by Eric Roper | Jul 30, 2013 | Maritime Transportation, Uncategorized
The U.S. Federal Maritime Commission has issued an Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking that has the potential to impact Ocean Freight Forwarders (OFF) and Non-vessel Operating Common Carriers (NVOCCs). The proposed substantive changes to the current regulatory...
by Eric Roper | Jul 29, 2013 | Criminal Defense, Uncategorized
The Florida Supreme Court recently reviewed the Jacksonville case of a man convicted of armed robbery after police discovered incriminating evidence of the crime on his cell phone. The man was charged with robbing a convenience store at gunpoint. After identifying the...
by Eric Roper | Mar 27, 2013 | Criminal Defense, Uncategorized
The issue of when police may lawfully use a drug-sniffing dog in conducting criminal investigations has again made the headlines. Both recent cases before the U.S. Supreme Court arose from Florida and involved police use of a specially trained canine to search for...
by Eric Roper | Mar 19, 2013 | Criminal Defense, Uncategorized
Fifty years ago, the U.S. Supreme Court unanimously ruled that the Sixth Amendment to the Constitution required states to provide an appointed defense lawyer to a criminal defendant facing serious charges when that defendant could not afford to hire a lawyer. The...
by Eric Roper | Mar 1, 2013 | Criminal Defense, Military Law, Uncategorized
Criminal defense attorneys are often asked by clients whether charges against them can be dismissed because law enforcement officers did not advise them of their rights before arresting them. Using a recent Federal case as an example, the purpose of this article is...
by Eric Roper | Feb 26, 2013 | Criminal Defense, Uncategorized
In a recent decision, Florida’s First District Court of Appeal reversed the conviction of a man charged with felony drug trafficking after the trial court denied his pretrial motion to suppress evidence of the drugs after an unconstitutional search of his vehicle. In...
by Eric Roper | Feb 11, 2013 | Criminal Defense, Military Law, Uncategorized
Article 107 of the Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ) makes it a crime for a military member to knowingly make a false official statement with the intent to deceive. In representing someone charged with this offense, a military defense lawyer may argue that even...
by Eric Roper | Jul 13, 2012 | Criminal Defense, Uncategorized
Although there is still no news from the 11th Circuit on Shelton, the Florida Supreme Court issued an opinion yesterday in State v. Adkins, holding that sec 893.13(1)(a), (6)(a), Fla. Stat., is constitutional. You can read the full opinion here and read more...
by Eric Roper | Feb 21, 2012 | Criminal Defense, Military Law, Uncategorized
If you are employed by the Federal government, as a military member, a civilian employee, or a government contractor, you are likely required to possess some level of a security clearance. Today, virtually all Federal government positions are required to maintain at...
by Eric Roper | Jan 7, 2012 | Criminal Defense, Military Law, Uncategorized
Manufacturers of synthetic marijuana (widely referred to as “Spice”) have responded to recent state and Federal laws criminalizing the use and possession of the herb by slightly altering the chemical compounds involved in the manufacturing process to avoid using the...
