New Year's Eve is a night of celebrations, resolutions, and usually a champagne toast. While it's easy to get carried away with all the partying that happens on the 31st of December, now is a good time to start thinking about how you will get home safely.It's never a...
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Russell A. Spatz
of The Miami-dade State Attorney
Miami Criminal Law Blog
Is a Car Considered a Deadly Weapon in the State of Florida?
The Florida Supreme Court may have to decide in the near future whether a car is considered a deadly weapon when used to harm or kill someone in the state of Florida. The lower appellate courts in the state are divided on this issue, forcing the state's Supreme Court...
Miami Man Claims Stand-You-Ground Against Child Abuse Charges
A Miami man is attempting to use Florida's controversial "stand-your-ground" statute as a way to seek immunity for child abuse charges brought against him. The cases involves a 30-year-old Miami tennis instructor who is accused of hitting a five-year-old boy with a...
U.S. Supreme Court Won’t Hear Florida Open Carry Case
The U.S. Supreme Court has refused to hear a case that challenges the state of Florida's ban on openly carrying a firearm in public. With a refusal to hear the case, the ban on openly carrying firearms remains in place in the state of Florida. The ChallengeDale Norman...
Florida Man Seeks Murder Conviction Appeal
One Florida man is hoping for an appeal of his murder conviction from almost 30 years ago. The defendant has spent 28 years in prison for a crime he may not have committed.In 1990, the defendant was convicted of killing a man and kidnapping the victim's girlfriend. He...
What is the difference between misdemeanor and felony theft in Florida?
In the United States, there is no uniform national threshold for crimes involving theft. Each state has a different threshold value for determining the severity of a theft charge. If you are arrested and charged with theft in the state of Florida, the degree of your...
Common Holiday Crimes and How to Avoid Them
With the holidays upon us, many folks are getting ready to travel to visit family or friends, and filling their calendars with festive parties and opportunities for holiday cheer. Unfortunately for many, the holidays also signal a time when crime rates go up. Just as...
Why Would a Judge Call a Mistrial?
If a judge decides to call a mistrial in a case, it means that the trial cannot and will not be successfully completed. The trial is terminated and declared void before the jury or judge renders a verdict or decision. However, it does not mean that there will not be a...
Can a Disloyal Attorney be Considered Ineffective Assistance of Counsel?
One of the guarantees of the Sixth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution is the right for an accused person to have an attorney, or counsel, in a trial with charges against him/her. If there is a deficient performance by that counsel, and the result of the trial may have...
Criminal Bribery of a Public Official
Recently in South Florida, a Boca Raton U.S. Postal Service worker was charged with accepting a bribe in order to deliver boxes of drugs on her route. Postal worker, Evelyn Price, admitted to receiving around $500 from a man she only knew as "Steve" in order to...






