Recent Posts in In the News Posted By Law Offices of Robert Stepniak 15-Oct-2019 Can You Go to Jail for Missing Jury Duty in Florida? What is Jury Duty? When a person becomes 18 years old in Florida, he/she is eligible for jury duty once a year. Jury service is a mandatory civic duty that is required by law. The main objective of a jury summons is to select 12 jurors from different ... Continue Reading Posted By Law Offices of Robert Stepniak 8-Oct-2019 Florida Laws Taking Effect in October As of October 1, 2019, there are 27 laws now in effect. From texting while driving to hazing, there are many new and updated laws Florida residents must know about. Here are several criminal laws that are now effective immediately: Texting while ... Continue Reading Posted By Law Offices of Stepniak Park 23-Jul-2019 Andrew's Law Toughens Florida Hazing Statute At the end of June, Governor Ron DeSantis signed Senate Bill 1008—commonly referred to as “Andrew’s Law”—which toughens measures against hazing after loopholes were found after the November 2017 death of Andrew Coffey, a ... Continue Reading Posted By Law Offices of Robert Stepniak 18-Jul-2019 Raiding Area 51 Could Lead to Arrest or Worse What started off as a joke event has become a viral meme sensation that has caught the attention of the U.S. military. More than 1.5 million people have RSVP’d to the Facebook event “Storm Area 51, They Can’t Stop All Of Us,” ... Continue Reading Posted By Stepniak & Park 23-Mar-2019 Patriots Owner Robert Kraft Charged with Solicitation in Florida In late February, New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft has been charged with two counts of soliciting prostitution after visiting the Orchids of Asia Day Spa in Juniper, FL on two occasions. The charges come after months of investigation into a ... Continue Reading Posted By Stepniak & Park 21-Mar-2019 Florida Legalizes Smokable Medical Marijuana Medical marijuana in smokable form is now legal in Florida. Although voters initially approved the legalization of medical marijuana in 2016, Governor Rick Scott signed a law which bans smoking cannabis (while allowing edibles, oils, pills, and ... Continue Reading Posted By Stepniak & Park 16-Nov-2018 Certain Ex-Felons are Now Allowed to Vote in Florida In the aftermath of the midterm elections held last week, Florida voters approved Amendment 4 which automatically restored the voting rights of convicted felons once they complete their sentences (i.e. prison term, parole, and probation). However, ... Continue Reading Posted By Stepniak & Park 1-Feb-2018 New Florida Laws in 2018 At the stroke of midnight on January 1, 2018, six new laws are now in effect in Florida. which are the following: SB 590 – The is a new option for parenting plans. Among other things, the plan would determine where the child will live and how ... Continue Reading Posted By Stepniak & Park 5-Aug-2015 Guns Stolen from Police Vehicles Although police officers are prohibited from leaving guns in their cars, it happens. Apparently it happens often enough that now, breaking into a police car and stealing guns has become a trend. A pattern of thefts has taken place in Central Florida ... Continue Reading Posted By Stepniak & Park 20-Jul-2015 3 DUI Arrests in One Week A Florida woman is in legal trouble after being arrested 3 times within a 6 day period. The woman was pulled over on suspicion of DUI on April 30 and refused to take a blood test. She posted bail and was released from jail. The next day, she was ... Continue Reading Posted By Stepniak & Park 6-Jul-2015 Florida Woman Sentenced to 24 Years in Prison for Fatal Wrong-Way DUI Crash She was facing up to 30 years in prison, but a Florida woman received a prison sentence of 24 years for driving drunk and killing two women in a wrong-way collision. Part of her sentence also included a permanent license revocation, meaning that even ... Continue Reading Posted By Stepniak & Park 22-Jun-2015 Florida Pilot Arrested for DUI After Causing Minor Crash A pilot in Melbourne, Florida, was arrested and taken to jail after crashing into an airport communications tower with his twin-engine Cessna plane. Police stated that the man smelled very strongly of alcohol and that his speech was slurred. On the ... Continue Reading Posted