The parents of Walle asked him to be punished by the juvenile court, but he was eventually released. Walle ran away four months before he was put behind bars for his crime, and the parents were informed that the only way the teenager would be caught and found was if he committed a crime. At 13-years-old, Walle was out on the street involving himself with LSD, cocaine, Xanax and alcohol.

According to the Tampa Bay news, Judge Tharpe told Walle’s attorney that this is by far the most disturbing case that he has ever seen in his nineteen years of being on the bench. It was reported that Walle has no conscience at all, and he has no concern or care for any human life. Walle’s psychiatrist, at the time, reported that he had no memory or recollection of what happened during the rapes, but unfortunately, his victim’s can never forget.

The victims reported that their four-hour nightmare started at a bar and grill named Docks and dreadfully ended when the attackers told them to jump out of the moving van on Interstate 75. The victims also reported that Walle was the attacker holding the gun the whole time, and they were certain that he wanted to kill them.

Walle’s charges include armed kidnapping on four counts and armed sexual battery charges of over one dozen counts. He pled guilty to all offenses, and the evidence simply did not lie. On Wednesday, March 10, the judge was asked to match Walle’s already imposed sentence of 27 years for the rape in St. Petersburg.

This typically allows Walle to be released from custody at the age of forty. According to Walle’s psychiatrist, he was a very “immature and damaged young man,” and he had attempted to kill himself at least once. Walle did not understand the severity of his criminal nature.

At the end of Walle’s hearing, the judge reportedly commented that he had never had a minor sitting on his bench that did not know the difference between right and wrong. Unfortunately, for Walle, it looks like he may never be walking the streets again.

According to the Miami Herald, the video was titled, “Beating up a Crackhead.” The three suspects were Brandon Edwards of Fort Lauderdale, 19; William Sleight of Deerfield Beach, 19; and Bradley Wunderlich of Parkland, 22. An accomplice helped record the video with Sleight who is also 19-years-old, Nicholas Bakum.

If these four suspects had been convicted of kidnapping, they could have received a maximum sentence of life in prison. According to the defense attorneys, the suspects were trying to remove a highly intoxicated man from the motel they were staying in, Blue Sky Motel. Cunningham did not recall the occurrence of the incident, and watching the video did not recreate any memories.

Edwards was previously convicted of beating a man, in 2009, and causing his death. Miami criminal lawyers can assist his or her client in every aspect of an upcoming trial. The attorneys will handle all of the necessary paperwork and documents, as well as inform you of when any trial and hearing may occur.

The purpose of criminal law is to protect the citizens and public. For example, Florida criminal law can rule the sort of violence that people put on others; it can control the way people drive, and even monitor the way people behave around others. The obvious breaches of criminal law are things like murder and rape.

When it comes down to prosecuting a criminal, it can be under a criminal or civil law. Criminal law involves more severe cases that may need to include the state, whereas civil law is held in a much smaller building. Contact a Miami criminal lawyer if you are ever in trouble with a Florida law.

Rico stands for Racketeering Influenced and Corrupt Organizations. Rothstein ran an investment for over one billion dollars. The defendant had originally pled not guilty in December, but decided to change his plea. Rothstein was the backbone to the biggest investment fraud in case in the history of South Florida.

Money laundering is considered an act of concealing the ownership of money that is acquired in illegal ways. When someone is a part of money laundering, he or she makes it look like the money came in legally.

Three Steps to Money Laundering

Miami criminal defense attorneys are the best people to help in situations concerning this crime. There are three basic steps to money laundering, and they are:

1. Placement: This step requires the launderer to put the dirty money into a legit financial account. This is the most dangerous step because cash is deposited in lump sums. Banking institutions are in charge of reporting any suspicious activity such as an enormous cash deposit.
2. Layering: This is the process of sending the money through several transactions so it is hard to track and follow. The transactions are usually made through different accounts in different countries with different names. The whole point of this step is to make the money completely untraceable.
3. Integration: At this point, the money re-enters the economy in a legitimate looking way. This is the last stage of money laundering, and it is very difficult for the officials to catch the launderer because there are no previous documents on the money.

