Florida Criminal Defense Attorney Blog

A dispute over a $6 cab fare led to a two-hour standoff with Tampa police. Andrew Hickey told police he was drunk and armed with rifles and handguns. He threatened to shoot a cab driver who was outside waiting for Hickey to settle a $6 cab fare. Hickey allegedly came out of his house with a gun and threatened the cabbie. (read more)

When police were called to the scene by the cab driver Hickey barricaded himself in his house. He said he would shoot anyone that entered his Tampa house. Tampa Police shut down Paul Avenue from Himes Avenue to Clarice Street as they negotiated with the suspect. After two hours Hickey surrendered without incident. He was charged with petty theft and aggravated assault.

If you have been charged with a crime in Tampa, please do not hesitate to contact Tampa Defense Attorney Darren Finebloom at 1-800-FIGHT-IT or online at fightyourcase.com to discuss the matter. Also you can contact Darren via email or by stopping by our new Tampa office located at 3426 W. Kennedy Blvd.

Gene Masse, a 51-year-old Tampa man, was arrested following an armed confrontation with law enforcement in Hillsborough County. He allegedly threatened to “kill a bunch of cops” and his family before being taken into custody. (read more)

Masse and his son got into a heated argument at their Leila Avenue home according to reports and the confrontation took a turn when Masse armed himself with a shotgun, threatening to shoot the 19-year-old. He is accused of holding his family at gunpoint and threatening to kill them if they called police, which they eventually did. That led to a standoff with law enforcement before the man eventually surrendered. Police found a loaded shotgun in his home. He was booked and held without bail.

If you have been charged with a crime in Tampa, please do not hesitate to contact Tampa Defense Attorney Darren Finebloom at 1-800-FIGHT-IT or online at fightyourcase.com to discuss the matter. Also you can contact Darren via email or by stopping by our new Tampa office located at 3426 W. Kennedy Blvd.

Tampa’s Wikler Moran-Mora came up with a new twist on an excuse for not being home with his wife while he was cheating on her. The self-proclaimed church elder at a Seventh Day Adventist church on Nebraska Avenue texted his wife claiming he had been kidnapped buying him time to have an affair according to Hillsborough County Sheriff’s. (read more)

Moran-Mora’s wife alerted law enforcement of her husband’s abduction which set off a 20-man police operation to try and find the man, which included the use of canine units. Deputies eventually tracked him down outside a 7-Eleven even though he had texted his wife asking her to call off the search because his kidnappers had freed him. Moran-Mora was charged with giving a false report to law enforcement despite the fact he never called the sheriff’s office.

If you have been charged with a crime in Tampa, please do not hesitate to contact Tampa Defense Attorney Darren Finebloom at 1-800-FIGHT-IT or online at fightyourcase.com to discuss the matter. Also you can contact Darren via email or by stopping by our new Tampa office located at 3426 W. Kennedy Blvd.

It’s not often you see both the defendant and victim’s families upset about a sentence that is too severe in the death of a loved one but that was the case in New Port Richey. Damian Duval was sentenced to nine months in jail, two years of house arrest and 10 years probation following the 2006 death of his friend George McBurney. (read more)

Both sides were looking for a sentence that involved no jail time for Duval despite the fact under Florida law jail time is required for vehicular manslaughter, a second-degree felony. According to McBurney’s father the death was the result of a traffic accident and he saw no justice in sending Duval to jail.

If you have been charged with a felony in St. Petersburg, Clearwater or anywhere in Pinellas County, please do not hesitate to contact St. Petersburg Criminal Defense Attorney Darren Finebloom at 1-800-FIGHT-IT (1-800-344-4848) or online at fightyourpinellasarrest.com to discuss the matter. Also you can contact Darren via email or by stopping in our Pinellas office located at 4500 140th Ave. North #203.

