In response to multiple mass shootings across the country, many states have enacted red flag gun laws. Red flag gun laws allow specific individuals to petition the court to remove a family member or roommate’s legally owned guns or other weapons. Red flag gun laws are intended to prevent people with mental disorders or violent instincts from accessing weapons...
Continue ReadingFlorida gun control advocates are pushing local legislatures to ban semiautomatic rifles with high-capacity magazines. Passing a ban on semiautomatic rifles is an ambitious plan, especially in a Republican-controlled state senate. Survivors and relatives of those killed in the 2016 Pulse nightclub shooting in Orlando and victims of the 2018 Parkland High School shooting are advocating for the political...
Continue ReadingRed flag gun laws have gained wide publicity in light of recent mass shooting events around the country. Red flag gun laws allow state courts to order the confiscation of guns from individuals the court deems to be a risk. President Trump recently called for a federal red flag law. Currently 17 states, including Florida, have passed red flag...
Continue ReadingMore and more medical marijuana dispensaries are opening up in Florida. While this is great news for those who benefit from the drug to help with medical conditions, gun owners may want to take note. In Florida, you can’t be both a medical marijuana user and a gun owner. If you are found to be in possession of both...
Continue ReadingUnder the Second Amendment, gun owners have the right to bear arms. They also have certain rights depending on the state they live in. Every state allows concealed carry, which means that you can carry concealed weapons—to some degree. You are typically banned from bringing guns to schools, bars, hospitals and sporting events. If you plan to take your...
Continue ReadingFlorida’s controversial stand your ground statute may be getting an update. The “stand your ground” law allows people to use deadly force when they feel it is necessary to prevent death or great bodily harm and they do not have a duty to retreat from this perceived threat. Currently the law requires the defendant to prove that they should...
Continue ReadingI’m sitting here in my office waiting for Hurricane Matthew to make a decision as to where in Florida it is going to hit or I suppose if it will head east and never make landfall here. As I’m sure anyone who has been through a hurricane knows, there are certain things that you need to do in order...
Continue ReadingThe number of states with bans on open carry laws may go down. Florida may soon have an open carry law after the controversial bill cleared its first hurdle on Tuesday. The bill passed through the Florida House Criminal Justice Subcommittee by an eight to four vote. There are still a few more steps that will need to be...
Continue ReadingThe Florida House Criminal Justice Subcommittee and the Senate Criminal Justice Committee passed a bill that would allow college students to carry guns on college campuses. If the bill becomes a law, then students, faculty and employees with gun licenses will be able to legally carry concealed handguns on college campuses. This bill has become a heated topic of...
Continue ReadingIn Florida, if you have been charged with a crime, you have an opportunity to plead an affirmative defense. An affirmative defense is an assertion that, if true, will defeat the prosecution’s complaint, even if the allegations set forth in the complaint are true. In short, even if everything written in the complaint is true and you actually committed...
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