Pumphrey Law Blog

March 7, 2022 Don Pumphrey, Jr. Criminal Defense, News & Announcements Social Share

On March 11, 2021, President Biden signed the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) into law, which would help grant financial relief to states and local governments that were affected by COVID-19. This was a one-time-one grant, and Florida received a total of $8.8 billion. So far, the state of Florida has only received $4.4 billion of the total amount, and …

March 6, 2022 Don Pumphrey, Jr. Criminal Defense, News & Announcements Social Share

Florida’s use of capital punishment has a long and troubling history. To read about Florida’s death penalty timeline and recent decisions, read our blog post here. Now, new moves are being made in the realm of Florida’s capital punishment. The House gave preliminary approval on March 1st to House Bill 873. This bill would provide an exemption from public records …

March 6, 2022 Don Pumphrey, Jr. Criminal Defense, Juvenile Offenses Social Share

Pranks are one form of comedy that withstands the test of time. From the 1980s and 1990s, before caller ID existed and *67 worked wonders for prank callers, to the modern-day when the technology exists to create sham phone numbers, prank calling/texting has subsisted in the mainstream. But is prank calling illegal? Can you get arrested for prank calling and …

March 6, 2022 Don Pumphrey, Jr. Criminal Defense, Juvenile Offenses Social Share

Unfortunately, most students have experienced a false bomb threat at some point during middle school or high school. Although these threats may start as a harmless prank that the writer believes no one will take seriously, they are no laughing matter and can land you in serious legal trouble. Florida Law Section 790.163 of the Florida Statutes details the legal …

March 3, 2022 Don Pumphrey, Jr. Criminal Defense, News & Announcements Social Share

The case of one Florida man is yet another example of the new era for post-conviction innocence claims. Across the U.S. newly formed conviction review units are starting to work alongside defense attorneys. The purpose of these units is to reexamine evidence, look for information that wasn’t seen or heard during the initial trial, or find possible flaws within the …

March 3, 2022 Don Pumphrey, Jr. Criminal Defense Social Share

Most people know parole and probation from criminal procedural television shows. Often, these terms are used interchangeably, blurring the lines between their important distinctions. In Florida, thousands of returning citizens are either released from prison to serve the rest of their sentence on parole or placed on probation. If you or a loved one has been accused of a crime …

March 3, 2022 Don Pumphrey, Jr. Criminal Defense Social Share

Often, a defendant will attempt to hide their involvement in a criminal act by destroying or tampering with evidence. But what constitutes evidence? The term is rather encompassing and includes any record, object, or document useful to a criminal inquiry or investigation. Common forms of evidence may be tangible objects such as illicit drugs, clothing, documents, or weapons, as well …

March 3, 2022 Don Pumphrey, Jr. Criminal Defense Social Share

Trash pulls occur when law enforcement officers take the trash you have put out to the curb for collection and look through it in the hopes of finding something they can use to establish probable cause. If they do happen to find something that establishes probable cause, they may be able to attain a search warrant to then search your …

March 3, 2022 Don Pumphrey, Jr. Criminal Defense, Juvenile Offenses Social Share

Newly proposed bill SB 7040 and its companion bill HB 7029 are both titled “Time Limitations for Preadjudicatory Juvenile Detention Care.” Both center on amending and creating new conditions and procedures when it comes to detaining juveniles. The portions of the bills gaining the most attention are their proposed amendments to Section 985.26 of the Florida Statutes, which governs the …