Jacksonville Criminal Attorney Blog

A former Florida Department of Children and Families worker has entered a plea of guilty to Official Misconduct for falsifying a report in a child abuse case in Jacksonville. Quakeita Anderson entered the plea to the third degree felony of official misconduct, which means she was a public servant at the time of the crime of falsifying an official record while having a corrupt intent. Anderson was accused of closing one of her child abuse investigations in Jacksonville without conducting a final visit with the family, as required. Even though she did not make the visit, Anderson put in her report that she did in fact make the visit.

Quakeita Anerson entered the plea because it was in her best interest, according to court documents. The judge will determine, after a sentencing hearing, whether or not to adjudicate Anderson guilty of the felony or withhold adjudication of guilt. The rest of Anderson's sentence will be six months probation to perform 50 hours of community service. Once Anderson completes the community service in Jacksonville, early termination of probation will be authorized. The state attorney elected to drop the other charge, which was Falsifying Records, a third degree felony.

Football player, Lawrence Taylor, has entered pleas of guilty to two sex charges in New York. The charges are "sexual misconduct" and "patronizing a prostitute". Even though these charges are sex crimes, they are considered misdemeanors in New York. Taylor's sentence will be six years probation as a sex offender.

In Florida, all sex charges that would make someone a sex offender are felonies, not misdemeanors. A misdemeanor is a crime punishable by up to one year in jail. A felony, on the other hand, is punishable by over a year and carries much more severe penalties than a misdemeanor. Examples of sex crimes in Jacksonville that could make someone designated a sex offender or sex predator are sexual battery, capital sexual battery, lewd and lascivious battery, and lewd and lascivious molestation. When someone is arrested for a sex crime in Duval County, usually there is very little evidence other than someone's word that it happened. If you are being accused of a sex crime in Jacksonville, contact a Sex Crime Attorney in Jacksonville to discuss your rights.

Nine people have been arrested in Clay County, Florida for various drug charges after police raided an Orange Park clinic. Many (45) police officers executed a search warrant at Total Medical Express of Orange Park this past Friday. In addition to searching the clinic building, police also brought drug dogs to sniff the cars in the clinic's parking lot.

The people who were arrested in Clay County were arrested on a variety of charges. One arrest is possession of a controlled substance without a prescription. If the clients of this clinic were found with pills, such as xanax, hydrocodone, oxycodone, and they do not have a prescription, they were arrested for possession. This is a third degree felony punishable by up to five years in prison.

Another charge people were arrested for was Doctor Shopping. It is illegal in Florida to withhold information from a doctor from whom the person seeks to obtain a controlled substance or a prescription for a controlled substance when that person has already received a prescription from another doctor for that controlled substance within the previous 30 days. In other words, you can't get a prescription for xanax from one doctor and go to another doctor complaining of the same ailment to get more pills. This also is a third degree felony punishable by up to 5 years in prison.

Petit theft (also called "petty theft) in Jacksonville is a misdemeanor. If the value of what is stolen is under $100.00, the theft is considered a second degree misdemeanor punishable by up to 60 days in jail. If the value of the property taken is valued at $100.00 or more but less than $300.00, the crime is considered a first degree misdemeanor. First degree misdemeanors are punishable by up to one year in jail.

If you have never been arrested before and are accused of a petty theft, the police can give you a Notice to Appear in Jacksonville. This is a citation for a criminal violation. It is issued instead of the actual theft arrest being made. If you are issued a Notice to Appear in Jacksonville, you must make a court date within 10 days from the issuance of the citation. If you do receive a Notice to Appear for any crime, you should contact a Jacksonville Notice to Appear Attorney to discuss the possible implications of the citation.

Actor Mel Gibson has entered a plea of no contest to Domestic Battery in California. Gibson will receive a probation sentence with no jail time. He will have to complete a batterer's program while on probation.

If you are arrested for Domestic Battery in Jacksonville and you enter a plea to that charge, there are some minimum penalties under Florida law. The first is you must serve 5 days in jail. This requirement is often waived if it is your first arrest. The other mandatory punishment is 12 months probation to complete the Batterers' Intervention Program. This is a 26 week class. The class consists of mandatory once-a-week sessions, payment of fees, and homework. If you miss too many days or do not complete the homework to the Salvation Army's satisfaction, you can be discharged from the program. If you are thrown out, this will violate your domestic battery probation and you can be arrested.

Another part of domestic battery probation is contact with the victim. If the victim of the domestic battery wants to have contact with you, the court will issue a "no violent contact" order for probation. That means you may see, call, and otherwise contact the victim, but you may not touch them against their will. If the victim claims to be scared of you, the judge can issue a "no contact" order. This means that for the term of your probation, if you contact the victim in ANY way, your probation can be violated.

A JSO officer has been arrested for the second time in Jacksonville for Violation of an Injunction for Protection Against Domestic Violence. In addition to this new charge, Megan Ray has a criminal mischief charge pending against her.

The charge of violation of an injunction is a first degree misdemeanor in Florida punishable by up to one year in jail. Police say Ray was observed inside Shooters, a Jacksonville gun store. The officer wrote that he observed Ray with an assault rifle, which is actual possession. Ray did not buy the assault rifle, but reportedly did try to trade in a pistol. There is apparently a video of this.

All of these actions would be perfectly legal for Ray, but there is a problem when you have an injunction against you. In January of this year, the current wife of Ray's ex-husband petitioned and was granted a temporary injunction for protection against domestic violence against Ray. According to the injunction, Ray is not supposed to possess a firearm or ammunition. A motion to dismiss the injunction is pending and a permanent injunction has not been granted.

When you are arrested for DUI in Jacksonville, there are two different agencies involved. The first is the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office and state attorney's office. These two offices work to prosecute the criminal part of the DUI. The other office involved in a DUI is the Florida Department of Motor Vehicles. This is the administrative part of the DUI.

If you blow over the legal limit, your driver's license will be suspended through DMV for six months. You are eligible for a hardship license after a hard 30 days of no driving. The suspension starts 10 days after you are arrested for the DUI. The officer should give you a citation for the DUI. This is a business purpose driver's license for the 10 days following your arrest. You can drive to work, school, and to the doctor.

If you refuse to blow into the breathilizer, your license will be suspended for 12 months. Even if your DUI is dropped or reduced to a Reckless Driving, your license will remain suspended. After the 10 day grace period after the DUI arrest, you cannot drive for 90 days and are eligible for a hardship permit for the remaining nine months of the suspension.

If you hire a Jacksonville DUI Attorney before the 10 day grace period expires, the criminal defense attorney will request a Formal Review Hearing from DMV. Because DMV wants to take away your license, you are entitled to a hearing before they do it. The Jacksonville DUI lawyer will be able to get you a temporary driving permit and keep you driving while your DUI case is pending.