Category Archives: Sex Crimes
Florida Attorney General Announces Thousands of Rape Kits Remain Untested Over; A Backlog over Several Years
Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi made an announcement early September 2015 shedding light on a considerable backlog of DNA evidence collected as part of sexual assault exams that remain untested. Bondi estimated that thousands of these rape kit DNA samples that span for years have been waiting in line to be tested due to… Read More »
Florida Extends Statute of Limitations for Rape Cases from Four Years to Eight Years
Sexual assault can be a traumatic experience for a survivor. It is equally traumatic when the offender of the assault is known to the victim, which generally occurs in about 80 percent of all sexual assaults and thus may retraumatize the victim every time she or he comes into contact with her/his assailant. The… Read More »
Confrontation Clause Does Not Extend to Child-Abuse Testimony
When witness testimony has put a criminal defendant on trial, the Constitution’s Confrontation Clause requires that each and every criminal defendant should have the right to cross-examine his/her accuser. The purpose is that no one can stand behind anonymity when someone’s life and liberty could be taken away. This does not only apply to… Read More »
Revenge Porn Bill Lands on Governor Rick Scott’s Desk
Scorned lovers should now be on notice that they must be careful and cognizant of the type of social media posts that they might consider publishing about an ex-girlfriend or ex-boyfriend. After reaching both chambers of the Florida Legislature, Governor Rick Scott received a bill that would criminalize the spreading and/or publishing of sexually… Read More »
Does a Tryst on The Beach Deserve 15 Years of Prison?
The recent conviction of a couple that had a sexual encounter on a Florida beach in front of the public eye is drawing serious attention nationwide. The reason: the male defendant in the case could be sentenced to 15 years in prison. The Florida Case The case at the center of the public eye… Read More »
Recording Exception Created for Victims of Sexual Assault in Florida Courts
The Florida legislature has passed a considerable number of laws recently focusing on the promotion of public safety, especially the safety of minors. The Florida House passed a bill on March 18, 2015, which provides an exception to the law requiring consent from both parties before the parties may be recorded. States nationwide are… Read More »
Statute of Limitations for Childhood Sexual Abuse in Florida
Earlier in December 2014, many Floridians took notice of a lottery winner in the Orlando area who won the $3 million jackpot from the Florida Lottery. The reason: the winner was convicted in 1999 for attempted sexual battery. His victims also took notice of his win, and have begun proceedings against the man in… Read More »
Two-Party Consent Law Upheld Against Victim’s Recording of Her Sexual Abuser
The Florida Supreme Court recently reversal of a criminal case will have a significant impact on the use of recordings as evidence in criminal proceedings. The Supreme Court held that a crime victim may not be able to use the recording that he or she made secretly during a commission of a crime. This… Read More »
Sex Crimes
Few other crimes carry the social stigma and damage to reputation as sex crimes. Charges of rape, lewd acts and sex with a minor threaten your family relationships, continued employment and freedom. Defense against these crimes takes an attorney with the determination to present your case in the best possible light, when other lawyers… Read More »