Did you know that in the State of Florida, ten percent of the population is ineligible to vote because of the ban against allowing convicted felons from voting? Any felony is a disqualifier. A non-violent offender who has received a straight probationary sentence...
civil rights
Bill Sheppard Nominated for Florida Civil Rights Hall of Fame
Section 760.065, Florida Statutes, creates the Florida Civil Rights Hall of Fame. Recently, the Florida Commission on Human Relations has selected its top nominees for induction and has forwarded those names to the Governor for consideration. Mr. Sheppard is humbled...
Law Enforcement Searches
If you are ever asked by law enforcement officials for permission to search anything, our best advice is to say "no", and ask for your attorney. Each of us has the Constitutional right to deny a search that is not called for by a warrant. We also have the right to...
Search and Seizure: Expectation of Privacy and the Physical Intrusion Test
We are often asked whether police officers have the right to approach a person's home without a warrant and then use what they observe to search the home. Generally, in the absence of "no trespassing" signs or fences, officers have the right to engage in what is...
United States Supreme Court Upholds Warrantless DNA Searches of People Arrested for “Serious” Crimes
In Maryland v. King, ___ U.S. ___ (June 3, 2013) the Court upheld the warrantless swabbing of individuals arrested for what the Court characterized as "serious" offenses. Left open by the Court's decision are the questions of 1) what constitutes a serious offense; and...
Florida Supreme Court Rejects Warrantless Search of Cellphone
In a case of great significance, this week the Florida Supreme Court rejected the use of evidence obtained through the warrantless search of a cell phone. In Smallwood v. Florida, ___ So.3d ___, 38 Fla.L.Weekly 5271a (Fla. May 2, 2013), a case originating in Duval...
Early Jail and Prison Conditions Litigation in the Middle District of Florida
Early Jail and Prison Conditions Litigation in the Middle District of Florida Today jails and prisons throughout the Middle District of Florida are hardly places a person would want to spend the night. However, those currently incarcerated in the Middle District of...
Understanding Florida Discrimination Laws
Although the days of the Civil Rights Movement seem like a distant memory to some, discrimination is still a rampant issue in today's society. Discrimination laws prohibit discrimination on the grounds of: Disability (mental or physical) Age Gender Race Religion...
Judge Henry Lee Adams Jr. On Catfish, Courtrooms, and Change
The Film The documentary opened on the old Duval County, Fla., Courthouse. Henry Lee Adams Jr., the first African-American federal judge in Florida, narrated his own story.
Area’s First Integrated Law Firm
In celebration of Black History Month, The Jacksonville Bar Association lunch meeting Tuesday featured a viewing of the documentary "Conversations on Catfish, Courtrooms, and Change: The Life and Times of Henry Lee Adams, Jr." The film detailed the creation of what is...