Pumphrey Law Blog

February 28, 2022 Don Pumphrey, Jr. Criminal Defense, News & Announcements Social Share

HB 11, titled “Impeding, Provoking, or Harassing Law Enforcement” was originally filed on January 22, 2022. Its companion bill, SB 1872, was introduced January 18, 2022, and both are facing backlash. So, what do these bills say, and how would their implementation conflict with existing Florida law? HB 11 & SB 1872 Republican representative Alex Rizo, from Hialeah, Florida, filed …

February 28, 2022 Don Pumphrey, Jr. Criminal Defense Social Share

The Differences between Jail and Prison in Florida If you’ve been convicted of a criminal offense in the State of Florida, you could be sentenced to incarceration in jail, prison, or a different type of correctional facility. Though people use jail and prison interchangeably, in reality, there are very key differences. The difference usually lies in the length of the …

February 28, 2022 Don Pumphrey, Jr. Criminal Defense Social Share

Arrest records usually contain incredibly private and oftentimes embarrassing information about the offender. Many arrested individuals agonize over the possibility of someone happening upon their arrest record on the internet or learning about it through the grapevine and looking it up, reading every gory detail. In this blog post, we will explore the visibility of Florida arrest records. What is …

February 28, 2022 Don Pumphrey, Jr. Criminal Defense, Theft/Property Crimes Social Share

Most shoplifting cases do not start with the police detaining and arresting an individual. Usually, a store owner or employee will detain the offender until the police arrive on the scene. To read more about retail theft, visit our blog post here. This may seem like a violation of the offender’s civil liberties, but under Florida’s retail theft statute, it …

February 28, 2022 Don Pumphrey, Jr. Criminal Defense Social Share

Restitution is defined by the Merriam-Webster Dictionary as “the restoration of something lost or stolen to its proper owner.” When people think of restoring something lost, whether it be the value of goods or stolen money itself, many think of civil litigation. But restitution can come into play during criminal proceedings as well. If you are convicted of a criminal …

February 28, 2022 Don Pumphrey, Jr. Criminal Defense, Drug Charges Social Share

What Laws Apply on International Waters? A Look into the Maritime Drug Law Enforcement Act Many people assume that when you’re on international waters, U.S. laws no longer apply. While this can be the case for activities such as gambling cruises and duty-free goods, it is not always the case. Drug smuggling is a serious offense in the United States, …

February 24, 2022 Don Pumphrey, Jr. Criminal Defense, News & Announcements Social Share

Florida’s Anonymous Crime Tip Line – The Success That Spread Across the Country Florida’s anonymous tip line went into effect on October 1, 2020, with the goal of avoiding confusion between the multiple Crimeline and Crimestoppers hotlines that operate throughout the state. The line has seen such success that it is now being implemented nationally. Ashley Moody, Florida’s Attorney General …

February 24, 2022 Don Pumphrey, Jr. Criminal Defense Social Share

Alibis are one of the most commonly known defenses in criminal law. Often appearing on movies and television shows, the alibi defense generally consists of a suspect proving that they could not have committed the crime they are accused of because they were not in the area at the time the crime was allegedly committed. But a lot more goes …

February 24, 2022 Don Pumphrey, Jr. Criminal Defense Social Share

Florida started a campaign to overhaul the oft-delayed DNA testing process. From 2016 to 2019, the state prioritized logging and processing thousands of sexual assault kits, kits that usually have high wait times (anywhere from weeks to months after the kit is completed). The reason for this sudden change in handling sexual assault kits? A directive from the Florida Legislature …