Pumphrey Law Blog

October 18, 2021 Don Pumphrey, Jr. News & Announcements Social Share

Last week, members of the Florida Hate Crime Coalition gathered at Florida’s Capitol to show their support for SB 308, legislation aimed at expanding protections afforded in Florida’s hate crime law. SB 308, filed by Senator Lori Berman, and its matching house bill, HB 111, filed by Representative Joe Geller, expands grounds for reclassification of offenses to include prejudice based …

October 18, 2021 Don Pumphrey, Jr. Criminal Defense, Drunk Driving/DUI Social Share

Unfortunately, most people have gotten into a minor car accident, also called a fender-bender. A lot of times, these fender-benders occur at a low speed when someone rear-ends someone else. In cases where both drivers are uninjured and find minor damage to either one or both of their vehicles, they may wonder if calling the police is really necessary. Despite …

October 18, 2021 Don Pumphrey, Jr. Criminal Defense, Juvenile Offenses, News & Announcements Social Share

“Devious Licks” Challenge TikTok, a wildly popular social media platform where users share short videos, was recently overwhelmed by the “Devious Licks” challenge. This challenge centered around students posting videos of themselves vandalizing their schools and stealing items from them– from things as small as disposable masks to as large as bathroom sinks. As a result, TikTok removed content around …

October 18, 2021 Don Pumphrey, Jr. Criminal Defense, News & Announcements, Violent Crimes Social Share

Just a few weeks after Gabby Petito’s body was found by police, another Florida woman had been classified as missing. Nineteen-year-old Miya Marcano was last seen near the Arden Villa apartments where she lived and worked in Orlando, Florida. She was supposed to take a trip down to South Florida to see her family, but after missing the flight her …

October 18, 2021 Don Pumphrey, Jr. Criminal Defense, News & Announcements Social Share

Altercations between police officers and citizens can lead to extremely tense situations. In the worst of cases, these altercations can result in fatalities. Over the last few years, the United States has seen a rise in violence between cops and members of the community. This has sparked outrage across the nation and has led to movements such as the Black …

October 15, 2021 Don Pumphrey, Jr. Criminal Defense, News & Announcements Social Share

On October 1, legislation went into effect in Florida to create criminal penalties for accessing another person’s DNA without their consent. Ultimately, the law provides protective measures to ensure that people’s genetic information is protected. SB 1140 & HB 833 Specifically, SB 1140, also called the Protecting DNA Privacy Act, was a measure backed by Senator Ray Rodrigues. The matching …

October 13, 2021 Don Pumphrey, Jr. Criminal Defense, Drunk Driving/DUI Social Share

The Challenge On October 6, 2021, the First District Court of Appeal decided the case of Wilson v. Florida. This case went on appeal arising out of the Circuit Court for Alachua County. Samuel Brian Wilson, the Appellant, challenged an order awarding restitution to the victim of the drunk driving accident he had caused. The Appellant argued that the restitution …

October 13, 2021 Don Pumphrey, Jr. Criminal Defense, News & Announcements Social Share

The Disturbing Facts of the Case This past March, 40-year-old Prentiss Madden, a veterinarian in Aventura, Florida, was arrested and later charged with child pornography and animal cruelty charges. Madden was a well-known and highly respected veterinarian in the area and, at the time of his arrest, served as the medical director of Caring Hands Animal Hospital in Aventura. Madden …

October 13, 2021 Don Pumphrey, Jr. Criminal Defense, Social Media Social Share

On October 1st, HB 921, centered around electronic crimes, went into effect. Ultimately, the bill expands Florida’s existing law that states threats posted online must be directly messaged in order for the threat to carry legal consequences. Now, threats made indirectly through social media posts or stories can be criminally sanctioned. Specifically, the bill amends Section 784.048 of the Florida …