Florida Criminal Defense Attorney Blog

A domestic dispute between a pair of exes turned dangerous in Manatee County Wednesday. According to Bradenton.com 19-year-old Rinsheena Mitchell is in jail on two charges of aggravated battery, one with a car and the other with a box cutter. According to the story she was being held on $100,000 bond and there was no mention that she was being represented by a Sarasota Criminal Attorney at this time.

The Palmetto woman allegedly got into an argument with her ex-boyfriend over their child, which escalated to the point in which she him with a car. Mitchell then began to argue with the man’s current girlfriend and cut her in the neck with a box cutter, which police say they later discovered on the woman.

Manatee County Sheriff’s deputies arrested a 17-year-old Palmetto man on a host of charges Tuesday following a traffic stop. Dontay Henderson was arrested and charged with possession of marijuana, probation violations, grand theft, possession of a concealed firearm, possession of a controlled substance, dealing in stolen property and possession of drug paraphernalia.

There was no information in the Sarasota Herald Tribune story as to why the traffic stop was initiated. Once the vehicle was pulled over a police dog was brought to the scene. Detectives then found a gun, marijuana, baggies of drugs and a Hydrocodone pill. According to the story Henderson admitted to the charges. There was no mention that he was represented by a Sarasota Attorney.

A former Tampa Bay Buccaneer had his third-degree felony charge of domestic battery reduced to a misdemeanor battery charge . According to TBO.com Hillsborough County prosecutors made the decision to reduce the charge last week. There was no comment in the story from Jermaine Phillips or his Tampa Criminal Attorney.

The charges stemmed from an incident between Phillips and his wife. Back at the time of his arrest police had reported that the current free agent admitted to pushing his wife in the neck following an argument. He is scheduled to be arraigned April 19.

If you owe Sarasota County court fines or fees, a Florida warrant for your arrest is going to be issued according to a local judge. The bench warrant was threatened by County Judge Kimberly Bonner for those in Sarasota that are not meeting their financial obligations to the court. The judge has recruited county law enforcement officers to track down people who miss their scheduled payments.

The judge put about 150 people in Sarasota County on alert as they could be served with a warrant in the near future. That will lead to their arrest for owing money related to either a civil or criminal case. According to the Sarasota Herald Tribune people cannot be jailed only for not paying fines but the article says the arrests will be for violating court orders and not missing payments.

Benjamin G. Monastersky was brought back to Pasco County on charges that he violated his probation, a claim he has denied. The 33-year-old is believed to have violated his probation on charges stemming from a fatal car crash in 2003. Monastersky is being held in Land O’Lakes jail.

The former Pasco County resident was living in La Vista, Nebraska according to the St. Pete Times before he was extradited back to Tampa Bay. Monastersky was sentenced to 18 months in jail and eight years of probation for leaving the scene of a fatal crash. He killed another driver when he ran a red light. There is no indication from the story how Monastersky violated his probation.

Alcohol and a family argument seem to have led to the arrest of 22-year-old Richard Brown, Jr. on charges of domestic battery. According to WTSP Brown was involved in an argument with his parents over his older sister going to the Sumter County Fair without him.

The incident took place in the family’s Brooksville home Tuesday evening. Brown’s father told Hernando County Sheriff’s that his son pushed his mother and tried to push her to the ground. The deputies reported that Brown had slurred speech and bloodshot, watery eyes. Brown reportedly admitted to drinking before the incident but denied pushing his mother. He was taken to Hernando County Jail.

The Florida Highway Patrol warned the people of Florida that it would be making more stops for seatbelt violations this month. Apparently William McKinley Davis of North Port didn’t listen. The 51-year-old was stopped by Charlotte County Sheriff’s deputies for not wearing a seatbelt and ended up charged with possession of drug paraphernalia and possession of marijuana with intent to distribute.

The traffic stop took place Sunday. According to the arrest report and the Sarasota Herald Tribune, the deputy smelled burnt marijuana as he approached the car. Sheriff’s searched the car and found over $2,500 in cash and more than 100 grams of pot. Davis was booked into Charlotte County Jail and he posted a $6000 bond.

A pair of co-workers went out for dinner last December and after their meal the two men were chatting in the restaurant parking lot. At some point Chandrashekar Singh got into his car and continued his conversation with William C. Morrison. As Singh pulled out of his parking spot he hit Morrison, who later died from his injuries.

Singh has now been charged with DUI manslaughter for the accident. According to the Orlando Sentinel investigators found Singh had a blood-alcohol level of 0.191 at the time he hit his co-worker. The 25-year-old from Davenport was arrested by Polk County police and is in jail where he is being held without bond.

Hillsborough County Sheriff’s have arrested a Balm man they believe is responsible for a hit-and-run death that took place on Valentine’s Day. Isaias Cruz Hernandez was charged with tampering with evidence, leaving the scene of an accident involving death and driving with a suspended license resulting in a death.

Detectives found the vehicle they believe hit and killed 35-year-old Domingo Perez Lopez. According to TBO.com the car had parts changed and evidence was washed off in what detectives believe was an attempt to conceal the crime. The located the vehicle at the Wimauma home of Hernandez. He is in jail and his bail was set at $19,000.

In August of 2009 Tony Curtis Phillips, Jr. and Nikki McCormick stole a Land Cruiser from a Winter Haven grove. As they were driving away in the SUV, the owner of the truck fired a 9mm pistol hitting McCormick in the head and killing the 21-year-old. The man who shot McCormick was justified according to prosecutors but his accomplice was guilty of third-degree murder and sentenced to 15 years in prison by a Polk County judge.

According to an Associated Press article, if a person dies while another is committing a felony in Florida, the law states the individual committing that crime can be charged with murder. This law should be used to protect innocent people who are killed while someone commits a felony even if their intent was not to kill anyone, but should that law extend to a willing participant in the criminal act? Is McCormick responsible for the death of his partner in crime who willingly decided of his free will to steal a car? Seems like this law may have been expanded too far.

A Florida man was arrested for DUI in Crestview when an officer spotted the man’s truck swerving down the road. Upon the traffic stop the officer attempted to conduct field sobriety tests but the truck’s driver instead opted to just turn over his keys and told the officer “I’m done” according to a report on TampaBay.com. The driver also refused a breathalyzer.

The driver of the truck allegedly admitted to drinking a six pack before driving. He also repeatedly asked the arresting officer what his favorite drink was, while being transported to jail. That wasn’t his only request from the back seat of the police cruiser. The man also asked the officer if he would turn on his blue police lights during the ride to jail.

Continue reading "Florida DUI Arrest Includes Requests For Blue Lights And The Arresting Officer’s Drink Of Choice" »

A routine traffic stop in St. Petersburg turned into a dangerous situation for some St. Pete police officers as a 21-year-old rammed a police cruiser in an attempt to escape arrest. David Solomon Stringer-Woods was unable to bash his way past the St. Pete police and was arrested on charges of possession of cocaine, aggravated assault on a law enforcement officer, driving with a suspended license, failing to appear in court on a marijuana charge and aggravated fleeing and alluding.

According to police and a story on TampaBay.com, Stringer-Woods was seen committing a traffic infraction when an officer attempted to pull the man over. The 21-year-old pulled into a parking lot and then reversed his car ramming into a police cruiser. He is now in Pinellas County Jail where his bail was set at $23,663.

Continue reading "St. Pete Man Rams Police Car To Avoid Jail But Ends Up With Assault, Cocaine and Marijuana Charges" »