You notice a new neighbor always sitting outside, watching when you leave for work and return. A few days later, an old acquaintance you haven’t spoken to in years suddenly starts texting you, urging you to “help move something quick for cash.” It feels off, like the police are setting you up. The suspicion that police may be framing...
Continue ReadingCC image by Ekaterina Vladinakova at Flickr If you’re heading to Florida for spring break in 2019, the sunshine and warm water may not be all that you encounter. In fact, spring breakers are notorious for getting into legal trouble – typically for things like underage drinking. Before you go, here are a few laws and safety tips that...
Continue ReadingEach year, thousands of teens move through Florida’s juvenile criminal justice system. However, questions continue to mount about whether the justice system is failing Florida’s young people. A recent story from ABC News has highlighted many of the problems with juvenile systems around the country, including in Florida. Basics of Juvenile Justice At the center of the juvenile criminal...
Continue ReadingWhen you are convicted of a crime in Florida, not only can you end up paying steep financial penalties and even serving a term of imprisonment, but you can lose many opportunities once you have completed the terms of your sentence. For instance, convictions can prevent individuals from obtaining student loans and other lines of credit, and they can...
Continue ReadingFor decades, Floridians have been watching legal dramas on television. Whether you grew up watching Perry Mason or more recently have begun watching Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, television shows that deal with the law are extremely popular. While these shows do not always “get the law right,” so to speak, they have helped to introduced thousands of...
Continue ReadingThe War on Drugs My name is Emily Kenney and I am a future paralegal. I am applying for this scholarship for the relief that it will provide for the cost of higher education, but because the topic of drugs and the criminal justice system is fascinatingly frustrating. I graduated high school in 2006 and started a criminal justice...
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Continue ReadingWhen we are young, we tend to be wild and free. Most youth do not question nor consider the impact of that their actions presently will have on their future. However, youthful bliss and its carefree nature can leave you with life altering consequences. For instance when you are arrested and/or charged with a crime you will have a...
Continue ReadingYou’re out one night at the bar looking for “friend”. You buy a girl a drink but she’s not interested. Strike one. You try Tinder, same result. Strike two. Not wanting to strike out that night, you decide to look for a “sure thing”. Maybe you decide to drive in the seedier part of town, or check out the...
Continue ReadingRecently, a bill passed in Florida’s House that would help to get rid of some of the negative consequences associated with Florida’s 10-20-Life Law. The proposed law aims at eliminating Florida’s 10-20-Life policy as a penalty for aggravated assault cases. These cases involve threatening a person with a firearm. When a person is convicted of this crime in Florida, they...
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