St. Petersburg FL Criminal Law Blog
On behalf of Law Office of R. Lane Lastinger, P.A. posted in Drunk Driving on Friday, May 18, 2012
A former Bay News 9 anchor was recently charged with a DUI under Florida law in Polk County after being stopped by police. The anchor was stopped after another driver apparently called in to police to report an allegedly reckless driver. Police say they responded and saw the former news anchor veer about 20 feet off the roadway, after which she was stopped. The deputy who pulled the woman over claims to have smelled alcohol on her breath. She also purportedly failed a number of field sobriety tests administered on suspicion of drunk driving, the nature and extent of which were not further detailed.
A Breathalyzer test was said to have been administered which indicated a blood alcohol level of 0.183 percent. The legal limit in Florida is 0.08. Thereafter, the driver was immediately arrested on charges of drunk driving. Understandably, a DUI conviction is a very serious offense that can have long-term effects and penalties even for first time offenders can be severe.
On behalf of Law Office of R. Lane Lastinger, P.A. posted in Felonies on Friday, May 11, 2012
Murder charges are incredibly sensitive and for some could mean a life time behind bars, or even the death penalty. A 32-year-old Florida man and two accomplices made the poor decision to rob a residency. The trio snuck in and pointed a weapon at the home owner. The home owner retaliated by pulling his own weapon, discharging it, thereby fatally wounding one of the accomplices of the 32-year-old Florida man.
Under Florida felony murder law, an individual can be charged with murder if at the time a felony is being committed, an accomplice, or any other individual, is killed. Subsequently, since the 32-year-old Florida man's accomplice in the burglary was killed, the Florida man was charged with murder.
On behalf of Law Office of R. Lane Lastinger, P.A. posted in Drunk Driving on Tuesday, May 1, 2012
The DUI laws in Florida can be highly technical. Many residents may be surprised to learn that the manner in which evidence is collected by Florida authorities can mean the difference between a heavy fine and jail time for the individual that is suspected of drunk driving.
One woman's tongue stud is a prime example of this. The woman was pulled over in the early hours of the morning for suspected drunk driving. The woman submitted to a field sobriety test and later submitted to a Breathalyzer. The legal limit is .08, and this woman registered a .21, more than double the legal limit. New Jersey, where this woman is from, law requires that individuals submitting to a Breathalyzer not house any foreign objects in their mouth at the time of administration.
On behalf of Law Office of R. Lane Lastinger, P.A. posted in Juvenile Crimes on Friday, April 20, 2012
No juvenile dreams of starting off adulthood marred by a criminal record. Juveniles in Pinellas County, and all counties across Florida for that matter, need to be particularly careful because Florida far and away has the highest rate of transferring youths from juvenile court to adult court. This could mean harsher penalties if convicted.
California has a population nearly double that of Florida's but their transfer rate is an eighth that of Florida's. Even if a juvenile crime does not get transferred to adult court, youths still absolutely must remain cognizant of the fact that a juvenile conviction can have persisting consequences that can carry over into adulthood.
On behalf of Law Office of R. Lane Lastinger, P.A. posted in Drunk Driving on Monday, April 16, 2012
An individual facing DUI charges in Florida is not only risking legal action but rather social and professional repercussions as well. It is critical to immediately take defensive action to minimize the damage. The victim that was hit and ejected from his motorcycle when a Rays relief pitcher struck him and then left the scene of the DUI accident, is speaking out.
While the legal repercussions for the pitcher have yet to be determined as he is set to appear in court on May 21, it does appear that there are definite social and professional consequences already manifesting themselves.
On behalf of Law Office of R. Lane Lastinger, P.A. posted in Violent Crimes on Friday, April 6, 2012
Often, college students may view hazing as a rite of passage. Something they endured and subsequently subject incoming students to. Often, what may feel like fun and games can take a dangerous or even deadly and criminal turn.
Many Florida residents are likely now aware of the purported hazing death of a Marching 100 drum major four months ago on the campus of Florida A&M University. Hazing allegations can often fall under the category of criminal charges in the form of man slaughter or violent crimes and it may be running rampant on our campuses.
On behalf of Law Office of R. Lane Lastinger, P.A. posted in Drug Charges on Friday, March 30, 2012
One St. Petersburg pot grower is having his drug charges dropped in light of possible trespassing by authorities to garner information and evidence against the defendant. Reportedly, authorities would gather search warrants after they would get a whiff of a pot farm from a public sidewalk, but as it turns out, the authorities may have been illegally trespassing to obtain information.
The St. Petersburg man grew the pot for medicinal reasons, more specifically, as a treatment for his symptoms of multiple sclerosis. The man lead an otherwise law-abiding life.
On behalf of Law Office of R. Lane Lastinger, P.A. posted in Juvenile Crimes on Friday, March 23, 2012
Supreme arguments on Tuesday revisited the issue of harsh juvenile crime sentences and its relation to the Constitution. If a decision is reached, that decision could affect juveniles across the country, including in Florida. According to The New York Times, the majority opinion holds that "teenagers deserved more lenient treatment than adults because they are immature, impulsive, susceptible to peer pressure and able to change for the better over time."
There is talk of limiting a punishment of life without parole for any offender younger than 15 years of age. To throw a person, at times a child, younger than 15 in prison for the remainder of their life has been argued by some to be a waste of that person's life.
On behalf of Law Office of R. Lane Lastinger, P.A. posted in Violent Crimes on Friday, March 16, 2012
Reportedly resulting from a workplace grudge, one Florida man has recently been convicted of killing his boss' son nearly four years ago. In the wake of the disappearance of the son, a ransom note requesting $750,000 was received. The ransom was paid but the body was never recovered.
The Florida man was the last to have seen the son alive and has been convicted in the case. However, a judge has dropped the charges of first-degree murder in the conviction. The charges were dropped to manslaughter instead. Furthermore, the defendant was acquitted of the charges of kidnapping tied to the case.
On behalf of Law Office of R. Lane Lastinger, P.A. posted in Drug Charges on Friday, March 9, 2012
A St. Petersburg, Florida, man was riding passenger with a woman when they were pulled over for turning without signaling and running a red light. During this traffic stop the office asked to search the car. The Florida man and the driver agreed to allow the officer to search the contents of the car. This permission could contribute to their possible conviction under drug charges.
When the officer was granted permission he quickly found in the glove compartment what is reportedly believed to be part of a crack pipe. That is a charge of possession with intent to use drug paraphernalia. Worse yet, in the trunk officers found a gym bag -- a gym bag with roughly an alleged kilo of cocaine. Not only is that a potential charge of possession of cocaine, but that is an amount large enough to be deemed possession with intent to deliver. The substance is currently at a state crime lab undergoing testing to confirm that it is in fact the illegal drug.
