There are countless benefits to immigrants who marry a U.S. citizen. For that reason, it is no surprise that many seek to marry a citizen for the sole purpose of obtaining them. However, due to the potential for abuse of these special benefits, authorities apply a high level of scrutiny…
Grand juries are embedded into our constitution. Their purpose is to determine whether there is probable cause to believe that a federal felony was committed. A grand jury consists of 16-23 citizens from the community. If 12 of those jurors find there is probable cause, it is signed by the…
From the moment you awake in the morning to the second you lay your head down to go to bed, there will have been 550,000 shoplifting incidents in the U.S. Although most think of shoplifting as one of the more “harmless” crimes, it is considered “retail theft” in the state…
By Brian Bandell – Senior Reporter, South Florida Business Journal December 23, 2020 Philip Esformes will be released from federal prison after President Donald Trump commuted his 20-year sentence for Medicare fraud. The $1 billion fraud a federal jury convicted the 52-year-old Miami resident of committing through bribery, money laundering,…
If you’ve watched enough law movies and drama shows, chances are you have at some point seen a character plead insanity as a defense. According to a PBS article, less than 1 percent of county court cases involve the insanity defense, and that of those, only around one in four…
As the Coronavirus spreads exponentially across the United States many local and states have been releasing thousands of low-risk inmates who could be at risk, particularly the elderly and those with underlying medical conditions. Additionally, many criminal-justice reform advocates have urged the president to use his power of clemency to…
“A gambling problem can negatively affect an individual’s home life, financial status, career, education, social relationships, and physical and emotional health.” These words can be found on the helpline page of The Florida Council on Compulsive Gambling’s website. Their mission statement demonstrates that they’re “committed to increasing public awareness about…
Last month’s blog post settled with the FBI’s arrests of William Foster, Ashleigh Holloway and Hanah Chan. Foster had been charged with an array of sex trafficking charges while Holloway and Chan had soon after surrendered to federal authorities and now face similar charges. Foster’s complete indictment which was unsealed…
Florida has local human trafficking task forces in each of its sixty-seven counties. The crime’s statistics have been precipitous; having a very steep ascent year after year. Over the past seven years total cases have risen from a reported 931 contacts in 2012 to 1885 ending 2018; more than double.…
Bank robbery has been a federal crime in the United States since 1934. This includes National banks, state member banks, savings and loans, credit unions, armored cars and related institutions that are insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Company (FDIC). It was in the 1930’s when the John Dillinger gang…