jarvis, who is a 14 year old juvenile, plead before Judge Michael Orlando today.

For those who do not recall, Jarvis and another teen were accused of breaking into the home a family friend to steal a Nintendo Wii game system this past May. Upon entering the home, Jarvis was caught by a video camera activated by a motion sensor on the victim's computer.

Judge Orlando sentenced Jarvis to an indefinite term of probation and ordered him to complete a life skills program.

Personally, I think this juvenile needs boot camp. You would think after all the trouble that his brother got into in the Michael Brewer case that he would stay out of trouble himself. Not to mention that breaking into someone's home to steal a Wii system is so lame.

This kid is sure off to a great start in life. Where are his parents? Does he suffer from a developmental or emotional disorder? If so, he needs to get evaluated and into treatment ASAP.

If Jarvis is to have any chance at surviving in the real world, without landing a place in one of Florida's prisons, this kid better grow up and get his act together like yesterday's news.

If not, he is certain to get caught up in trouble that can't resolved by a no-contest plea to probation. Jarvis' parents would do him a huge favor by not tolerating any more problems.

Jarvis is not an under-privileged kid growing up in the projects who needs to steal to stay alive. Hopefully the life skills program he attends will teach him something worthwhile... for his sake and ours.

The last thing we need is another little criminal growing up to be an inmate.

Anyway, these are just some of the thoughts that come to mind when I see this kid's picture on the news, yet again.

Junior Seau, a former Miami Dolphins player, was arrested last night at around 3:00 a.m. for domestic violence related charges. According to news reports, the alleged victim was Seau's live in girlfriend.

Seau was released from jail around 5:00 a.m. after he posted bond. In Florida, a bond hearing on a domestic violence charge would not have been posted so quickly. At least in Fort Lauderdale (Broward County), a person arrested for a domestic violence charge would have to go before a magistrate judge where bond would be considered. These hearings are not held at least until 9:00 a.m. the next morning.

In Seau's case, bond was posted after only a couple hours in jail.

In Fort Lauderdale domestic violence cases, a magistrate judge is primarily concerned about the safety of the alleged victim. In every case, unless the victim specifically requests otherwise, every domestic violence bond includes an order of no victim contact.

Again, the judge's primary concern is victim safety.

Continue reading "Junior Seau Crashes Escalade After Domestic Violence Arrest" »

Biketoberfest suffered a horrible loss Friday night when a Jeep Cherokee driven by Joshua Baldes, 27, crashed into three motorcycles driven by Biketoberfest riders. Baldes survived and was later apprehended by police shortly after he allegedly fled the scene of the accident.

The victims of this horrific crash are: Grace Scullion, 22, Jeramy Scarsella, 22, Shawn Scarsella, 24, Michelle Koelker 22, and Brandon Rudolph, 24.

This motorcycle accident is especially tragic because Grace Scullion was 4 weeks pregnant when she was killed by Baldes' Jeep.

Jeramy Scarsella, the driver of Grace's motorcycle, suffered serious internal injuries and broken bones. Shawn Scarsella suffered a broken hand and Michelle Koelker suffered broken ribs. It is unknown what injuries, if any, were suffered by Brandon Rudolph.

According to police, Joshua Baldes has been charged with vehicular homicide, leaving the scene of an accident with death, leaving the scene of an accident with serious bodily injury, and violation of probation. It is unknown what he was on probation for or what criminal history he may have. I wonder if his criminal history is related to drugs, alcohol, or even DUI.

While I do not own or ride motorcycles, I am an avid cyclist. I have a high-end road bike that I love to ride outdoors for fun, recreation, and exercise.

It is because of my love of riding, that I especially sympathize with the victims in this case even more so than normal.

I have to say, I am sick and tired of the maniac drivers that populate our roadways. As a cyclist, I fear those oblivious, reckless, and impaired drivers we all see on the road from time to time. It is scary and it makes you wonder what people are thinking as they text away in their cars or drive so slow and aimlessly that they miss red lights and stop signs as the yap away on their cell phones.

Enough is enough. I would love to represent Grace Scullion's family and the other victims to fight this case and get them the justice they deserve!

Continue reading "Grace Scullion Killed in Biketoberfest Accident in Daytona Beach, Florida" »

Jonathan Corso was loved by his followers as one of the most respected and prolific graffiti artists in the Miami-Fort Lauderdale area. If you have ever driven or walked down a South Florida street for more than one block, you definitely saw his infamous tag: YNOT.

On the streets, this man was respected. He was revered as an artist with something to say. Those that knew him said he had a philosophy about living that enlightened everyone around him. There is no doubt that his life touched many.

If so, why has it taken authorities so long to resolve their investigation into his killing over one month ago?

This case does not seem to involve complicated forensics or onerous documentation that takes many weeks or even months to figure out. There is no DNA, complicated toxicology, or lost witnesses that need to be found.

Anyone of importance in this case was present that night over one month ago, when YNOT was run over outside a local strip club. At the time, news reports stated that the driver hit YNOT with his car and then intentional ran over him.

In the most recent news reports, that driver claims he was being robbed.

The whole thing sounds fishy to me.

Continue reading "YNOT any justice for Jonathan Corso? Investigation still open in Broward County." »

In an unbelievable use of force, a deputy from the Palm Beach Sheriff's Office shot at a 17 year old boy driving the wrong way down Okeechobee Blvd. in Royal Palm Beach, Florida last night. The boy allegedly stole his mother's van and may have ignored police orders to stop, but this example of police conduct sounds utterly outrageous.

I hate drawing conclusions without knowing all the facts, but this case sounds like another example of overly aggressive police conduct. As a result, this poor kid and two other people are sitting in the hospital.

