Articles Posted in Hollywood crime attorney

As a former prosecutor, current veteran criminal defense attorney, adjunct law professor, with over 30 years of experience litigating cases, I felt compelled to write this article. It’s in response to all the misconceptions, lies, and ignorance surrounding the Johnny Depp/Amber Heard trial. Here’s four critical things you need to know:

1) IT’S NOT ABOUT ‘#TeamDepp’ AND/OR ‘#TeamHeard’

Most in the “Court of Public Opinion” have treated this trial as if they are picking their favorite sports team. They decided what side they are on and root for their pick with passion and zeal, often regardless of the facts and circumstances. They erroneously think that the jury will decide this trial the same way, deciding who they like better and then rewarding them with a favorable verdict. That’s not how this case will be resolved. Who the jury likes is not the issue that will determine the outcome. Likeability is always important to jury in a trial. However, they can actually despise Depp and/or Heard and/or both of them, yet still rule in their favor. The “#TeamDepp” and “TeamHeard” mentality is fine for the Court of Public opinion yet holds little legal weight in an actual court of law.

selfDefense-300x177In many cases, people accused of a violent Florida criminal offenses may not be guilty. State law clearly emphasizes that individuals seeking to protect themselves, family members, or other individuals from harmful threats are, in most cases, not in violation of the law.

Being unclear about what constitutes self-defense rights in Florida may cause a person to make poor decisions following an altercation when they need to defend themselves or when they are discussing the altercation with law enforcement. Having a clear understanding of the right to defend yourself will put you in a better position should an altercation situation ever arise.

A physical altercation may happen in a public or private setting at any moment. Perhaps someone feels you bad-mouthed their team watching a sports game or a spouse becomes aggressive during an argument. A self-defense claim will only work if you weren’t the instigator in the fight turning physical.

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