According to the Tampa Police, Josy Lemos-Soares had a blood-alcohol level of 0.15 when she was pulled over at the Fowler Avenue and I-275 Saturday night. The 28-year-old was allegedly swerving in and out of her lane on the Interstate when she was pulled over. (read more)

Lemos-Soares is a tennis coach at Saddlebrook Resort where she lives. According to the police report she smelled of alcohol and her eyes were bloodshot at 3:00 a.m. when she was stopped. Following her arrest Lemos-Soares was taken to Orient Road Jail where she was held on a $500 bond.

If you have been charged with a DUI in Tampa or Hillsborough County, please do not hesitate to contact Tampa DUI Attorney Darren Finebloom at 1-800-FIGHT-IT or online at fightyourtampadui.com to discuss the matter. Also you can contact Darren via email or visit him in our new Tampa office located at 3426 W. Kennedy Blvd.

The case has gained international notoriety and now charges have been filed against the couple whose pet snake killed a 2-year-old Sumter County Girl. The mother of the child and her live-in boyfriend are facing charges of third-degree murder, manslaughter and child abuse after their Burmese python escaped and crushed the little girl in her crib. (read more)

The state attorney’s office took their time in considering how to proceed in this tragic case but eventually they felt the couple showed a reckless disregard that resulted in the death of the child. Both Jaren Hare and Charles Darnell were being held on $35,000 bonds. The state said the snake was not properly secured nor was it registered as required by state law.

If you have been charged with a crime in Tampa, please do not hesitate to contact Tampa Defense Attorney Darren Finebloom at 1-800-FIGHT-IT or online at fightyourcase.com to discuss the matter. Also you can contact Darren via email or by stopping by our new Tampa office located at 3426 W. Kennedy Blvd.

Denver Nuggets reserve forward Renaldo Balkman was arrested for suspicion of DUI by Temple Terrace officers this past weekend. Balkman was pulled over at 4:00 a.m. Saturday but there were no details as to why he was stopped. He was taken into custody following his refusal to take a breath test. (read more)

The Nugget reserve averaged 5 points and almost 4 boards per game. The Nuggets had no comment other than to say they were aware of the arrest. Balkman was taken to the Hillsborough County Jail where he was later released on a $500 bond.

If you have been charged with a DUI in Tampa or Hillsborough County, please do not hesitate to contact Tampa DUI Attorney David Haenel at 1-800-FIGHT-IT or online at fightyourtampadui.com to discuss the matter. Also you can contact David via email or visit him in our new Tampa office located at 3426 W. Kennedy Blvd.

There were two arrests reported for DUI in Weeki Wachee on Wednesday night. One of the arrests involved a driver who rolled his Jeep. The accident was reported and when the deputy arrived on the scene the driver was standing inside the vehicle, which was on its side. The deputy said he immediately detected the odor of alcohol and then Bobby Ball admitted to having “a few”. Following medical clearance, Ball failed field sobriety tests. He was tested at the jail and his blood alcohol level was reported at .183 and .172. (read more)

Earlier that evening a Chevy Lumina was stopped for rolling through a stop sign. The officer followed the car and reported seeing erratic driving. Mary Nelson was eventually pulled over and showed signs of intoxication according to the deputy. She was arrested and then provided a BAC sample that registered at .194 and .196.

If you have been charged with a DUI in Florida, please do not hesitate to contact DUI Defense Attorney David Haenel at 1-800-FIGHT-IT or online at fightyourdui.com to discuss the matter. Also you can contact David via email .

Current Tennessee Titan and former Florida State wide receiver Chris Davis was arrested and charged with DUI. Davis was reportedly driving a white Cadillac Escalade in Nashville when he was pulled over for speeding around 2:00 a.m. The officer reported that Davis’ eyes were watery and bloodshot and his pupils were dilated. (read more)

Police said that Davis had a strong odor of alcohol and that he admitted to drinking. He allegedly registered a Blood Alcohol Content level of 0.11. Davis has not played since the opening game of the preseason due to a hamstring injury.

If you have been charged with a DUI in Florida, please do not hesitate to contact DUI Defense Attorney David Haenel at 1-800-FIGHT-IT or online at fightyourdui.com to discuss the matter. Also you can contact David via email.

