Are there any limits to the warrantless search of a vehicle anymore? Can the police search everywhere in a car once the occupants are removed under the justification of a "protective sweep"? At least one Florida judge recently said that there are some limits under the...
civil rights
Supreme Court Will Consider Police Searches of Hotel Registries
The Supreme Court has agreed to decide whether law enforcement must get a warrant to inspect hotel registries, a very interesting question. On Friday, the Florida Supreme Court held that warrantless GPS monitoring by police is unlawful. This has a very active time for...
New DOJ Civil Rights Chief Vanita Gupta Known For ‘Trailblazing’ Work
This is an important position, a significant appointment, and a step in the right direction for the DOJ. The Senate should act quickly to confirm her, a doubtful outcome given its current state of obstructionism. WASHINGTON - The newly named acting head of the Justice...
Breaking News! Florida Judge Rules In Favor of Same Sex Marriage!
BREAKING NEWS! We have just learned that our clients have successfully challenged the same sex marriage ban in Florida. Judge Hinkle issued his 33 page opinion, today, declaring Florida's ban to be unconstitutional. In doing so he noted, " To paraphrase a civil-rights...
Brenner v. Scott: Same-Sex Marriage Ban Declared Unconstitutional
Certain cases define moments in history and, for those lawyers fortunate enough to litigate such cases, the receipt of an order granting relief often feels like Christmas in summer. Therefore, it is with great pride and more than a little relief, that the members of...
Michael Brown: The Protests in Ferguson and the Doctrine of Qualified Immunity in Excessive Force Cases
What does the shooting of Michael Brown and subsequent unrest in Ferguson have to do with the doctrine of qualified immunity? When a citizen wants to sue a police officer for excessive force, the first thing that person must overcome is the judicially created doctrine...
Sheppard, White, Kachergus & DeMaggio Wins Case Against St. John’s County Sheriff’s Office
Sheppard, White, Kachergus & DeMaggio recently defended a man whose Fourth Amendment rights were violated by the St. John's County Sheriff's Office, when they illegally recorded a conversation between Joel Studivant and his attorney, inside the St. John's County...
Bill Sheppard and Samuel Jacobson Challenge Florida Laws Refusing to Recognize Same-sex Marriages
Our firm was recently in the news: Attorneys Bill Sheppard and Samuel Jacobson have filed the challenge on behalf of a same-sex couple who got married in Canada and live in Tallahassee. The lawsuit filed late Friday in the Northern District of Florida names Gov. Rick...
Florida’s First Integrated Law Firm
As one of the founders of Florida's first integrated law firm, William J. "Bill" Sheppard has been highly regarded as a prominent criminal defense and civil rights attorney during his tenure practicing law. Throughout his career, he has argued cases at every level of...
Roommate Can Consent to Warrantless Search of Residence Over Objection of Non-Present Occupant
In a 6-3 decision, the United States Supreme Court this week ruled that, in a limited set of circumstances, police officers can conduct a warrantless search of a person's residence over that person's objection, if another occupant consents to such search. The facts of...