Jacksonville Criminal Attorney Blog

The sheriff of Clay County has expressed concern about Jacksonville increasing the number of police officers. The sheriff believed criminals may cross over the border into Clay.

Channel 4 News (News4Jax.com) reports that 6 Jacksonville men have been arrested for violent crimes in Clay County. Three men are charged with armed robbery with a deadly weapon and the other three are are charged with armed robbery.

Some of the men allegedly said they went to Clay County because they didn't want anyone to recognize them.

If you have any questions about Violent Criminal Charges in Jacksonville, call our Jacksonville Criminal Defense Attorneys at (904) 634-0900.

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Posted In: Criminal Topics in the News , Violent Crimes

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Recently, a couple in Baker County was sentenced to 15 years in prison followed by 10 years on probation for Aggravated Child Abuse and Child Neglect. The two women beat the boy with a belt, broke his toes, kicked him in the stomach, made him eat shampoo, and many other awful things.

In order to be convicted of Aggravated Child Abuse, the state attorney has to prove that you

1. committed an aggravated battery on a child

2. willfully tortured, maliciously punished, or willfully and unlawfully caged a child
OR

3. knowingly abuse a child and by doing it, you caused great bodily harm, permanent disability, or permanent disfigurement to the child.

If convicted of Aggravated Child Abuse, a first degree felony, the maximum punishment you could receive is 30 years in prison.

If you have any questions about child abuse charges in Jacksonville, call our Jacksonville Criminal Defense Attorneys at (904) 634-0900.

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Posted In: Violent Crimes

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The crime of Carjacking is taken very seriously in Florida. To be convicted of the crime,

You have to take a car from someone

with the intent to permanently or temporarily deprive them of it

and in the course of the taking, you use force, violence, assault, or put them in fear.

If you have a gun or other deadly weapon during the carjacking, the crime is a first degree felony, punishable for up to life in prison.

If you had no gun or deadly weapon, the crime is a first degree felony, punishable for up to 30 years in prison.

According to the Bureau of Justice Statistics,

- 45% of victims of nonfatal carjackings faced a carjacker with a gun

- 11% of victims say the offender had a knife

- 67% of victims resisted the attacker

- 93% of the offenders are male

If you have any questions about carjacking crimes in Jacksonville, call our Jacksonville Violent Crimes Lawyers at (904) 634-0900.

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Many times, we hear the terms assault and battery together. The fact is, they are two totally different crimes in Jacksonville and all of Florida

Assault in Florida is when you intentionally threaten to do harm to someone, you have the ability to carry out your threat, and you put the other person in fear. For example, if you hold up a steak knife, tell someone you are going to cut them, and the other person is scared that you could cut them. If you are arrested for assault in Florida, you could face up to 60 days in jail because it is a first degree misdemeanor.

Battery, on the other hand, is when you intentionally touch someone when they don't want you to or intentionally hurt someone. It is very easy to get arrested for battery in Jacksonville. If you get into an argument with someone, touch them on the arm, and JSO is called, you are most likely getting arrested and taken to jail.

If you have any questions about an assault or battery arrest in Jacksonville, call our Jacksonville Battery Attorneys at (904) 634-0900.

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Murders and violent crimes are trending downward according to NCCI Holdings Inc. NCCI provides worker's compensation and injury information.

From 1999-2006, violent crimes (assault, domestic battery, battery, aggravated assault, aggravated battery) that cause injury have gone down at at rate of .6% Homicides (murders) have gone down 25% between the years 2000 and 2006.

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A "hate crime" is defined by the Florida Attorney General is an act committed by a person or grout against someone that shows an expression of hatred towards the victim based on

1. Race
2. Color
3. Religion
4. Ethnicity
5. Ancestry
6. National Origin
7. Sexual Orientation
8. Age
9. Physical or Mental Disability

According to the 2006 Hate Crimes in Florida Report, 92 Florida law enforcement agencies reported hate crimes in 2006. In 2005, it was higher with 260 law agencies reporting hate crimes.

During 2006, the largest reason behind the crimes was race at 55.2%. The others were sexual orientation at 18.1%, religion at 13.5%, and national origin/ethnicity at 13.1%.

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On August 15th, two St. Johns County residents were arrested for aggravated assault. The alleged victim, Anthony Petrilli, claimed to be traveling north on Ponce de Leon Boulevard when the passenger of a car flashed a gun. As they went down the road, Petrilli claims the passenger then fired the gun three times at him. There were no injuries reported.

In order to prove the criminal charge of aggravated assault, the state attorney has to prove that:

1. The suspect intentionally and unlawfully threatened to do violence to the victim.

2. At the time, the suspect appeared to have the ability to carry out the threat.

3. The act of the suspect created a well-founded fear that the violence was about to take place.

4. The assault was made with a deadly weapon.

If you have any questions about aggravated assault charges, contact our Jacksonville Criminal Defense Attorneys at (904) 634-0900.

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A Jacksonville Fire Captain was arrested in Nassau County for Battery on a Person 65 Years of Age or Older. Michael Braddock is accused of reaching into the alleged Ralph Stangle's car, punching him, and ultimately pulling him out of his car all while cursing at him. Ralph Stangle is 75 years old.

To prove the crime of Battery on a Person 65 Years of Age or Older in Florida, a third degree felony, the state attorney would have to prove that the firefighter intentionally touched the alleged victim against his will or intentionally caused harm to him. Because the alleged victim is over 65, that enhances the charge from a first degree misdemeanor to a third degree felony. If convicted, the Jacksonville Fire Captain faces up to 5 years in prison.

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A homeless Jacksonville man was arrested for Aggravated Stalking, a third degree felony. He is accused of stalking Councilman Daniel Davis by threatening to kill Davis and taking his picture off the wall at City Hall.

To "stalk" someone under Florida law, you have to willfully, maliciously, repeatedly follow, and make a credible threat with the intent to put someone in reasonable fear for their life. To be convicted, the prosecutor has to prove that the homeless man had the intent to cause Davis to reasonably fear for his life. The homeless man faces up to 5 years in prison if convicted of the criminal charge.

If you have any questions about criminal charges, contact our Jacksonville Criminal Attorneys at (904) 634-0900.

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Posted In: Violent Crimes

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