Fort Myers Criminal Law Blog

Anyone in Florida who is convicted of impaired driving may have to face several consequences. Along with fines, fees and court costs, a DUI conviction usually also leads to license suspension. This could adversely impact various aspects of the person's life. Along with the inability to get the necessary shopping done, how will he or she get to work -- after all, an income is essential to pay fines.

Fortunately, the criminal justice system in Florida offers a DUI hardship license. This is in recognition of the driver's obligations to pay bills. However, a driver who obtains such a license may only drive to limited destinations. These could include traveling between home and work or school, attending alcohol or drug treatment programs, to the doctor's office for medical appointments, and sometimes a parent might get permission to take his or her children to schools or doctors. Furthermore, time limits may apply, such as restrictions on night-time driving.

Florida residents who are called for jury duty can visit a dedicated website for advice about what to wear. Although it warns people to limit the jewelry they plan to wear and not to have change in their pockets to avoid being stopped at the metal detectors, there is no advice about carrying drugs. Anyone who is in possession of illegal drugs when he or she arrives for jury duty might have to face drug charges instead.

Such an incident was recently reported after a 39-year-old unemployed woman set off the alarm of the metal detectors at the front entrance of a court in Pascoe County as she arrived to report for jury duty. Upon investigation, deputies claim to have discovered that the alarm was triggered by two foil packets in the pockets of the woman's cargo pants. Tests allegedly indicated that the .06 grams of powdery white contents of the packages were cocaine.

When the cops pull you over, you want to make sure you do everything possible to avoid a DUI on your record. There are plenty of things you should not do at a DUI traffic stop. You do not want to antagonize the officer, tell the cop how much you had to drink that evening or refuse the breathalyzer test. Apparently, some people also need to know that they should not chug a beer at the stop, but one Florida man did not receive the memo. 

On June 14th, Daryl Royal Riedel, a 48-year old man from Big Coppitt Key, led police on a long chase. The deputies leading the chase ordered Riedel over a PA system that he needed to pull over immediately, but Riedel responded by waving his hand out the window. Riedel would later say he did not pull over because he was afraid of what would happen. When he finally came to a stop, he exited his vehicle with a beer in hand and proceeded to chug it in front of the officers. 

In Florida, nonviolent crimes that are theft-related are usually felonies -- depending on the value of funds involved. However, even some less significant cases classified as misdemeanors can have serious consequences. All these crimes are known as white collar crimes, and they are frequently committed in business settings.

Anyone accused of white collar crimes may need the services of an experienced law firm that could launch an independent investigation and build a strong defense that is strategically sound. At the Law Firm of Scott T. Moorey, you will find a two-attorney defense team that has extensive experience in defending the various types of white collar crimes. This includes the different types of fraud.