Sarasota - Page 11

Arson is an extremely serious crime with harsh penalties in the state of Florida. When arson results in the injury of another person—including those first responders who arrive at the fire or explosion—the penalties are even harsher. Under Florida Statutes, Section 806.031, the crime of arson occurs when a person causes a fire or explosion …

Florida—like most states—defines the crime of burglary as occurring when a person enters (or remains inside) a structure, conveyance or dwelling, with the specific intent of committing a criminal offense inside. The crime of burglary is a felony offense in the state of Florida, carrying severe penalties which will, most often, include prison and probation.  …

First and second DUI offenses are typically charged as a misdemeanor DUI in Florida. Penalties for a misdemeanor DUI can vary based on the result of your blood alcohol content (BAC) test. If your BAC was between .08 and .14, you could be fined up to $1,000, up to six months in jail, a maximum …

What if I Get Convicted of a DUI? What does a DUI conviction in Florida really mean? Typically, a DUI under Florida law is a misdemeanor. A conviction for a DUI in the State of Florida will remain on your driving record for 75 years, in essence a lifetime. There’s no opportunity to seal or …

According to a WFTV9 report from a few years ago, four out of every ten drivers who are stopped for DUI in the state of Florida refuse a breathalyzer test. Many in law enforcement find this statistic surprising, because, under Florida law all drivers give their consent for a chemical or physical test simply by …

According to the state of Florida’s website, about 1 in 135 adults will be arrested for DUI during their lifetime. Even those who have been through a prior DUI in Florida can be dismayed, frightened, and anxious about their future after being charged with a second or third Florida DUI. Most people are aware that …

According to data gathered by the Miami Herald, prison terms for those convicted of a Florida DUI manslaughter vary widely from case to case and from county to county. From 2012 to 2016, the statewide average sentence for a Florida DUI manslaughter conviction was just under ten years, although Miami-Dade County had the lightest sentences …

If you are drinking while boating, you are doing nothing illegal, however if you drink to the point your BAC is over the state’s legal limit of 0.08 percent, and you cause an accident, you could be in serious trouble. Unfortunately, a fair amount of alcohol consumption accompanies boating, as many people believe drinking and …

With the second-highest number of alcohol-related boating accidents in the nation, and the highest number of boating fatalities, the state of Florida has implemented some fairly harsh penalties for Boating Under the Influence (BUI), especially when property damage or injury are involved.  One-third of all boating accidents in the state of Florida involve a driver …

The state of Florida takes boating while impaired very seriously, especially since, according to the U.S. Coast Guard, the state leads the nation in the annual number of boating deaths and boating accidents. In 2014, the state reported 634 boating accidents and 73 fatalities as a result of a boating accident. The majority of these …