Switch to ADA Accessible Theme
Close Menu

Category Archives: Criminal Defense

Arrested11

Brady Disclosures and Florida Criminal Cases

By Ratzan & Faccidomo LLC |

The rights of defendants in criminal cases have been part of United States law since the Bill of Rights was codified, but several Supreme Court decisions in the 1960s made the rules clearer about what constitutes a violation of a defendant’s rights.  In a Dick Tracy comic strip from the 1960s, the cartoon detective… Read More »

Facebook Twitter LinkedIn
Judge

What Does It Mean When the Prosecution Terminates Your Charges

By Ratzan & Faccidomo LLC |

Judges in criminal court look plenty scary with their black robes, their gavels, and their somber expressions, but so much of the outcome of a criminal case is not up to them.  Yes, they get to decide which evidence is admissible, and they have the final decision about which jurors will get to participate… Read More »

Facebook Twitter LinkedIn
Interrog

Don’t Fall for the Reid Technique

By Ratzan & Faccidomo LLC |

Somewhere in your nightmares, a scary monster tells you about something bad that has happened.  Your mind starts to race with worries, but the monster’s affect remains neutral; somehow, this makes the situation even scarier.  The monster leaves the room for a few minutes, but then he comes back and starts talking to you… Read More »

Facebook Twitter LinkedIn
CourtroomScales

Probable Cause Hearings

By Ratzan & Faccidomo LLC |

Police sometimes arrest people for no good reason.  Unfortunately, protesting in the moment that you did not do anything wrong and the officer had no reason to arrest you does not make things better and usually makes them even worse.  The good news is that you do not always have to go all the… Read More »

Facebook Twitter LinkedIn
CrimJustice

Lack of Criminal Intent

By Ratzan & Faccidomo LLC |

The alibi defense is a nifty defense if you are being accused of a crime that requires you to be physically present.  If eyewitnesses claim that they saw you stealing or vandalizing property or selling drugs, but there are no photos to back up their claims, you can argue that the person they saw… Read More »

Facebook Twitter LinkedIn
AttyClientPriv

How Attorney-Client Privilege Can Help You in Your Criminal Case

By Ratzan & Faccidomo LLC |

You value your privacy, whether you realize this or not.  Many decisions have the underlying motivation of wanting to protect your privacy.  You think carefully about what you post publicly online, if anything.  Data privacy is a factor in many of your online behaviors, from your choice of software to the cookie settings you… Read More »

Facebook Twitter LinkedIn
Alibi

A Good Old-Fashioned Alibi Is Sometimes Your Best Defense

By Ratzan & Faccidomo LLC |

In a dinner theater murder mystery, all of the characters have a motive to commit the crime, and only some of them have an alibi.  Likewise, when you play parlor games on rainy afternoons at summer camp, one of them often involves coming up with creative alibis to explain why you did not commit… Read More »

Facebook Twitter LinkedIn
GavelScales

Counter Arguments Are Possible for Almost Every Piece of Evidence

By Ratzan & Faccidomo LLC |

When you enter a plea of not guilty, you are claiming that you did not commit the crime of which you are being accused.  Your next step is to find ways to persuade the jury that there is reasonable doubt about your guilt; remember that, if the jury is not sure whether you committed… Read More »

Facebook Twitter LinkedIn
CrimDef7

Mistrials and Florida Law

By Ratzan & Faccidomo LLC |

When a filmmaker ends a movie on an ambiguous or anticlimactic note, it is either annoying or a stroke of brilliance, depending on your perspective.  For example, in many scary movies, the main characters manage to avert the danger that forms the main plot of the story, only for the movie to suggest, in… Read More »

Facebook Twitter LinkedIn
Defense5

The Many Faces of Obstruction of Justice

By Ratzan & Faccidomo LLC |

Federal and state laws outline very strict rules about how criminal cases are supposed to proceed, from start to finish.  The origin of these rules of criminal procedure go all the way back to the Bill of Rights, and case law has elaborated on them over the years; every time someone appeals a verdict… Read More »

Facebook Twitter LinkedIn
CrimDef9

Can You Get Post-Conviction Relief?