Given my professional experience dealing with internal affairs divisions, I will bet anything that that PBSO exonerates these cops and concludes that their use of lethal force was warranted. In fact, I bet the cops will claim that they had to shoot at the boy because he allegedly drove in their direction. I have heard that one before...

While the boy is accused of stealing his mother's van, an eye witness claims the boy did not start driving the wrong way down Okeechobee Blvd. until a police car made an aggressive maneuver in front of his vehicle.

In fact, this eye witness, Charles Humphrey, claims that the boy's van was stopped with a flat tire at the intersection of Okeechobee and Royal Palm Beach Blvd. when he saw he saw a police car swerve in front of the boy's van and come to a stop.

Humphrey says the boy then started up his van and took off, hitting the deputy's car in the process. The deputy then fired shots at the boy, causing the boy's van to crash into two other vehicles before coming to a stop.

"He was screaming, 'Sorry, I didn't mean it,'" Humphrey said.

While all the facts of this case are still undetermined, this case stinks of police abuse of force.

Continue reading "Abuse of Force? PBSO Deputy Shoots Boy in Palm Beach, Florida." »

Alfred Infosino, an 82 year old retiree, is accused of beating is girlfriend to death at their home in Delray Beach, Florida. Infosino is supposedly being detained in custody, but there are presently no reports as to his bond status. If he is charged with first degree murder, odds are he will be detained on a no-bond hold for the time being.

According to police, Infosino allegedly called 911 around 7:10 this morning and reported that he had beaten his girlfriend in their home. He also reported that he tried to kill himself by drinking amonia.

Neighbors reported that the couple were not known to have any problems. Police have never been called out to the home. In fact, Infosino was the immediate past president of his neighborhood's home owner association.

While the ultimate facts of what happened this morning are murky, it is possible that this is an example of a domestic violence murder/suicide. For that reason, Infosino would be best served by retaining a criminal defense lawyer immediately.

According to news reports, Infosino is presently being treated at a hospital. It is unknown whether this treatment is for any physical injury due to consuming the amonia or whether he was Baker Acted.

Clearly, my first thought on this case concerns Infosino's state of mind. As a criminal defense lawyer, the mental competency of the defendant is my first priority. If a criminal defendant is not mentally competent, then Florida Statutes require any aspect of the proceedings that require the defendant's presence or participation must be placed on hold.

Continue reading "Alfred Infosino Allegedly Murders Girlfriend in Delray Beach, Florida" »

Jabcol Williams, 31, was arrested in Miami, Florida for allegedly murdering his new wife, Rhonda Mickens-Williams. He is presently being held without bond.

According to news reports, Jabcol allegedly stabbed his wife to death in front of her home located at 1842 NW First Court. Kenia Reyes, spokeswoman for the Miami Police Department, said officers described the crime scene as "gruesome."

It is not yet known if Jabcol has retained a private criminal defense lawyer.

It is also reported that Mrs. Williams worked as a correctional officer at the South Florida Reception Center. For those that have not heard of this facility, the South Florida Reception Center is the first prison inmates are sent to upon being sentenced to prison time. From there, inmates are assigned to a regional prison somewhere in the State, depending on the their security status and how much time they have to serve.

The fact that Mrs. Williams was a corrections officer will have the effect of putting police investigators into high gear as they strive to seek justice for one of their own.

Continue reading "Jabcol Williams Arrested for Murder in Miami, Florida" »

Broward School Board Member Stephanie Kraft, 54, was arrested in Fort Lauderdale, Florida for charges relating to alleged corruption. Arrested with her was her husband, Mitch Kraft, age 58. Both were released on bond late Monday.

The Krafts are the latest targets of a public corruption sweep being conducted by the Broward State Attorney's Office. They are also the most recent targets created by the recent prosecution of Bruce and Shawn Chait.

In essence, the prosecution's case comes down to the claim that the Krafts took advantage of Stephanie's political position as a School Board member for personal financial gain. For their alleged illegal conduct, both are facing charges for unlawful compensation, bribery, and conspiracy to commit unlawful compensation. Stephanie is also charged with official misconduct since she was a public officer.

According to news reports, the Krafts are accused of illegally helping Bruce and Shawn Chait save approximately $500,000 in fees relating to the development of 700 homes in Broward County. Specifically, the fees in question are called "mitigation fees," which are assessed to compensate the School Board for the added cost of educating the mass of new students created when a developer builds a new community.

Continue reading "Broward School Board Member Stephanie Kraft Arrested in Fort Lauderdale, Florida" »

Jody Gordon, age 41, surrendered himself to police in regards to the shooting death of a 9 year old girl in Davie, Florida. Gordon is accused of opening fire on the girl's mother, another woman, and four children as they tried to flee the Stirling Apartment complex. Gordon is presently being held without bond.

The girl was struck in the head by one of the bullets and later died at Joe Dimaggio Children's Hospital.

According to news reports, Gordon has a history of domestic violence complaints. Supposedly, four different women have filed for protection from domestic violence over the past three years. These allegations include placing ex-girlfriends in choke holds, threats to slash tires, and other general threats of violence.

In one episode with an ex-girlfriend, Gordon allegedly grabbed a golf club and said he knows "why that man on the news killed his whole family" and then threw the golf club into a television set.

As a criminal defense lawyer who use to work as a domestic violence prosecutor, I have a very important insight into the role this history will play with prosecutors. First, I can tell you that hearing of this history will alarm any prosecutor interested in doing a diligent job.

Continue reading "Jody Gordon Turns Himself In for Shooting Girl in Davie, Florida" »