Most of the time, money laundering is involved with drug trafficking and terrorist attacks. It is difficult for the FBI and such to decipher which transactions are fraud because there are so many deposits made daily in the United States.

There are many ways that people have laundered money. “Smurfing” is the simplest way. This is when the criminals need to launder less than $10,000 into various accounts. An intermediary transports the money for deposits somewhere else. Shipping the money abroad is another way that criminals launder money. The money is shipped in bulk amounts and put into offshore accounts until it can be transferred back to the launderer.

Money laundering is considered a felony and can give someone extensive jail time. Miami criminal lawyers are experienced in this area of law and can help anyone with a difficult situation.

Yuby Ramirez, a Miami-Dade mom, previously ran in the middle of the circle of drug lords. Ramirez played a large supporting role in the murder of a government witness, which will cause her to serve the rest of her life behind bars.

Ramirez disregarded the plea bargain because her Miami criminal defense lawyers thought she was innocent. Ramirez, herself, thought she was innocent also. The lawyers thought that Ramirez would be charged with manslaughter instead of first-degree murder, and that she would serve a maximum of ten years in prison if convicted.

Drug Trafficking

Drug trafficking involves every area of the drug world.

1. Manufacturing
2. Sales
3. Distribution
4. Possession

Drug trafficking occurs with the intent to sell or distribute, and smuggle a controlled substance. When someone is charged with the crime of drug trafficking, it does not include the possession of the drug. They are two separate charges unless it can be proven that the individual had the intent to sell the drugs.

Some people may believe that the federal government is too hard on individuals that are involved in drug trafficking. If someone is convicted of being a part of drug trafficking, he or she will be given an automatic predetermined incarceration sentence. In some cases, this has put far less violent drug criminals behind bars rather than the more dangerous criminals.
For a first time offender, the average sentence behind bars is one to three years. More than 50% of the convicts in prison are somehow related to drug trafficking. Miami criminal lawyers can help in this area of law whenever needed. Violent offenders serve approximately 54% of his or her sentence, but drug offenders will serve closer to 85% of his or her prison sentence.

Drug trafficking is the most serious crime of all drug offenses. The consequences of drug trafficking will be more harsh if the drugs were intended to be sold to minors, or if the drugs are handled in a school zone. It is very rare for a drug offender to receive a light punishment especially if he or she does not use a Miami criminal lawyer.

Miami criminal defense attorneys can look through your case and help you decide whether it is a good idea to take a plea bargain. The lawyers can also walk you through each process as they are encountered.

Process of Expunging

Miami criminal attorneys can assist you in expunging your record in many ways.

• You will be able to de-stress and relax while the Miami defense attorney handles all of the necessary paperwork.

• The lawyer will mail any documents to you that need a signature. You will always stay informed of anything that progresses in your case.

• Once the date is set for a hearing, which may not be necessary, the attorney will contact you with all of the information.

Miami criminal lawyers can expunge criminal records as well as juvenile records that are delinquent and diverse. The biggest advantage to hiring a Miami criminal defense attorney is that you do not even have to drive to the office. The entire process can be handled through the mail and over the phone.

Sealing or expunging your record is a low cost start to improving your life. Once the misdemeanor, felony or other criminal charge is dismissed, the public will not be able to access the information. It will be easier to apply for a job and/or a loan. The police and legal authorities may be the only people who can access the information that was expunged.

Many law firms offer student and military discounts to those individuals who qualify for the process. The length of the entire process can vary, but the average length of three to six months depends on the following criteria:

• Whether your case is going to be expunged or sealed (expungements take a little bit longer because of legal requirements)
• The longevity of your case can also depend on the county that is handling it. Some counties are more time efficient than others.
• The Florida Department of Law Enforcement must file the certificate of eligibility; however, this can take up to five months.
• The individual judge has the final say to the process, and this can take a few months as well.