By Ratzan & Faccidomo LLC |

To say that it is a disappointment to hear a jury declare you guilty at a criminal trial is an understatement, but the story does not always end there.  It is true that most defendants, after pleading guilty or being convicted at trial, are eager to get through their sentences so that they can… Read More »

Facebook Twitter LinkedIn
CrimLawyer3

Affirmative Defenses

By Ratzan & Faccidomo LLC |

A defendant’s interaction with the criminal court is less like a coin flip and more like a flow chart.  Deciding whether to plead innocent or guilty is not a simple “yes” or “no” question, even though it would seem that way if the only part of the proceeding that you saw was the part… Read More »

Facebook Twitter LinkedIn
Arrested5

The Entrapment Defense

By Ratzan & Faccidomo LLC |

Is saying, “So-and-so made me do it” a valid defense to criminal charges?  If you claim that someone else induced you to commit a crime, you are acknowledging that you committed the crime, but at the same time, you are denying responsibility.  As defense strategies go, it seems like a rookie move.  When two… Read More »

Facebook Twitter LinkedIn
Courtroom2

Federal Target Letters

By Ratzan & Faccidomo LLC |

If you get a piece of correspondence from a court, it is natural to worry and to expect the worst.  You do not want to get a letter from the court unless it is in the context of a current legal case that you initiated.  For example, it is a relief when the court… Read More »

Facebook Twitter LinkedIn
Justice7

Do Defendants Testify at Their Own Criminal Trials?

By Ratzan & Faccidomo LLC |

You are probably not the only person you know who has ever been arrested.  Statistically speaking, the chances are highest that the people you know who have been arrested either pleaded guilty and received plea deals, or else the court dismissed the case quickly.  Most criminal cases do not go to trial, although every… Read More »

Facebook Twitter LinkedIn
JuryBox

The Jury and Your Criminal Case

By Ratzan & Faccidomo LLC |

If you plead not guilty in a criminal case, the next step is to prepare for a jury trial.  In criminal cases, it is the jury, not the judge, who decides whether you are innocent or guilty.  The Seventh Amendment grants the right to a jury trial, and over time, federal and state laws… Read More »

Facebook Twitter LinkedIn
Arrested5

All About Arraignments

By Ratzan & Faccidomo LLC |

Only a small fraction of arrests lead to a criminal trial, but many more of them get as far as the arraignment.  An arraignment is the first hearing in a criminal case.  It typically occurs about three days after the arrest.  At the arraignment, the court formally notifies the defendant of the charges, and… Read More »

Facebook Twitter LinkedIn
CriminalLaw

Wiretapping and Interception of Communications

By Ratzan & Faccidomo LLC |

Secret recording of conversations is a well-known tactic in criminal investigations, especially in cases involving conspiracy.  In some cases, prosecutors will greatly reduce the charges against defendants or even grant them complete immunity from prosecution if the defendant will agree to wear a recording device and secretly record his or her conversations with conspirators. … Read More »

Facebook Twitter LinkedIn
FlagJustice

The Sixth Amendment And Criminal Trials

By Ratzan & Faccidomo LLC |

Protecting people from excessive and unwarranted punishment and criminal prosecution is one of the foundations of a just society.  The United States Constitution and the Bill of Rights, which are the first ten amendments to the Constitution, deal in various places with safeguards that protect people accused or suspected of crimes from unjust and… Read More »

Facebook Twitter LinkedIn
CourtGavel

Can Florida Defendants Represent Themselves In Criminal Court?

By Ratzan & Faccidomo LLC |

Even if you do not go to jail, the costs of being a defendant in a criminal case add up.  If you serve a probation sentence, you must pay all the costs associated with your probation, including drug testing and, if applicable, a GPS ankle monitor.  The court can suspend your driver’s license, sometimes… Read More »

Facebook Twitter LinkedIn

© 2018 - 2024 Ratzan & Faccidomo, LLC, Attorneys at Law. All rights reserved.
This law firm website and legal marketing are managed by MileMark Media.

The information on this website is for general information purposes only. Nothing on this site should be taken as legal advice for any individual case or situation. This information is not intended to create, and receipt or viewing does not constitute, an attorney-client relationship.