By Stepniak & Park 8-Jun-2015 New Law Seeks to Stop Rapists from Getting Custody File this under shocking: until recently, Florida had no laws preventing rapists from seeking custody of a child conceived during an attack. It sounds like a nightmare: a woman is raped, finds out she is pregnant as a result of the rape, and then ... Continue Reading Posted By Stepniak & Park 18-May-2015 Mother Who Kidnapped Son to Prevent Circumcision Signs Consent Forms After a Week in Jail A mother fighting on behalf of her child will often go to extremes to protect what she believes is right for the child. In a case that just wrapped up in Delray Beach, a mother took the law into her own hands to try to prevent her son’s ... Continue Reading Posted By Stepniak & Park 4-May-2015 You've Been Served by Facebook Social media isn’t just a way to pass the time anymore; it has become so involved in most people’s daily lives that it is replacing face-to-face contact in many situations. A relatively new advancement in the social media world is the ... Continue Reading Posted By Stepniak & Park 20-Apr-2015 Don't Want a Divorce? Try BBQ Sauce. Recently in the news, a Florida woman was arrested after things got a bit chaotic between her and her husband. According to the arrest report, the police were called after a man was heard yelling for help. The police arrived to find the man covered ... Continue Reading Posted By Stepniak & Park 6-Apr-2015 Florida Woman Against Circumcision Defies Court Order, Receives Warrant In one of the more unusual recent events, a warrant was issued this week for a Florida woman who has decided to take her son and get out of town rather than allow his circumcision. The 30-year-old Boynton Beach woman was issued a warrant from Circuit ... Continue Reading Posted By Stepniak & Park 9-Sep-2014 University of Florida Sexual Predator at Large A rally held by University of Florida students is underway in a joint effort to bring awareness to the dangers of sexual assault. The rally just so happens to coincide with four recent attacks throughout several attempted rape cases, bringing ... Continue Reading Posted By Stepniak & Park 11-Aug-2014 Child Sex Crimes in Florida Targeted in Operation Cyber Vigilance A particularly heinous brand of sex crimes in Florida target children. Recently a joint effort organized between Pinellas County Sheriff Bob Gualtieri and Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd targeted would-be criminals, producing astonishing results. ... Continue Reading Posted By Stepniak & Park 17-Jul-2014 Understanding the Compassionate Medical Cannabis Act Florida is one of the latest states to introduce new medical marijuana laws. This landmark change will introduce no shortage of questions, including who will actually supply the cannabis nurseries with marijuana. Providing the marijuana is not a ... Continue Reading Posted By Stepniak & Park 9-Mar-2014 Congratulations to Sheriff's Office Employees of the Year Volusia County Sheriff Ben Johnson recently announced honors for four employees of the Sheriff’s Office, and one volunteer, for exceptional work performance, according to the News Journal Online. Honored were: Lonnie Feaster (Deputy of the ... Continue Reading Posted By Stepniak & Park 17-Jun-2013 Kissimmee Bank Robbery Suspects Arrested A bank in Kissimmee was robbed by two suspects on Monday afternoon. Kissimmee police detectives report the First Southern Bank at 910 West Vine Street was robbed when two men entered the bank, with one man handing a teller a note demanding money ... Continue Reading Posted By Stepniak & Park 9-Jun-2013 Preschool Teacher Arrested on Molestation Charges Coconut Creek Police report they have arrested a preschool music teacher for allegedly sexually molesting two young girls at his place of employment. On Wednesday, Discovery Pre-School Center spokeswoman Bridget Perry, did confirm to the Orlando ... Continue Reading Posted By Stepniak & Park 3-May-2013 Father Kidnaps His Two Young Sons from Their Grandparents in South Florida TAMPA, Fla. – A sailboat is a new clue for authorities investigating the case of a suspected father who kidnapped his two sons, 4-year-old Cole Hakken and 2-year-old Chase Hakken from their grandparents’ home in Florida, after the ... Continue Reading