A Tampa man was involved in a collision with a pedestrian on Thursday that left the 44-year old man from Daytona Beach dead. Mark Creasey driving a 2003 Isuzu Rodeo struck the man in his who was crossing Roosevelt in Largo at 9:35 p.m. The pedestrian was declared dead at the scene of the accident. (read more)

The Florida Highway Patrol is continuing to investigate the accident and no charges have been filed at this point. The man who was killed in the accident has been identified but his name has not been released pending notification of his family.

If you are charged with a crime in Tampa, please do not hesitate to contact Tampa Defense Attorney Darren Finebloom at 1-800-FIGHT-IT or online at fightyourcase.com to discuss the matter. Also you can contact Darren via email or by stopping by our new Tampa office located at 3426 W. Kennedy Blvd.

The opening of the National Football League season is less than a month away but opening day may have to wait a little bit longer for Tampa Bay Buccaneer Aqib Talib. The Bucs corner was arrested in Pinellas County Wednesday night and charged with simple battery and resisting arrest without violence. Talib has been released from Pinellas County Jail. (read more)

According to a FHP report Talib punched David Duggan in the neck and right ear with a closed fist. The incident took place at I-275 and Gandy Blvd. Talib was in a cab at the time the officer arrived and refused three requests to get out of the cab. The officer also reported that there was an indication of alcohol influence.

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell has been notoriously harsh on his players for run-ins with the law. While no punishment has been announced for Talib as of yet, there is a distinct chance he could face a suspension from the league. This isn’t the first sign of trouble from the cornerback. He was involved in a fight at practice in which he hit a bystander with a helmet. Talib was involved in a fight at an NFL mandated rookie seminar and he has been fined on numerous occasions by the Bucs. He was also reported to have failed multiple drug tests while playing at the University of Kansas.

If you have been charged with a crime in Pinellas County, please do not hesitate to contact St. Petersburg Defense Attorney Stephen Higgins, Esq. at 1-800-FIGHT-IT or online at fightyourpinellascase.com to discuss the matter. Also you can contact Stephen via email or by stopping in our Pinellas office located at 4500 140th Ave. North #203.

A late night robbery in Tampa turned tragic Wednesday when 21-year-old UT student Ryan McCall was shot and killed. McCall and Michael Harahan were walking after leaving the Retreat Bar in Hyde Park when a man appeared and demanded money. Following the robbery Harahan ran off to call 911 when he heard gunshots leaving McCall laying in the road at the base of the N Boulevard bridge. (read more)

According to Tampa Police the robbery appears to be random and according to Harahan the suspect is a African-American male who is about 5-10, 180 pounds and in his 30’s. McCall was a senior at UT and a member of the school’s cross country team. According to his coach McCall was a 4.0 student and supported himself with a part-time job at Publix.

If you have been charged with a crime in Tampa, please do not hesitate to contact Tampa Defense Attorney Darren Finebloom at 1-800-FIGHT-IT or online at fightyourcase.com to discuss the matter. Also you can contact Darren via email or by stopping by our new Tampa office located at 3426 W. Kennedy Blvd.

There is an ongoing search for the driver of a dark colored Toyota who allegedly ran down and killed a bicyclist overnight in St. Petersburg. The hit-and-run took place on 22nd Avenue and 11 Street South just after midnight. The bicyclist, 49-year-old Robert Dunbar, was hit while riding his bike across the street and died at Bayfront Hospital. (read more)

St. Petersburg Police are now searching for the driver responsible for the hit-and-run who was believed to be fleeing the scene of a fight when he struck Dunbar. The car suffered significant damage due to the collision and police are asking for the public’s help in identifying the driver.

If you have been charged with a felony in St. Petersburg, Clearwater or anywhere in Pinellas County, please do not hesitate to contact St. Petersburg Criminal Defense Attorney David Haenel at 1-800-FIGHT-IT or online at fightyourpinellasarrest.com to discuss the matter. Also you can contact David via email or by stopping in our Pinellas office located at 4500 140th Ave. North #203.

