Connect With Us on Facebook Follow on Twitter Visit our Linked In Profile Visit our Google +1! Visit us on Youtube.
Tampa Criminal Defense
Tampa Criminal Defense
Tampa Criminal Defense
Tampa Criminal Defense
Tampa Criminal Defense


Most Recent Blog Entries

Clearwater Police Stop Man For An Illegal U-Turn And He Dies During The Traffic Stop

Clearwater police are working to curtail what is normally their highest-accident month by beefing up red light enforcement. That was the case Wednesday when they pulled over a man for making an illegal U-Turn. Moments later the driver’s 50-year-old son wasn’t breathing. The officer tried to revive the man as did paramedics in a Chick-Fil-A parking lot but they were unsuccessful.

According to the story on TBO.com there has been no ruling as of yet on Stephen Lanciotti’s cause of death but his father said the man
was feeling ill before they got in the car. There was no information on whether the illegal U-Turn was preformed due to the man’s health. Clearwater Police were on the spot because last year there were almost 600 car crashes with injuries and officers wrote almost 20,000 Florida traffic citations in the city last year. Both were increases from the year before.…

D-Day For Texting And Driving In Tallahassee

A House committee will take a look at a bill to ban texting-and-driving on Florida’s roads and highways. According to an Associated Press story, the bill being considered would Hillsborough County Sheriffmake texting while driving a crime, which would be a secondary offense. That
means police officers would only be able to issue a Florida traffic ticket for texting if the driver had been pulled over for another offense.

If you are a Florida traffic attorney, today’s committee hearing holds a lot of interest as the laws surrounding distracted driving continue to expand and get added to the books all over the nation. This particular bill would make a first violation carry a $30 fine and it would not be a moving violation. A second offense would be a moving violation if it happened within five years of the first. The second traffic citation would have a fine of $60.…

Tampa Driver Kills Pedestrian, Leaves The Scene And Then Returns With Her Parents

Hillsborough County Sheriff’s thought they were investigating a hit and run Sunday evening when they were called to a fatal crash on Dakota Avenue in Tampa. The driver who ran over and killed Billy Leedan Ivy may not be charged with leaving the scene of an accident after she returned with her parents.

Amanda Bentz has been identified as the driver that struck and killed Ivy at 9:30 Sunday. The 20-year-old asked to speak to investigators and reportedly told deputies she was the driver that struck the man who would have turned 43 today. The investigation is ongoing and no charges have been filed as of yet.…

No Driver’s License And Eluding The Police Justifies A $10,000 Bond In Manatee County?

A Sarasota man who allegedly
ran a stop sign and then tried to elude the police was jailed on a $10,120 bond Tuesday night. Braxton T. Morgan was charged with
driving without a license and fleeing to elude. He led police on a chase that took him into
Manatee County where sheriff’s deputies eventually stopped the 21-year-old.

Moran reportedly threw a brown paper bag out his car when
authorities tried to pull him over after running a stop sign. There is
no information in the Bradenton.com article on whether that bag was
ever recovered. There were two passengers in the car with Morgan but
both were released from custody.…

Hernando County Teacher Charged With DUI Following A Stop For Speeding

Ramia Vasquez was allegedly speeding on a Spring Hill street when Hernando County deputies pulled her over.
Upon the traffic stop the 37-year-old school teacher reportedly smelled of alcohol, had trouble keeping her balance and also had bloodshot eyes. She was later arrested for DUI and taken to Hernando County Jail.

The drunk driving arrest  took place after Vasquez failed field sobriety tests according to the arresting officer. The woman gave a breathalyzer sample at the jail and according to TampaBay.com she had a blood-alcohol content of 0.92 and 0.99. She posted bond and was released from jail.…

Florida Red-Light Cameras Embroiled In a Legal And Legislative Battle Royale

Florida’s controversial red light camera system is in the midst of a political and legal struggle for its survival. Earlier this week a Miami-Dade judge ruled the traffic tickets issued by cameras for running red lights were illegal. Now a Hernando county state legislator is proposing a bill to ban the cameras state wide just as another bill in the Florida legislature is being proposed to make the cameras and the tickets they issue not just civil infractions but state law.

Robert Schneck released a statement today along with his bill. The republican from Spring Hill called the traffic cameras a hidden tax and while he supports safety he doesn’t see the red light cameras as anything more as a way for local governments to generate revenue. Currently 26 cities are using the red-light cameras in Florida.…

Florida Red-Light Cameras Embroiled In a Legal And Legislative Battle Royale

Florida’s controversial red light camera system is in the midst of a political and legal struggle for its survival. Earlier this week a Miami-Dade judge ruled the traffic tickets issued by cameras for running red lights were illegal. Now a Hernando county state legislator is proposing a bill to ban the cameras state wide just as another bill in the Florida legislature is being proposed to make the cameras and the tickets they issue not just civil infractions but state law.

 
Robert Schneck released a statement today along with his bill.  The republican from Spring Hill called the traffic cameras a hidden tax and while he supports safety he doesn’t see the red light cameras as anything more as a way for local governments to generate revenue. Currently 26 cities are using the red-light cameras in Florida.…

Kissimmee And St. Cloud Drivers Receive 166 Traffic Citations By Osceola County Sheriffs On Monday

The Osceola County Sheriff’s office conducted two Driver’s License and Safety Checkpoints Monday during which there were 166 traffic citations issued. The checkpoints were set up to increase driver’s awareness of the dangers of  violating traffic laws. The 166 traffic tickets were issued to the driver’s of 88 vehicles that were stopped.

According to My Fox Orlando, the Osceola Sheriff’s are attempting to provide a deterrent to those who break traffic laws. Overall, 311 vehicles passed through the two checkpoints that were conducted from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. with an hour break in between. There were no details on the range of traffic citations that were issued.…

Distracted Driving Law Could Face An Uphill Battle In Florida

We just blogged about a distracted driving law nearing passage in Iowa and now there is more news concerning the status of texting and driving in Florida. According to a story on the Sarasota Herald Tribune website, the proposed ban on texting while driving in Florida could face an uphill climb considering how long it took lawmakers to finally pass a law requiring Florida drivers to wear seat belts.

Florida is the minority when it comes to laws against distracted driving. According to the story, 19 states ban text messaging for all drivers and 28 ban text messaging in certain situations and for certain drivers. Even school bus drivers in Florida are not banned from text messaging while driving. In order to try and get something passed, a version of the bill that only deals with text messaging and does not result in points on a Florida driver’s license is being discussed. The issue will be discussed when session begins March 2.…

Two Pedestrians And A Bicyclist Killed On Tampa Bay Roads In Just 12 Hours

A rash of fatal car accidents involving pedestrians and bike riders struck the streets of Tampa Bay in the last 12 hours. Two pedestrians and a bicyclist were all killed by cars beginning Tuesday night. Of the three fatalities, two are being investigated as criminal acts and the drivers are expected to be charged with hit and run. Authorities are still searching for two drivers for leaving the scene of an accident.

The rash of traffic fatalities began Tuesday evening when a driver in Pinellas County ran over a pedestrian and then
left the scene of the accident. Witnesses say the vehicle was a black 4-door Infiniti sedan. At 3:10 a.m. another hit and run took place with a pedestrian fatality only this one occurred in Tampa on Dale Mabry. Officers found the grill of a Volkswagen with blood on it at the scene of the deadly crash. The last accident involved a man riding his bicycle near East Hillsborough Avenue. According to Bay News 9, there are no charges anticipated in this case.…


Web Analytics