Exploring Legal Horizons

Being convicted of a drug related offense can have devastating consequences for a Floridian, including a felony conviction, a driver’s license suspension, and, in drug trafficking cases, a $50,000.00 fine. What can you do if you or a loved one is convicted of possession of a controlled substance, sales of a controlled substance, or trafficking in a controlled substance? A person can appeal their conviction if he or she went to trial or a person can appeal if he or she enters a plea on a dispositive issue and reserved the right to appeal.  A dispositive issue means that the State could not...

Every person convicted of a crime in Florida has a constitutional right to appeal the final judgment and sentence.  Florida’s appellate courts consist of six district courts of appeal and the Florida Supreme Court. The Florida Supreme Court is a court of limited jurisdiction and, as a result, the overwhelming majority of criminal appeals are litigated in the district courts of appeal, which are divided geographically across Florida.  The First District Court of Appeal handles criminal appeals from the Florida panhandle, including Tallahassee.  The Second District Court of Appeal hears...

If you or a loved one is a victim of stalking or if you have been accused of stalking someone and injunction has been filed against you, this article provides a brief overview of stalking and cyberstalking injunctions.  Stalking is defined as willfully, maliciously, and repeatedly following, harassing, or cyberstalking another person. “Cyberstalk” means to engage in a course of conduct to communicate, or to cause to be communicated, words, images, or language by or through the use of electronic mail or electronic communication, directed at a specific person, causing substantial emotional...