Did Tampa police foil a would-be robbery on Friday? A police officer approached a car outside Pix Liquor Store on N. Florida Avenue in Tampa after seeing a man shove something down his pants and then get into the passenger seat of a red Camry. The officer asked the man, later identified as Isaac Henderson, to step out of the car. After he did, the officer found a loaded .45 caliber handgun with the serial number removed and a black ski mask. (read more)

Tampa Police have not yet linked Henderson to any burglaries but they are circulating his description to other agencies to see if he fits for any open robberies. Henderson was released on $4000 bail from the Hillsborough County Jail after he was charged with carrying a concealed weapon and altering the weapon’s serial number.

If you have been charged with a crime in Tampa, please do not hesitate to contact Tampa Defense Attorney Darren Finebloom at 1-800-FIGHT-IT or online at fightyourcase.com to discuss the matter. Also you can contact Darren via email or by stopping by our new Tampa office located at 3426 W. Kennedy Blvd.

When we were kids waiting for the water fountain there were always people trying to cut into line and it usually resulted in a lot of yelling and screaming but not much more. I wish that was the case outside of a Tampa food stand late last week. At 3:30 a.m. a line cutting incident led to an argument which led to a shooting that killed one man and left another in critical condition. (read more)

The shooting took place at a popular food stand that serves Spanish food near Las Margaritas Restaurant. At the time of the shooting there was no information on the suspects just on the victims. 20-year-old Alquan Garner was killed and 27-year-old Eriberto Reyes was shot in the stomach and was in stable condition later that day.

If you have been charged with a crime in Tampa, please do not hesitate to contact Tampa Defense Attorney Darren Finebloom at 1-800-FIGHT-IT or online at fightyourcase.com to discuss the matter. Also you can contact Darren via email or by stopping by our new Tampa office located at 3426 W. Kennedy Blvd.

The Pinellas County Sheriff’s Department culminated a three-month investigation into street level drug dealers by arresting 30 of the 47 targeted suspects. The investigation called “Operation Mid-County Clean Up” involved detectives working undercover and making a series of drug transactions with local dealers near the Churchill Mobile Home Park in Largo. (read more)

The Pinellas Sheriff’s Office is still searching for 17 suspects that they did not arrest on Thursday and according to the Sheriff’s Office those suspects will still be pursued by officers during their regular shifts. The 30 suspects that were apprehended were booked in a parking lot at 104 Ponce de Leon and taken to the Pinellas County Jail.

If you have been charged with a felony in St. Petersburg, Clearwater or anywhere in Pinellas County, please do not hesitate to contact St. Petersburg Criminal Defense Attorney Stephen Higgins, Esq. at 1-800-FIGHT-IT or online at fightyourpinellasarrest.com to discuss the matter. Also you can contact Stephen via email or by stopping in our Pinellas office located at 4500 140th Ave. North #203

Tampa police are investigating an incident at Mirage nightclub on Hillsborough Avenue that led to two shootings and a stabbing. The man responsible for the shootings and stabbing is still unknown at this time. The incident took place outside the nightclub after two groups of people were ejected for a fight that broke out on the dance floor. (read more)

Bouncers ejected the two groups of people but the trouble really began in the parking lot following the ejections. According to reports once they were outside of the club a man pulled out a handgun and began firing at the other group. One man was shot in the arm and another in the ankle. A third man was injured when he was cut on the arms inside the club on the dance floor. Police are still searching for the suspect.

If you have been charged with a crime in Tampa, please do not hesitate to contact Tampa Defense Attorney Darren Finebloom at 1-800-FIGHT-IT or online at fightyourcase.com to discuss the matter. Also you can contact Darren via email or by stopping by our new Tampa office located at 3426 W. Kennedy Blvd.

Police have been investigating a sexual battery charge report since it was filed in May and now they have made an arrest. Daryl Comolli, a North Tampa resident, has been arrested and charged with sexual battery on a child younger than 12 and possession of marijuana. (read more)

Comolli is accused of molesting a 7-year-old girl and according to reports from the Tampa Police Department the 24-year-old confessed to the crime in detail. Upon his arrest, Comolli was searched and officers found marijuana in his pocket.

