In the wake of the devastating news coming from one Hollywood, FL nursing home where 10 patients died as a result of damages incurred during Hurricane Irma, many are outraged and demanding criminal charges be brought against the nursing home staff and owner. Despite the fact that lives were lost during this tragic event, a criminal conviction against the home for the deaths of these patients may be hard to prove beyond a reasonable doubt, according to Florida law. It may even be difficult to bring charges against the home, due to the definitions of a crime related to an incident of this kind.
Widespread Fraud Following Natural Disasters
In the aftermath of a devastating natural disaster, such as Hurricane Irma, we see different sides of our community, neighbors, and friends emerge once the storm has passed. Many people come out to support affected areas by collecting goods, offering free or discounted services, or donating money to disaster-relief charities. Others come out after the disaster looking for ways to fraud a system and take advantage of ways to make extra money from vulnerable victims or government recovery efforts.
Looters and Natural Disasters
Across Florida, we just experienced a major natural disaster with the arrival of Hurricane Irma. Throughout the state, millions of people were ordered or chose to evacuate further inland or out-of-state. When a major natural disaster hits, and people are ordered to leave their homes and businesses, there is often a risk of looting in the areas that are abandoned. Unfortunately, this is all-too-common because looters know that no one is home to protect the property, and oftentimes, electricity is out, meaning any security systems or monitoring devices are disabled.
Florida Property Owners - Ref: Hurricane Irma
Attention all Florida Property Owners:
New Rapid DNA Testing Machine Legislation & Use in Miami Beach
DNA testing has revolutionized the way that crimes are solved since its inception. Through its use within law enforcement, those accused of certain crimes can be identified and charged accordingly by matching DNA found at crime scenes to the suspect's DNA. Additionally, innocent people can be exonerated of crimes based on the fact that their DNA does not match what was found on the victim or at a crime scene. Specifically with regards to sexual crimes, the advances in DNA testing have led to many sexual predators being taken off the streets, and allowed others who have been accused but who are innocent a chance to walk free.
