by seligman | Feb 13, 2012 | Fort Lauderdale Criminal Defense Blog
Juvenile Arrest: Rehabilitation, Not Punishment Should be Stressed Why would our government try to hurt kids? Well, kids are being hurt right now. You see, in America punishment, rather than rehabilitation is being emphasized for juveniles who commit crimes. This way of thinking must stop with the addition of rehabilitation and prevention programs for juvenile offenders. States vary in their legal definition of a juvenile. In Illinois, for example, a juvenile is defined as any person below the age of 17. Using each states legal definition, the FBI reported that 62% of juveniles arrested in 1992 were referred to juvenile courts, 5% to a criminal or adult court, 2% to a welfare agency, and 1% to another police agency. The kids sent to adult prisons were eight times as likely to commit suicide. It has also been evident that those kids incarcerated with adults are also more likely to become repeat offenders. Legislation pending in congress now is debating several issues. Among them are weather to have children as young as 13 be prosecuted and sentenced as adults for certain crimes, give prosecutors the discretion to transfer a juvenile to an adult court in certain crimes, and allow juveniles to have incidental contact and in some cases be housed with adults. I take an opposing point of view with that of congress. If a 13 year old is imprisoned, how can he become a functional member of society upon his release? How will he create a positive lifestyle for himself? The real question is: How can he turn in any direction other than that of crime? He simple will...
by seligman | Feb 11, 2012 | Criminal Defense Legal News
It appears recent studies show smoking pot doubles car accident risk and in Fort Lauderdale if caught with marijauna at the scene you could have some serious charges brought against you as well. Smoking marijuana a couple of hours before you drive almost doubles your chances of having a serious car crash, say Canadian researchers. The study led by Associate Professor Mark Asbridge from Dalhousie University in Halifax, is the first to review of data from drivers who had been treated for serious injuries or died in car accidents. The level of impairment from smoking pot might not be as severe as alcohol intoxication, but it does require a public health response, a researcher says.The level of impairment from smoking pot might not be as severe as alcohol intoxication, but it does require a public health response, a researcher says. (Noah Berger/Associated Press) "To our knowledge this meta-analysis is the first to examine the association between acute cannabis use and the risk of motor vehicle collisions in real life," the researchers write in the latest issue of the British Medical Journal. The researchers reviewed nine observational studies with a total sample of 49,411 accident victims. To rule out the effects of alcohol or other drugs the researchers calculated the odds for cases where cannabis — but no alcohol or other drugs — was detected in blood test or the driver had reported smoking three hours before crash. They found that smoking cannabis three hours before driving nearly doubled a driver's risk of having a motor vehicle accident. But the level of tetrahydrocannabionol (THC) — the active compound in marijauna...
by seligman | Jan 26, 2012 | Fort Lauderdale Criminal Defense Blog
Wrongfully imprisoned man awarded $25 million in damages By Eric Pfeiffer Thaddeus Jimenez after his release from prison in 2009A Chicago man who spent 16 years in prison after being convicted of murder as a teenager has been awarded $25 million in damages after it was determined that he was wrongfully convicted. Thaddeus Jimenez, 32, had spent nearly half his life in prison before being exonerated and released in May 2009. After being released, Jimenez then sued the city, accusing the police of ignoring evidence in his case, including a confession from another suspect, Juan Carlos Torres. Nonetheless, Jimenez was tried and convicted twice and sentenced to 45 years in prison. More from the Chicago Tribune: Years later, lawyers and students from the Northwestern University Bluhm Center on Wrongful Convictions and other attorneys reinvestigated Jimenez's conviction and found that two key witnesses recanted their original claims that he was the gunman. The state's attorney's office then agreed to reopen the case. If the verdict stands, it will be one of the largest levied against Chicago in the city's history. "The state's attorney's office … recognized an injustice had occurred and they corrected it," said Jimenez's attorney Jon Loevy. "They deserve a ton of credit for reopening the case … taking an honest look at it and correcting an injustice." The bottom line is, your choice of a criminal lawyer can make all the difference. If you are arrested in Fort Lauderdale call the Law Office of Guy Seligman and speak to him about your criminal defense...
by seligman | Jan 9, 2012 | Criminal Defense Legal News
Feds charge ex-Kosovo man in Fla. Islamic plot ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — A 25-year-old man from the former Yugoslavia was charged with plotting a radical Islamic attack on crowded locations around Tampa, including nightclubs and a sheriff's office, with a car bomb, assault rifle and other explosives, federal authorities said Monday. The U.S. Department of Justice said Sami Osmakac, a naturalized American citizen born in Kosovo, recorded an eight minute video shortly before his arrest explaining why he wanted to bring terror to his "victims' hearts" in the Tampa Bay area. In the video, according to the federal complaint, Osmakac is seen cross-legged on the floor with a pistol in his hand and an AK-47 behind him. Osmakac said in the video that Muslim blood was more valuable than that of people who do not believe in Islam, according to the complaint. He said he wanted "payback" for wrong that was done to Muslims, the complaint said. There is no indication that Osmakac planned to attack the Republican National Convention, which will be held in Tampa in August, federal authorities said. Osmakac was arrested Saturday. His first appearance in federal court was scheduled for 2 p.m. Monday. Authorities say Osmakac, from Pinellas Park, Fla. — a small city west of Tampa — was charged with one count of attempted use of a weapon of mass destruction. U.S. Attorney Robert O'Neill thanked the local Muslim community for assistance in the investigation, without elaborating. FBI agents arrested Osmakac on Saturday after he allegedly bought explosive devices and firearms from an undercover...
by seligman | Dec 29, 2011 | Fort Lauderdale Criminal Defense Blog
Arrested for date rape? Call the criminal defense lawyer Guy Seligman. Date rape id a serious offense especially if you are currently in school. You could be looking at the end of your college career or any career for that matter. Here are some interesting facts about date rape and date rape drugs. Date Rape Drugs Fact Sheet. What are date rape drugs? What do the drugs look like? What effects do these drugs have on the body? Are these drugs legal in the United States? Is alcohol a date rape drug? What about other drugs? How can I protect myself from being a victim? Are there ways to tell if I might have been drugged and raped? What should I do if I think I've been drugged and raped? More information on date rape drugs What are date rape drugs? These are drugs that are sometimes used to assist a sexual assault. Sexual assault is any type of sexual activity that a person does not agree to. It can include touching that is not okay; putting something into the vagina; sexual intercourse; rape; and attempted rape. These drugs are powerful and dangerous. They can be slipped into your drink when you are not looking. The drugs often have no color, smell, or taste, so you can't tell if you are being drugged. The drugs can make you become weak and confused — or even pass out — so that you are unable to refuse sex or defend yourself. If you are drugged, you might not remember what happened while you were drugged. Date rape...