Sealing or expunging your record is rarely a completed process within 2 months. If someone tells you this is possible, you may want to research the specific Miami defense lawyer. It is great to find out what areas of law your Miami defense attorney is most qualified in and the outcome of his or her previous clients.

It is easier to qualify for sealing or expunging of your record if you have never been convicted of a previous crime. Find your local Miami defense attorney to help you with the lengthy process and help your criminal record. Contact us at (305) 571-9800 to speak to a Florida attorney about expunging your record.

These two defendants are facing a jury trial together with the help of their Miami criminal lawyers. The charges for Darling and Larose are second-degree murder of Jenkins and first-degree murder for attempting to kill each other. The two defendants got into a shoot out in broad daylight back on this terrible day in 2006. One of the bullets fatally struck Jenkins, killing her. Both defendants claim they were shooting in self-defense.

It seems this encounter of self-defense took place during a drug deal in the Liberty Housing project. Because of his carelessness, Darling will spend up to fifty years behind bars. Their shooting rampage, or self-defense, cost an innocent nine year old her life, and it is only right that her parents and family want to see these men pay for their crimes.

The jurors in the case do not believe that Darling intentionally wanted to kill the girl, but more or less that Jenkins was in the wrong place at the wrong time. She was playing in her front yard…that does not seem like the wrong place. The defendants were definitely at fault here. Miami criminal defense attorney states that the “Stand Your Ground” law covers Darling because he fired after Larose pointed the weapon at him first.

Unfortunately, prosecutors are claiming that Darling cannot benefit from this law because he is a convicted drug felon who cannot legally carry a firearm. The “Stand Your Ground” law is for those residents that act lawfully, and as said Darling does not fit this description.

Stand Your Ground

The Florida law helps residents with self-protection or self-defense. There are four main components, which are:

1. Visitors and law-abiding residents may threaten intruders of his or her home or automobile with force, including deadly force.

2. If an individual is at a place that he or she has every right to be at, and another individual comes up causing problems or jeopardizing his or her life, then that said person can attack back with force as self-defense. This is only appropriate if the person feels it is necessary to keep themselves safe from their attacker.

3. Any individual using a self-defense tactic cannot be arrested unless officials see the incident as being unlawful.

4. If there is a criminal trial and the “Stand Your Ground” law lawfully protects the defendant then he or she will receive all costs of defense.

This is a very serious law for all Florida residents. All Miami criminal defense attorneys will help his or her clients in the best way he or she can. It is always in one’s best interest to hire a Miami criminal lawyer to represent the case appropriately.

Cyber Theft Crimes

Albert Gonzalez, a Miami resident, has pled guilty to the largest identity theft in the nation. The theft involved over 130,000 accounts that appear to be corporate companies. Now twenty-eight, Gonzalez is confessing to his second case of computer hacking this year.

Gonzalez’s previous charge was also cyber theft on huge corporate companies such as Wholesale Club and OfficeMax, etc. He was offered a plea agreement of fifteen to twenty-five years in prison for the first offense. Both cases for Gonzalez will be settled sometime in March 2010. Investigators uncovered over one million dollars in cash, wrapped in plastic bags and buried in his parent's backyard in Miami-Dade County.

It appears that Gonzalez committed his first cyber theft crime prior to being a part of the Secret Service, and then following his departure the second crime was committed. There were ten other men involved in this second crime, only two of which are from the United States. The tenth man is still at large.

The Law and Prevention

A law was signed, in 2004, by President Bush known as the “Identity Theft Penalty Enhancement Act.” This law constitutes the fact that any person involved with identity or cyber theft will be criminally charged. It can be very difficult for someone to maintain good credit if their cards or information have been stolen. The identity thief can easily run up a large balance and debt on the victim’s account.

