Clearwater Criminal Defense Law Blog

Federal law enforcement has several tools at its disposal for combating organized crime. Perhaps the most powerful tool it has is the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act. Here’s what you need to know about the Federal RICO Act if you find yourself charged with violating it in Florida.   Signed into law by President Richard Nixon in 1970, the RICO Act provides for extended criminal penalties for crimes carried out as part of a larger criminal organization. In addition, RICO established a civil cause of action against those engaged in organized crime as well.  ...

Although the general public typically uses the phrases “sexual predator” and “sexual offender,” Florida laws recognize a difference between the two terms. Here’s what you need to know about the difference between sexual predators and sexual offenders in Florida.   According to recent statistics, the number of sex crime convictions in Florida has risen by over half in the past fifteen years. Part of the reason for the rise is the increase in number and severity of sexual offenses on the books in the state. Among the sex crimes on Florida’s books are laws against   Child pornography,...

As we discussed last week, Florida’s appellate process is not nearly as visible to the general public as the trial courts are, but they are no less important. Here’s what you need to know about the appellate process in the state of Florida. Once the appellant has filed a notice of appeal with the trial court, the trial court will assemble the trial court record for the appellant. The record are papers and documents filed with the trial court as well as the transcript of the trial. The appellant has ten days after filing notice of appeal to request or exclude specific items from the clerk of...

Although the activities of trial courts in Florida tend to be the most visible, there are higher courts that may review a case and make important decisions that affect its participants. Following is a discussion of what you need to know about Florida’s appellate process. An appeal is a review of the decisions made by a lower court in order to discover whether a harmful legal error was made. Though an error may be discovered, the appellate court is not likely to act on it unless it finds that the error affected the case’s outcome. Appeals are only made to review errors in decisions about the...