Lakeland Criminal Defense Lawyers

Driving is not a right.  It is a privilege in Florida.  As such, the DMV has a lot of authority over whether or not a person has a driver’s license.  Chapter 322 of Florida Statutes lays out specific laws regarding driver’s licenses. The most common reasons people lose their driver’s licenses include: 1.      Drug related offenses – Per section 322.055, when a person is convicted of a drug related offense, the court shall direct the DMV to revoke the driver’s license of the person for 1 year; 2.      Habitual Traffic Offender – Per section 322.264, when a person has accumulated the specified number of convictions in (1) or (2) within a 5-year period the license is suspended for 5 years: (1)   3 or more convictions of any one or more of the following: a.      Voluntary or involuntary manslaughter resulting from operating a vehicle; b.      Any viola...

The process of decriminalization of marijuana in Florida is slow, but occurring.  In all there are 14, counties, cities, and/or municipalities that have passed ordinances that give police officers the option to issue civil citations or fines rather than arrest a person who is caught with 20 grams or less of marijuana. It is important to note that in these cities or counties, the choice still lies with the individual officer whether to issue the citation or make an arrest for misdemeanor possession.  Each place’s ordinance varies, so it is important to read the specific ordinance.  Below is a list of places thus far that have passed such ordinances with links to more specific information about the ordinances. Alachua County Broward County Hallandale Beach Key West Miami Beach Miami-Dade County Orlando Osceola County Palm Beach County Port Ritchey Tampa Volusia County West Palm Beach Wilton Manors On a national level, twenty states have en...