If you have been charged with a crime in Tampa, please do not hesitate to contact Tampa Attorney Darren Finebloom at 1-800-FIGHT-IT or online at fightyourcase.com to discuss the matter. Also you can contact Darren via email or by stopping by our new Tampa office located at 3426 W. Kennedy Blvd.

Tampa man Michael Wynperle is behind bars and accused of stalking Hillsborough County State Attorney Mark Ober. The 36-year-old Wynperle was charged with aggravated stalking charges and threatening to discharge a destructive device. According to Pam Bondi, spokeswoman for the state’s attorney office, the situation with Wynperle and Ober has been going on for years and escalated recently. (read more)

According to reports from the Florida Department of Correction Wynperle has ‘deep-seated issues with the justice system’. He threatened Ober in 2005 according to detectives but charges of threats against a public servant were dropped. Ober spent time in prison for fraudulently obtaining a driver’s license and fraudulent use of a personal ID. Records show Wynperle has been arrested 20 times going back to 1993.

If you have been charged with a crime in Tampa, please do not hesitate to contact Tampa Attorney Darren Finebloom at 1-800-FIGHT-IT or online at fightyourcase.com to discuss the matter. Also you can contact Darren via email or by stopping by our new Tampa office located at 3426 W. Kennedy Blvd.

The Intoxilyzer 5000 and 8000 have been at the heart of a lot of challenges from defense attorneys as of late with mixed results. In Sarasota and Manatee there have been over 100 breath tests thrown out by judges based on challenges to the equipment but that was not the case in Brevard County where a judge ruled against defense attorneys who looked to get 56 breath tests thrown out because they were collected by the controversial breath tester. (read more)

Fourteen lawyers filed the motion in the 18th Judicial Circuit claiming the readings were inaccurate. Eight judges ruled the Intoxilyzer 8000 was an instrument approved for evidentiary use in Florida. A ruling that is opposite to what four judges in Sarasota and Manatee Counties have ruled disqualifying 100’s of breath tests including some for clients represented by the Law Offices of Finebloom & Haenel.

If you have been charged with a DUI in Sarasota, Bradenton or Manatee County, please do not hesitate to contact DUI Attorney David Haenel at 1-800-FIGHT-IT or online at fightyourdui.com to discuss the matter. Also you can contact David via email.

The case of Terrance Graham is just one example of a growing and disturbing trend in the State of Florida where juveniles convicted of crimes that are not murders are being sentenced to life in prison without any change for parole. Graham was convicted of armed burglary at 16 and violated his probation by fleeing police after a home invasion robbery when he was 17. Corrections officials recommended a four-year sentence for Graham. Prosecutors asked for 30-years but the judge one-upped that request and gave Graham life in prison. (read more)

Graham is the only person in America serving a life sentence without parole for a juvenile burglary conviction. Florida has more juveniles serving life sentences for non-murder crimes than the other 49 states combined. More disturbing is that blacks represent 84% of this group despite just making up 16% of the population and about 50% of the prison population. According to Florida State University, Florida has sentenced 77 men to spend their lives in jail without a chance of parole for non-homicide crimes committed when they were 17 or younger. Of the 111 inmates serving life sentences with no parole for juvenile non-murder crimes, 69% are in Florida.

If you have been charged with a crime in Tampa, please do not hesitate to contact Tampa Attorney Darren Finebloom at 1-800-FIGHT-IT or online at fightyourcase.com to discuss the matter. Also you can contact Darren via email or by stopping by our new Tampa office located at 3426 W. Kennedy Blvd.

Tiffany Davis was involved in a terrible car accident in March that killed two of her children and paralyzed a third. Five months after the horrific accident the Florida Highway Patrol took Davis into custody and brought her to the Marion County Jail on DUI charges. The woman is alleged to have had cocaine, Oxycodone and cannabis in her system at the time of the accident. (read more)

Three-year-old Owen Davis and nine-year-old Hailey Davis were killed in the crash and Hunter Davis, also nine, was paralyzed. Davis was the mother to Owen and Hunter and Hailey’s step mother. According to police neither of the children who died was properly restrained.