Anyone’s identity can be stolen from his or her mail, computer and the trash. Miami criminal lawyers are effective in many theft cases. One of the easiest ways to prevent personal information from being available in the trashcan is to shred every inch of mail that is personal. Bank statements, tax forms, ATM receipts and paystubs, etc. are several types of information that should not be put in a trashcan until it is destroyed and unidentifiable.

If the computer is the most convenient way for someone to pay bills and shop, then it is extremely important to choose strong passwords that nobody can figure out. In any case, if you or someone you know have been a victim of identity or cyber theft then locate your nearest Miami criminal attorney to help during the struggle.

Robert Batey, a Stetson University College of Law professor, states that people think they have more rights than what the “Stand Your Ground” law actually entails. This can cause more damage and problems than before. People are now using more deadly force than they would have thought twice about using before the law was set in stone.

Facts about Stand Your Ground

• The law began in 2005.
• Various courts take different approaches to each case.
• Counties in the northern part of Florida have the ability to take action when the other party is retreating.
• Judges in Hillsborough feel that the law applies to certain defendants, but it does not extend protections to all other defendants.
• It is important that pre-trials be held so the judge can decide if the action was properly considered self-defense.

It makes it quite difficult to draw the line on what is considerable as a self-defense act and what is not. An incident occurred last year that got Maurice Moore charged with murder. The defendant claimed he was using self-defense when he shot more than a dozen bullets into one of his rivals, while he was sitting in his car in West Little River. Moore claimed he shot the bullets in self-defense, but the officers seem to differ on the situation.

Unfortunately, because of the “Stand Your Ground” law, officials had to drop the charges facing Moore. Some Miami criminal defense attorneys can justify his or her clients actions with this law, but it does seem a little terrifying to know that some residents will not have to face prison time if they kill another citizen simply because of this law.

There has been some confusion on what exactly constitutes actions as self-defense and how to apply the new law to cases. Miami criminal defense attorneys can help their clients in any situation, and will try to help their defendants receive the least punishable sentence.

Statutory Rape

Child molestation is another term for statutory rape, and is a very serious crime. In many jurisdictions, the ability to be a consenting adult depends on the mental age and capacity of the individual. It does not necessarily mean the person is the legal adult age of eighteen, because if he or she is not mentally able to make adult decisions then they are not a legal adult under the judge's eyes.

It is common, however, for charges and penalties to be more severe when the rape consists of two people of the same sex. One of the most common cases of statutory rape, however, is between an older woman and a younger man.

Sexual Assault

Sexual assault is forcing someone to indulge in intimate relations and touching or speaking to him or her inappropriately. Some cases of sexual assault are:

· Rape
· Forced sexual intercourse
· Inappropriate touching and kissing
· Torture of a victim in a sexual manner
· Child molestation

Rape, or sexual assault, can be between an individual and his or her neighbor, a friend or family members. It is most common for a female to be sexually assaulted by someone she is dating or an ex-boyfriend. Friends also fall under this category for females. When someone has been a victim of sexual assault, it is very common for him or her to receive:

· Depression
· Anxiety
· Post-traumatic stress disorder

Everyone knows that a form of sexual abuse or assault between family members is incest. This is a non-tolerated crime among the justice system, and the punishments can be severe. This is the most common form of child abuse within the United States. A Miami criminal lawyer is your best bet in fighting cases such as this. The child is a victim, and he or she usually comes out of the situation with severe psychological problems.

Anyone who is involved in a sexual assault crime or a statutory rape charge is labeled as a sex offender. This does not look good on a criminal record, and in most jurisdictions, the sex offender must let his or her neighbors know that they have committed a sex crime. When a sex offender moves into a new neighborhood, this is something that he or she will have to deal with. If you or someone you know is going through a criminal charge of this kind then contact your local Miami criminal lawyer to help you resolve the issue and receive the lesser punishment available.