Pumphrey Law Blog

November 22, 2023 Don Pumphrey, Jr. Criminal Defense, Drug Charges Social Share

The Florida Supreme Court heard arguments on November 8, 2023, regarding the proposed ballot measure that could create a constitutional amendment allowing the recreational use of marijuana for adults. The proposed initiative would allow adults in Florida who are 21 years old or older to legally purchase, possess, and use marijuana recreationally. That means while medical marijuana cards still exist, …

November 22, 2023 Don Pumphrey, Jr. Criminal Defense Social Share

Interfering with a sports or entertainment event will disrupt something that people paid money to attend. Interference can occur in many forms; common examples include running across the field or streaking—when a person strips naked and runs in front of a crowd or live audience. While this may seem like an innocent prank designed to achieve those 15 minutes of …

November 22, 2023 Don Pumphrey, Jr. Criminal Defense, Sex Crimes Social Share

There are laws in place to prevent adults from engaging in sexual activities with minors. When a person over the age of 18 has sexual relations with a minor, they can be charged with a criminal offense. The exact penalties in Florida depend on the circumstances of the case. For instance, lewd or lascivious exhibition is a charge for a …

November 22, 2023 Don Pumphrey, Jr. Criminal Defense, Sex Crimes Social Share

Prosecution for alleged crimes in Florida typically comes with a Statute of Limitations. This is a time-based restriction for how long a prosecutor can wait to file criminal charges, or for a person to report the alleged crime to police. However, some offenses do not have a statute of limitations due to the severity of the offense. This typically occurs …

November 22, 2023 Don Pumphrey, Jr. Criminal Defense, News & Announcements Social Share

In April 2023, U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin introduced a bill titled the Strengthening Transparency and Obligation to Protect Children Suffering from Abuse and Mistreatment Act of 2023 (STOP CSAM Act). The Act was created to stop the proliferation of child sexual abuse material (CSAM) online. The U.S. Senate Committee on the Judiciary reported that the number of child …

November 22, 2023 Don Pumphrey, Jr. Criminal Defense, News & Announcements Social Share

We’ve previously covered the changes made through the FBI’s National Summary Reporting System. The federal government announced nearly a decade ago their plan to transition away from summary reporting to instead focus on specific incident reporting. Now state legislations are following suit, including Florida. Florida has adopted a new method of crime reporting under The Florida Incident-Based Reporting System (FIBRS), …

November 22, 2023 Don Pumphrey, Jr. Criminal Defense, Drunk Driving/DUI, Juvenile Offenses Social Share

Driving under the influence (DUI) of drugs or alcohol is extremely dangerous to yourself and others on the road. Not only can you cause property damage and serious injuries, but accidents caused by drunk drivers can also lead to the unexpected and untimely death of innocent victims. In the state of Florida, this is considered DUI manslaughter. DUI manslaughter has …

November 22, 2023 Don Pumphrey, Jr. Criminal Defense, Juvenile Offenses Social Share

Florida law prohibits any weapons or firearms from being brought onto school property. It does not matter if it is during school hours or an after-hours school event, weapons are prohibited. The Florida School Search Reference Guide explains that, despite the Fourth Amendment prohibiting the unreasonable search and seizure of a person, the unique nature of a public-school environment and …

November 22, 2023 Don Pumphrey, Jr. Criminal Defense Social Share

Aside from defendants charged with a capital offense or life felony, the Florida Criminal Punishment Code (CPC) provides that defendants have the right to pretrial release on reasonable conditions. A common form of release for criminal defendants is through a surety bond. When a defendant can post bond, it allows them to be released from prison under the agreement that …