If you have been involved in an accident and charged with a DUI in Florida, please do not hesitate to contact Tampa DUI Attorney David Haenel at 1-800-FIGHT-IT or online at fightyourdui.com to discuss the matter. Also you can contact David via email or by stopping in our new Tampa office located at 3426 W. Kennedy Blvd.

Robin Mathis has been arrested for DUI with seriously bodily injury after allegedly hitting a 15-year-old girl who was riding her bicycle in Largo. The girl was taken to Bayfront Medical Center with head injuries. Her status was not immediately known. (read more)

According to Largo police Mathis ran over a curb and struck the biker. She then pulled her car over 40-feet from the accident and stayed in her car. According to Pinellas County records, Mathis was charged in 2006 and 2008 for driving with a suspended license.

If you have been involved in an accident and charged with a DUI in St Petersburg, please do not hesitate to contact Pinellas DUI Attorney Darren Finebloom at 1-800-FIGHT-IT or online at fightyourpinellasarrest.com to discuss the matter. Also you can contact Darren via email or by stopping in our Clearwater office located at 1400 140th Ave. North #203.

Xavier Ramirez, 22-years-old, was charged with DUI manslaughter early Friday morning following an accident on the I-275 exit ramp at Ashley Drive. Ramirez lost control of his SUV, slammed into the guardrail and flipped his 2007 Kia. His 22-year-old passenger was thrown from the car and died. (read more)

Ramirez suffered minor injuries and was taken to Tampa General Hospital. He was arrested after it was determined he was driving under the influence of alcohol. According to reports Ramirez was arrested in 2005 on charges of possession of marijuana and drug paraphernalia.

If you have been involved in an accident and charged with a DUI in Tampa or Hillsborough County, please do not hesitate to contact Tampa DUI Attorney David Haenel at 1-800-FIGHT-IT or online at fightyourtampadui.com to discuss the matter. Also you can contact David via email or by stopping in our new Tampa office located at 3426 W. Kennedy Blvd.

A Florida DUI manslaughter trial involving the system used to test the defendant’s blood is getting ready to begin in Sebring. Lawyers for Travis Hill are attempting to do a thorough examination of the Synchron LX20 Clinical Chemistry System that analyzed Hill’s blood at the hospital following an accident that left the passenger of his truck, 20-year-old Kristin Dessingue, dead. Hill’s blood registered a blood alcohol level of .179 at Lake Placid Hospital. (read more)

Defense attorney’s issued a subpoena requesting all documents about the Synchron LX20 and were countered with a motion that requested the court modify the subpoena since it was overly broad, unduly burdensome and required the disclosure of trade secrets. This was similar to a motion filed in Sarasota trying to protect trade secrets with the Intoxilyzer 5000 and 8000 but judges in Bradenton, Manatee and Sarasota counties ruled that the company that made the Intoxilyzer 5000 and 8000 needed to turn over the requested documents.

If you have been charged with a DUI in Tampa or Hillsborough County, please do not hesitate to contact Tampa DUI Attorney David Haenel at 1-800-FIGHT-IT or online at fightyourtampadui.com to discuss the matter. Also you can contact David via email or by stopping in our new Tampa office located at 3426 W. Kennedy Blvd.

Angela Gaskin’s death was one of the stranger stories in Tampa Bay recently. The 20-year-old stuck her head out of a moving truck and hit her head against numerous mailboxes. She was pronounced dead at Northside Hospital where the driver of the truck took Gaskin following the incident. (read more)

Police are now alleging that Karl Jeckel, the driver of the truck, was driving under the influence at the time of the accident. Jeckel has not been charged with any crime but Pinellas Park police say that there was a beer can inside the truck and Jeckel had an odor of consumed alcohol on top of slurred speech and watery eyes. He told police he had three to five drinks earlier that night. Jeckel has had his license suspended due to a DUI conviction in Colorado.

If you have been charged with a DUI in St. Petersburg, Clearwater or anywhere in Pinellas County, please do not hesitate to contact David Haenel at 1-800-FIGHT-IT or online at fightyourpinellasdui.com to discuss the matter. Also you can contact David via email or by stopping in our Pinellas office located at 4500 140th Ave. North #203.

