Recent Articles

When is Self-Defense Not a Defense?

Ron Chapman
January 01, 2009 19:43

          Several Florida cases in which defendants claimed self-defense have been overturned on appeal because the trial judge incorrectly read to the jury what is sometimes referred to as a forcible-felony jury instruction.  According to...

Self-Defense and Dismissal of Charges

Ron Chapman
December 25, 2008 02:56

          It is the law in Florida that when a person accused of committing a crime claims that he acted in self-defense, the case should be dismissed by the trial judge when the prosecution's evidence is legally insufficient to rebut the claim of...

Self-Defense and the Right to Bear Arms

Ron Chapman
December 16, 2008 11:13

          The Second Amendment to the United States Constitution states that "[a] well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed."  Earlier...

South Florida Sun-Sentinel: 2 Get "Deal of a Lifetime" in Drag Racing, DUI Crash That Killed Boynton Man

Ron Chapman
December 03, 2008 21:14

The following article appeared in the April 30, 2008 edition of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel. Ron Chapman represented and obtained a favourable outcome for the defendant Ramirez.   By Nancy L. Othon South Florida Sun-Sentinel April 30, 2008 Two men who were racing cars and driving drunk when...

Expunging a Minor's Criminal History Record

Ron Chapman
November 26, 2008 05:05

          There is a procedure in Florida for expunging a minor's criminal history record.  That procedure, which is contained in Florida statute section 943.0582, differs in at least three important respects from the procedure that...

DUI & Double Jeopardy

Ron Chapman
November 22, 2008 16:09

          Jeff Norman of The Huffington Post recently emailed me the following question:           "What makes it legal for police to detain a DUI arrestee until he or she is 'sober,' when the only...

Racial Prejudice in the Criminal Justice System

Ron Chapman
November 17, 2008 13:32

          In spite of all the progress that has been made during the last several decades in the area of race relations in the United States, a recent study suggests that many white Americans still hold negative views about...

When Does Ramming Another Car Constitute the Crime of Aggravated Battery?

Ron Chapman
November 09, 2008 21:35

          In many cases in which an individual is charged with committing the crime of aggravated battery, the weapon that is used is a knife or a gun.  However, it is also possible to commit aggravated battery using a...

When is a Fork a Deadly Weapon?

Ron Chapman
November 02, 2008 19:40

          In the case of C.A.C. v. State of Florida, the Second District Court of Appeal was asked to decide whether a fork is a deadly weapon in a case in which the accused individual was charged with committing the crime of aggravated...

What is the Crime of Aggravated Battery in Florida?

Ron Chapman
October 27, 2008 00:26

          A person can commit the crime of aggravated battery in one of three ways in Florida.  If a person, while committing the crime of battery:            1.  Intentionally or knowingly...