Dog Bites Man – Man Fights Back

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We all love our pets, but we occasionally hear of something that went terribly wrong when a dog cannot control its behavior and a bite occurs resulting in an ugly injury. A few years ago a young mother from New Port Richey brought her beautiful 5 year old daughter to my office. With long blond hair and blue eyes, it was like she fell out of a Pottery Barn for Kids catalogue. But I immediately saw the problem. Besides an innate sadness not usually seen Read More +

The Very Serious Subject of “Statutory Rape” in Florida

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As an attorney I am often asked why some people in Florida are arrested after having consensual sexual relations with a minor and some aren’t, and it’s a very good question. There is an article in the Tampa Bay Times this week about a 30 year old New Port Richey woman who was arrested for statutory rape with a minor. This relationship was not only consensual, this woman was actively living with her 17 year old boyfriend in a committed relationship and she is currently pregnant Read More +

Sylvester – Our Law Firm Mascot

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We want our clients to feel comfortable, peaceful and at home while visiting our Palm Harbor law office. Since we mainly represent seriously injured people, the last thing clients want to see when they come to a firm is an uptight, starched formal setting full of dark mahogany, law books and oversized leather furniture. When people are in pain or not feeling well, you want them relaxed and at ease. “You’re welcome here”, should be the ambiance. One thing that definitely adds to the color Read More +

Are You Safe in Your Hotel? Maybe Not….

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One of the most interesting cases I’ve ever handled as a lawyer is the case of “Betty Darlington”. Because of the very personal nature of her case, I’ve changed a few facts for privacy, but it is still true to the spirit of the claim. Betty was a widow and an early retiree, barely minted as an entry level senior citizen. While she retired somewhat young she wasn’t rich by anyone’s standards. She had a very simple lifestyle, lived inexpensively and she decided to pool Read More +

Facebook, Death & Missing Passwords

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Tragically, in January, 2011, a family in Virginia lost their teenaged son to suicide and looked to his Facebook account for some answers. A quiet, but seemingly happy 15 year old, Eric Rash shot himself in a field in Nottoway County, Virginia. He left his family a note apologizing, but gave no answers to the big, haunting question of “why?” As their grief gave way to despair, Eric’s family craved more information. They wondered if he was a silent victim of bullying but no one Read More +

The (World Wide) Web of Legal Complexities – The Collision of Libya and YouTube

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Four American died in a Libyan consulate last week as a result of a highly offensive video found on YouTube. The existence of this video which depicts the prophet Mohammad in a scandalous way, was intentionally spread to Muslim media outlets as a way to incite some form of protest, or even violence by religious extremists from our country. The entire subject has cracked open a debate about the Internet, the First Amendment right to free speech and the obligations of governments to keep people Read More +