Florida Criminal Attorney Blog

Harve White was arrested in Hollywood, Florida for possession of child pornography. According to police, Harve White allegedly possessed approximately 900 images of child pornography.

Pursuant to Florida Statutes, White can be charged with one count for each and every image of child pornography he possessed. As a result, the laws that control criminal sentencing in Florida will require a minimum prison sentence that undoubtedly exceeds White's natural life.

As a practicing criminal defense lawyer in Fort Lauderdale, I can tell you prosecutors will ask for a minimum of 10 years in prison as a plea bargain. Given White's age and the very large quantity of child pornography he allegedly possessed, I would not be surprised if prosecutors offered him a plea bargain of 15 years in prison or more.

According to news reports, the child pornography was recovered after police served a search warrant on Harve White's house early yesterday morning. Police claim that 300 images of child pornography were recovered from a computer and 600 additional images were recovered from a hard drive.

White supposedly admitted to viewing the child pornography on the computer using a file-sharing program.

As a Fort Lauderdale criminal defense attorney, this case scenario is one that is extremely common and is one I have litigated many times in the past. Based on my experience defending people against such charges, I can tell you that Harve White may have some very formidable defenses.

Continue reading "Harve White Arrested for Possession of Child Pornography in Hollywood, Florida" »

Koosh Jewelers in Hollywood, Florida were the victims of a very shocking armed robbery earlier today. According to news reports, 4 men were involved in the heist. If caught, these men will be in dire need of a very experienced criminal defense attorney.

Of the four men involved, three are said to have entered the store while the fourth waited outside in a black, late model SUV. Witnesses described the three men who entered Koosh Jewlers between 5'10" and 6'2" in height. They were also described as being in their 20's.

One robber wore a tan Dickies style uniform, while another wore a similar uniform in grey. A third suspect allegedly wore tan pants and a black, long sleeve undershirt.

These descriptions are important because they will help police identify the robbers. If any arrests are made, identification will become a focal issue in the ensuing prosecutions.

Another major issue in this case will be the principal theory, which is used to charged co-conspirators in a crime. In a nutshell, if you participated in a crime you can be charged as a principal, even if you had a very minor role in the overall offense. For example, the guy who waited in the getaway car can be charged with armed robbery as a principal, even though he did not even enter the jewelry store, not to mention hold a gun to someone's head or demand money.

Continue reading "Gunmen Steal $1 Million in Jewelry Heist in Hollywood, Florida" »

Surveillance cameras at a Mobil gas station in Dania Beach, Florida captured images of two men committing armed robbery with a firearm against three victims. So far no arrests have been made.

The surveillance video begins with the two men exiting a white, newer model dodge charger. The men are seen wearing hoodie style sweatshirts with the hoods over their heads. The men are also seen wearing handkerchiefs over their faces to further conceal their identities.

The surveillance video clearly shows the men ordering the victims around as the hold guns to their bodies. The men are fast moving, aggressive, and go right for the register.

As a Fort Lauderdale criminal defense lawyer, I have no doubt in my mind that these men will get at least 30 years each in prison if every convicted.

Crimes like these are prosecuted very aggressively and are subject to Florida's 10-20-LIFE law, since they involved the use of guns in the commission of a felony.

Frankly, I have no respect for criminals like these. Armed robberies with firearms involve absolutely zero use of the human brain and are usually perpetrated by scum bags who are too lazy to get real jobs.

Instead, the rob the rest of us at gun point for our hard earned things. In the process, people sometimes get killed.

I'm sorry, I may be a very aggressive criminal defense lawyer, but I have no pity for animals like these.

Continue reading "Gunmen Rob Mobil Gas Station in Dania Beach, Florida" »

O'Neil Jahlil Fields was killed in a car accident in West Palm Beach, Florida early this morning. According to news reports, O'Neil Jahlil Fields was in a Nissan which was stopped on I-95, possibly due to running out of gas, when it was rear ended by a Lexus.

The Lexus was allegedly driven by David Bohorquez, 44.

Since this case is still being investigated, there are number of discrepancies being reported in the news. Specifically, it is unclear whether another person, Kaylana Marie Wilson, age 17, was in O'Neil Jahlil Fields' car or in David Bohorquez's car.

In one report, Wilson was listed as the driver of Fields' car. In another, she was listed as the passenger in Wilson's car.

Regardless, she fortunately did not sustain any life threatening injuries.

Car accidents that involve death are very different from non-lethal accidents. Because the human and emotional loss is so great, these cases are taken extremely seriously by the attorneys involved.

However, before any car accident case can be won on behalf of the victims, injury lawyers must answer three main questions. They are:

Continue reading "O'Neil Jahlil Fields Killed in I-95 Car Accident in West Palm Beach, Florida" »

Summer Christlieb, 33, was recently arrested in Davie, Florida for DUI and child neglect. According to news reports, Summer Christlieb admitted to "drinking a little wine" at her son's birthday party before allegedly piling 5 kids into the back of her car for the ride home. Police allege that none of the children were wearing seat belts.

Fortunately, no one was hurt when Christlieb crashed her car.

As a criminal defense lawyer, I can tell you that a lot more information is needed before any concrete conclusions can be drawn about this case. Just because someone has a glass of wine and gets behind of the wheel of a car, does not mean they were drunk.

In fact, Christlieb may have been wrongly arrested.

While many people personally believe it is wrong to have a drink and then drive, the law does not have such restrictions. Rather, the offense of DUI only occurs when a person drives (or is in actual physical control of a vehicle) while impaired by alcohol, drugs, or other chemical substances.

In other words, the essence of DUI is not drinking alcohol, but rather being impaired by it.

For that reason, there must be proof beyond a reasonable doubt that the driver in question was impaired. If he/she was not impaired, then they are not guilty of DUI under Florida law.

Continue reading "Summer Christlieb Arrested in Davie, Florida for DUI and Child Neglect" »