There are strict laws regulating the healthcare professions to ensure that people working in medical fields make ethical decisions regarding patient care. For example, federal law prohibits parties from offering or accepting healthcare kickbacks, and professionals that engage in schemes to do so may be convicted of conspiracy. Recently, a…
Most people charged with a crime assert their innocence. In some cases, though, a person will choose to plead guilty for various reasons. While criminal defendants have the right to enter a guilty plea if they do, the courts take great measures to ensure that their plea is made voluntarily…
In some Florida criminal cases, the courts will sentence a defendant to probation rather than imprisonment. People on probation must abide by the terms and conditions of their sentence, however, and if they do not, their probation may be revoked. Generally, though, inadvertent and unintentional probation violations are insufficient to…
In many criminal cases, the courts will order a person convicted of a crime to pay restitution. Further, the government is permitted to enforce restitution orders by garnishing or collecting a defendant’s property, with few exceptions. Recently, a Florida court analyzed whether it could collect restitution from a defendant’s inmate…
White-collar crimes generally do not involve physical harm, but they nonetheless cause significant damages. In many cases, the courts will order someone convicted of a white-collar crime to pay restitution for the financial losses they caused. Regardless of the defendant’s resources, such orders will often require the defendant to pay…
Battery is a violent crime, and in some instances, the court will consider a person charged with felony battery to be a risk to society and will deny them bail. If a person that remains in jail throughout the pendency of their trial is ultimately convicted, they may be granted…
In most cases, a person charged with a drug offence is aware of the seriousness of the repercussions of a possible conviction and will seek legal counsel. Additionally, under the United States Constitution’s Sixth Amendment, criminal defendants have the right to be represented by counsel. However, in some cases, a…
In most DUI cases, the State will rely on the results of chemical testing to determine whether or not the defendant is guilty. Despite the fact that Florida’s implied consent legislation requires all motorists accused of DUI to consent to breath or urine testing, police must acquire warrants to conduct…
DUI manslaughter charges are frequently filed against people who drive recklessly while inebriated and cause the death of another person. Further, such charges may be brought even if it is not immediately evident that drunk driving caused the collision and consequent loss of life. In such cases, a DUI defendant…
When a person is convicted of a crime, the court will often not only sentence them to prison but also require them to make restitution. Criminal defendants and the state frequently disagree over what constitutes reasonable recompense, however. This was illustrated in a recent child pornography case in Florida, where…