A 16-year school district employee was arrested and charged with lewd and lascivious behavior with an eight-year-old student in Tampa this past weekend. Otis Vinson, a janitor at Robles Elementary School, is accused of rubbing an eight-year-old student against him in a sexual manner after the girl told her parents about the incident according to a Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Department spokesperson. (read more)

Vinson was arrested Saturday and taken to Hillsborough County Jail. He was released on $7,500 bail. He was suspended with pay and if he is to be fired or have his pay withheld, that decision would need to come from the school board. Linda Cobb, a spokeswoman for the school district, said she is unaware of any other complaints ever being filed against Vinson.

If you have been charged with a crime in Tampa, please do not hesitate to contact Tampa Attorney Darren Finebloom at 1-800-FIGHT-IT or online at fightyourcase.com to discuss the matter. Also you can contact Darren via email or by stopping by our new Tampa office located at 3426 W. Kennedy Blvd.

A Tampa man, who did not want his wife to leave, resorted to some desperate measures to keep her from driving away. According to the Tampa Police Department Lincoln Ricketts, a 44-year-old Tampa man, used his car as a deadly weapon in his efforts to stop his wife. (read more)

Ricketts allegedly began ramming his car into the front of his wife’s vehicle but the apparent assault did not stop there. His wife was eventually able to pull away but Ricketts followed her and began ramming the back of her car to force her off the road. No injuries were reported and Ricketts is currently in Orient Road Jail on charges of aggravated battery with a deadly weapon.

If you have been charged with a battery in Tampa, please do not hesitate to contact Tampa Attorney Darren Finebloom at 1-800-FIGHT-IT or online at fightyourbattery.com to discuss the matter. Also you can contact Darren via email or by stopping by our new Tampa office located at 3426 W. Kennedy Blvd.

Ron Sansome and his wife Becky Algeri thought they were doing their civic duty when they spotted a possible DUI driver on the road in Pinellas County on their way to work. They called 911 and were sent to the Clearwater Police Department where they reported a driver who was weaving all over the road before dawn. They were told to stay a safe distance from the driver and an officer would be sent to investigate the situation. Moments later the couple saw not one but three Pinellas County Sheriff’s cars at a gas station but none of the cars pulled out to pursue the possible DUI driver. (read more)

The reason none of the sheriff’s deputies responded was simple, they never got the call. This was the result of a communication breakdown that is rather common. When calls come in to Pinellas’ 911 call center they are routed to one of many dispatch centers and with 24 different law enforcement agencies in the county the information doesn’t always make it to each jurisdiction’s officers. The fix is easy but would cost $1000 per patrol car and that price tag seemed too steep when first discussed in 2004. It might be time to address it again.

If you have been charged with a DUI in Pinellas County, please do not hesitate to contact David Haenel at 1-800-FIGHT-IT or online at fightyourpinellasarrest.com to discuss the matter. Also you can contact David via email or by stopping in our Clearwater office located at 4500 140th Ave. North #203.

There is a new partnership between the Polk County Sheriff’s office and Florida Refuse Services and it has nothing to do with rescheduling trash pick-ups. The partnership is the basis for “Operation Waste Watch” where police train trash collectors to act as “unofficial” crime watchers in Polk County. (read more) The program began with 185 trash collectors being trained by crime prevention specialists in the art of effective observing.

This program is similar to one already in place with Bright House Networks and according to Florida Refuse Services’ spokesman the company has up to 170 trucks that cover nearly every corner of the county. The refuse collectors will be on the lookout for anything that raises suspicion in the garbage they collect like refuse from meth labs, marijuana grow houses or even homicides.

If you have been charged with a crime in Tampa, please do not hesitate to contact Tampa Attorney Darren Finebloom at 1-800-FIGHT-IT or online at fightyourcase.com to discuss the matter. Also you can contact Darren via email or by stopping by our new Tampa office located at 3426 W. Kennedy Blvd.