Orlando Criminal Defense Blog

Protecting against identity theft in Florida

On behalf of Lindsey & Ferry, P.A. posted in White Collar Crimes on Friday, June 15, 2018.

Today's digital world makes it much easier for criminals to steal various facets of your personal information. With so much done on the internet criminals have new ways to prey on victims. Paying bills online, ordering food online, shopping online and social media accounts can all be hacked, leading to your personal information being stolen. Here's how you can protect your identity so it is not stolen by criminals in Orlando.

All of your financial accounts should have fraud alerts activated. It doesn't matter if you use online bill pay or any other digital feature. Fraud alerts are important because you will receive an email or text message from your financial company that holds your account if something out of the ordinary happens.

Understanding what occurs when your driver's license is suspended

On behalf of Lindsey & Ferry, P.A. posted in Drunk Driving Charges on Thursday, June 7, 2018.

The saying has always been that it is a right and not a privilege to drive not only in Florida but also across the country. Those who wish to drive must pass a driving test that is divided into two parts: a written test and a practical test. Drivers then have to obey all the rules of the road if they wish to keep their driver's license in good standing. Here's what happens if your license happens to get suspended in Orlando.

Suspensions of driver's licenses can happen in various lengths. Some licenses can be suspended for a minimum of 30 days. Some can be suspended for 60 days. There are also 90-day license suspensions. Depending on the issue at hand, you could face the suspension of your license for anywhere from one to two years. You could also wind up having your license revoked completely. This typically happens to those who have multiple DUI offenses on their record.

Charged with embezzlement? Understand the charges against you.

On behalf of Lindsey & Ferry, P.A. on Wednesday, June 6, 2018.

Florida readers know facing criminal charges of any kind can be a threat to their futures and personal freedom. This is also true if charged with any type of white collar crime. Despite the lack of a violent element in these cases, conviction of this type of crime can lead to consequences that can change the course of your life.

Embezzlement is a type of white collar crime that can bring detrimental penalties to your life, including time behind bars, loss of reputation and more. If you are facing these charges, you would be wise to act quickly to build a strong defense and take immediate steps to preserve your interests.

Discussing the types of assault crimes in Florida

On behalf of Lindsey & Ferry, P.A. posted in Weapons Crimes on Monday, June 4, 2018.

Crimes occur all across Florida often and without warning. Many of these crimes fall into the category of assault. Assault can happen to anyone at anytime. These crimes can cause injuries to victims that can range in severity from minor to severe. Assaults fall into a wide range of categories.

The lowest type of assault is known as simple assault. This is when the crime committed does not involve a weapon. The assault also didn't cause serious injuries to the victim of the crime.

Listing the types of recognized internet crimes

On behalf of Lindsey & Ferry, P.A. posted in White Collar Crimes on Wednesday, May 23, 2018.

The internet has been around for a couple of decades now and people are finding different ways to take advantage of it. By "taking advantage of it," we mean the many ways people can commit different crimes using the internet. There is a long list of internet crimes that are recognized by different law enforcement agencies in Florida and across the country. Let's take a look at some of those crimes in this post.

Law enforcement personnel working in the field of information technology get assigned specific tasks to fight internet crimes all over the United States. These officials have to look online for scams and fraudulent activities, gather evidence and help discover crimes being committed on the internet. This list of internet crimes is not exhaustive, and can be seen below:

Bomb threats using the internet
Harassment and cyberbullying
Extortion for financial gain
Trafficking of passwords
Weapons trafficking
Theft of credit cards and credit card fraud
Phishing of email accounts
Spreading viruses
Hijacking domain names
Violations of copyrights
Counterfeit trademarks
Enterprise trade secret theft
Hacking data of individuals
Sharing child pornography online
Piracy of software

The ins and outs of a drunk driving checkpoint

On behalf of Lindsey & Ferry, P.A. posted in Drunk Driving Charges on Friday, May 18, 2018.

Being stopped for suspicion of drunk driving is stressful. Even if you've had a couple of drinks but you are not under the influence, you will still likely be very nervous. A very difficult situation to find yourself in is the DUI checkpoint that law enforcement officials operate every now and then in Orlando, Florida. These checkpoints are designed to get as many drivers off the road who might be under the influence of drugs or alcohol.

You will be required to provide the officer with your license, auto insurance documents and the registration for the vehicle. All of these documents need to be valid or else you could face fines or more serious penalties if any of them are forged or fraudulent.

Are you fully aware of your search and seizure rights?

On behalf of Lindsey & Ferry, P.A. on Thursday, May 10, 2018.

Like most adults in Florida, you likely have some idea about the Fourth Amendment and the fact that it protects your right to privacy. Beyond that, do know your rights, say, if a few police officers show up on your doorstep and ask you to allow them inside to have a look around? Such situations tend to make people quite nervous and they may misguidedly believe that because a police officer has made the request, they must comply.

That may not always necessarily be the case, however. Police are bound to follow specific search and seizure protocol. They can't just come to your home and enter it without a valid warrant or authoritative permission to do so. If you are subject to a criminal investigation, whether it involves suspected illegal drug use or something like electronic fraud or money laundering, you still have rights and the more you understand about those rights ahead of time, the better.

How to defend against theft charges in Florida

On behalf of Lindsey & Ferry, P.A. posted in Weapons Crimes on Thursday, May 10, 2018.

Facing a weapons charge in Florida can be very daunting, especially if you have never been charged with such a crime. A common crime with a weapon is that of theft. Theft has been and will continue to be a common crime so long as people struggle to find work or battle an addiction. Here are some ways you can defend against theft charges in Orlando.

One of the most common ways to defend against theft charges is to make the claim that the item you took actually belongs to you. This is known as the right to ownership of property. The best way to prove this defense is to provide a receipt for the item or some other evidence that shows you own the item.

Commonly used defenses to a drunk driving charge

On behalf of Lindsey & Ferry, P.A. posted in Drunk Driving Charges on Thursday, May 3, 2018.

Getting behind the wheel of your car after you've been drinking is never a good decision. Sometimes you think that you haven't had too much to drink when in reality, you are above the legal limit. Other times, it's obvious you've had too much to drink, but you still make a bad decision. Either way, it's best to avoid driving after drinking so you don't find yourself facing driving under the influence charges in Florida.

The administering of the breath test can be questioned when defending against drunk driving charges. For example, was the Breathalyzer device properly calibrated recently? Has the police officer been properly trained to use the device before administering you the test?

Explaining the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act

On behalf of Lindsey & Ferry, P.A. posted in White Collar Crimes on Thursday, April 26, 2018.

Technology continues to change at an incredible pace. Since the internet was invented, we've seen a major shift in the way businesses, schools, the emergency services and individuals operate. As technology continues to adapt and change to our lives, so too does the criminal code that regulates it. This code is known as the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act (CFAA), which was enacted in 1986.

The CFAA was created in an effort to curb various technological and computer crimes that have sprouted up over the last 30 years. A major amendment to the law was made in 2008 in an effort to cover criminal conduct that was not touched on in the original legislation from 1986.