Florida courts do not regard fraud schemes as victimless crimes; as such, they often deliver lengthy sentences to people found guilty of fraud offenses. Such sentences will typically be upheld unless a defendant can demonstrate that they are either substantively or procedurally unreasonable. In a recent fraud case, a Florida…
COVID-19 ravaged prisons throughout Florida and the country, ultimately costing many people their lives. In light of that fact, the Florida courts have granted some inmates compassionate release. The mere fact that a person may contract COVID-19 is not adequate grounds for granting such relief, though, as discussed in a…
Providing false information to an insurance company in an effort to obtain benefits is a crime in Florida. Simply because an insurer does not rely on false information offered by an insured does not mean that an insured cannot be convicted of insurance fraud for offering such information. The State’s…
The Florida District Court of Appeal, Second District released an opinion on November 8, 2017, that addressed the due process rights available to a criminal defendant at a sentencing hearing. In the case, the defendant appealed the trial court’s decision to revoke his probation and impose a 40-month sentence. The…