While May was Motorcycle Safety Month, watching for riders is a year-around job in Southwest Florida. Motorcycles are incredibly popular in Southwest Florida, probably because we enjoy what is easily one of the best riding landscapes in the country – long stretches of flat roads, ideal weather year-round and captivating…
The State of Florida can now be liable for up to $200,000 per person and $300,000 per tort claim, effective Oct. 1, 2011. That’s up from the $100,000 and $200,000 caps that had been in existence for lawsuits against the state, its agencies or political subdivisions. While the increase is…
Cases throughout Florida may end up coming unraveled if judges take note of what courts in Miami and Manatee County have done recently with drug cases that have been ruled unconstitutional, the Sarasota Herald-Tribune reports. Cases of drug possession and drug sales may be dropped after Judge Mary Scriven, of…
With the recent announcement of a not guilty verdict in the Casey Anthony trial, many onlookers are left to wonder how and why a case that seemed like a slam dunk could result in Casey Anthony walking free. The backlash was seen not only in emotional crowds outside the courtroom,…
Nearly two years ago, a post here discussed the growing problem of unregulated pain-management clinics, so-called “pill mills,” and how South Florida – Broward County in particular – was ground zero. According to the Centers for Disease Control, overdose deaths from painkillers are rivaling the No. 1 killer, traffic accidents.…
As of September 8, running a red light at some Broward County intersections will be captured on camera, and subject to a $158 fine. In May, Gov. Charlie Crist signed HB 325 into law, authorizing local governments to use the cameras as enforcement devices, setting statewide standards and traffic fines…
Back in 2008, the Florida Supreme Court ruled against parent liability waivers for a minor participating in activities at a commercial venue. The wrongful-death case, Scott Corey Kirton v. Jordan Fields, involved 14-year-old Christopher Jones, killed in 2003 while riding an all-terrain vehicle at Thunder Cross Motor Sports Park in…
Where there’s smoke, there’s fire, say victorious supporters of Florida House Bill 187, the so-called “Bong Bill.” Their theory: fewer available smoking implements mean less firing up. The new law, which passed the state Senate (SB 366) and House in April during the 2010 Legislative Session, went into effect July…
In courtrooms around the state, it has long been the practice that juveniles were to be shackled by the wrists and ankles with belly chains, chained to furniture or chained to each other when they were brought to appear before a judge. In this 6-1 opinion, The Florida Court stated, …
We are often asked: “Can you get pulled over for not wearing a seatbelt” or “how much is a ticket for not wearing a seatbelt”- Until recently, our Florida seat belt laws stated that drivers in Florida could only be cited for not wearing seat belts if they were pulled…