Pumphrey Law Blog

March 22, 2022 Don Pumphrey, Jr. Criminal Defense, Drug Charges Social Share

This week alone, fentanyl has been linked to at least 10 fatal drug overdoses in South Florida. Fentanyl is a synthetic drug said to be up to 50 times more potent than heroin and has been recently referred to as Florida’s deadliest opioid. Often, the dangers of fentanyl come about through its covert nature – many of those suffering overdoses …

March 22, 2022 Don Pumphrey, Jr. Criminal Defense Social Share

The Polk County Sheriff’s Office six-day undercover human trafficking operation titled “Operation March Sadness 2” resulted in the arrests of approximately 108 people on March 17, 2022. Among those people were a retired judge and at least three Walt Disney World employees. This is not the first human trafficking sting conducted by Polk County Sheriff’s Office, and unfortunately, it is …

March 17, 2022 Don Pumphrey, Jr. Criminal Defense Social Share

Spring Break season is officially here, and students from all over the country are enjoying some well-earned time off from school. During school breaks students can pull stunts and pranks like egging a house. Egging is pretty self-explanatory. It involves throwing eggs at houses, cars, or people. The eggs are usually raw, but more nefarious “pranks” can involve the use …

March 17, 2022 Don Pumphrey, Jr. Criminal Defense Social Share

We previously covered a bill proposed in Florida that would potentially make it possible, and easier than ever before, to charge drug dealers with first-degree murder. Specifically, the bill enhances the penalties for distribution of methamphetamine charges, adding the controlled substance to a list created in 1972 of drugs that would make dealers liable for first-degree murder charges where the …

March 17, 2022 Don Pumphrey, Jr. Criminal Defense Social Share

Under Florida rules of criminal procedure, a defendant has the right to know of the charges against them with specificity. The document describing the charges generally is referred to as an information or an indictment. An information is a document filed by the State that charges the defendant with a crime and describes the basis for the offense and the …

March 17, 2022 Don Pumphrey, Jr. Criminal Defense Social Share

A downward departure occurs when a judge departs from the lowest permissible prison sentence according to Florida’s Criminal Punishment Code. But how does a defendant dodge a mandatory prison sentence? This blog will explore how the lowest permissible prison sentence is calculated and what circumstances will result in the court straying away from it. Florida’s Criminal Punishment Code Under Section …

March 16, 2022 Don Pumphrey, Jr. Criminal Defense, Violent Crimes Social Share

Last May, 27-year-old Corey Pujols was charged with manslaughter. The charge arose after he fatally punched a customer while working as a manager at a Tampa Dunkin’. Pujols initially pled not guilty but agreed to change his plea to guilty of the lesser charge of felony battery under a plea deal that would allow him to avoid jail time. On …

March 12, 2022 Don Pumphrey, Jr. Criminal Defense Social Share

Broward County Man Dies After One Day in Custody Despite Defense Attorney’s Pleas John Longo, a 72-year-old man from Broward County was charged with scamming an 86-year-old boat seller out of a $75,000 boat in the April of 2018. According to the charging document, Longo filed a title transfer with the Coast Guard claiming ownership of the boat before he …

March 12, 2022 Don Pumphrey, Jr. Criminal Defense Social Share

Witnesses are incredibly important in criminal cases. Witness testimony provides essential evidence, expert knowledge on dispositive issues, character assessments, and personal knowledge. There are three types of witnesses that generally are called to testify for the state or the defense. These include lay witnesses, expert witnesses, and character witnesses. Lay Witnesses According to Florida Evidence Code 90.701, if a witness …