Missing Deltona Mom and Kids are Found Dead

After a young mom and her two kids went missing earlier this week, it is being reported by local authorities that they are deceased. (http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/local/breakingnews/os-missing-mom-children-suarez-20131025,0,4082672,full.story) There have been reports that the young mom and her husband were involved in domestic violence issues, which includes an arrest of domestic violence battery charges. Furthermore, there have been reports that the parties were on the path of divorce.

If you know anyone who may be involved in a situation where there is domestic violence they MUST report it to the authorities and they MUST take proactive steps to protect themselves, their children and their pets.

John Guy and the 2nd Half of the Closing

If there is a guilty verdict in this case it will because of John Guy. There is no disrespect to the attorneys involved in this case but when it came to putting the pieces of this case together John Guy brought it to the house. His passion and being able to bring ALL of the testimony and evidence that HELPS the State was well done. Not only was the argument effective but the word choices FOR this jury was on point. I guess we will see if the State was able to pull out ANY conviction based on the evidence they have presented.

State’s Closing Argument

As the State of Florida started its closing argument today, it did its best to meet the challenges in front of it. Attorney Bernie de la Rionda for the State tried his best to portray the defendant, George Zimmerman, as an individual who took the law into his own hands after making assumptions that ultimately lead to the death of Trayvon Martin. Tomorrow the Defense has its turn, with the State having about 45 minutes to finish up its argument after the Defense’s turn. I personally believe the State has a tough hill to climb in order to get ANY conviction but you are dealing with a jury and attorneys know how unpredictable a jury can be. I guess we will know in the next few days what the jury is thinking.

Closing Arguments in: State of Florida v. Zimmerman

As the Zimmerman trial comes to an end, and closing arguments start tomorrow, the most important thing is what charges will the jury be able to choose from in delivering a verdict. The lesser and included charges are going to dictate the results of this case. As both sides have spent a majority of the past year working on this case it is all coming to an end and it will be in the hands of the 6 women who make up the jury. As the debate of jury instructions will play out, in my opinion, this is what will help navigate the outcome of this case. No matter what happens a child is dead and nothing can bring that back, not even a guilty verdict.

Scientific Research or Commercial Whaling?

Is Japan catching whales for scientific research or is it for commercial whaling as Australia is arguing? Currently, this issue is being debated in front of the International Court of Justice in The Hague and a ruling should come down in the near future.

You can read more about this at: http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/06/26/us-australia-japan-whaling-idUSBRE95O1HI20130626

How Do I Report Abuse in the State of Florida?

There are many ways to report suspected abuse in the State of Florida. You can report abuse in the following ways: 1. By Telephone: 1-800-96ABUSE (1-800-962-2873) 2. By Fax: 1-800-914-0004s 3. By TDD: 1-800-453-5145 4. Web Reporting: https://reportabuse.dcf.state.fl.us

If you believe a child is endangered you should make a report because you never know if that contact with the department may save a child’s life. If you need more information on reporting abuse and what is considered abuse you may to visit http://www.myflfamilies.com/service-programs/abuse-hotline and/or http://www.myflfamilies.com/service-programs/abuse-hotline/howtoreport.

Motion to Continue: “Because Alabama is playing Notre Dame in the BCS Game”

Yes, Birmingham lawyer Marcus Jones III has filed a Motion to Continue for a trial that is scheduled for January 7, 2013. (http://blog.al.com/spotnews/2012/12/alabama_fan-lawyer_gets_wish_t.html) The underlying basis of his Motion for Continuance is that he is a dedicated fan and an “Alabama Football Fanatic.” With Alabama playing on January 7, 2013 for Championship, his motion was granted. (you can read the motion: http://media.al.com/spotnews/other/Motion.pdf) As an avid Florida Gator Fan and Alumni, I can appreciate Mr. Jones’s feeling towards his team. The Florida Gators would have had a shot to play in the National Championship except for that pesky Florida/Georgia game. (Still love my Gators!) As an avid fan of college football, I know the SEC has produced the last 6 Champions of College Football (the Gators won 2 of those 6). As much as I dislike Bama, I predict they will beat Notre Dame with the final score being 42-21.

Roll tide (Just for January 7, 2013)

Domestic Violence and Money Mayweather

Domestic Violence and Money Mayweather

Although we may not know exactly what happened between Money Mayweather and the mother of his children back in 2010, he has pled guilty to domestic battery. No matter what happened in September 2010, Money Mayweather is facing a 3-month sentence in the Clark County Detention Center.

Regardless of your personal thoughts on the Mayweather domestic battery case, the bottom line is Domestic Violence is a HUGE problem. The overwhelming majority of clients I encounter have been in some form or another involved with domestic violence (men and women). Whether or not you think domestic violence is a REAL EPIDEMIC, it is never right to hit your partner regardless of the situation.

Geraldo Rivera: Are You Crazy?

It is unfortunate that a man in a newsworthy position such as Geraldo Rivera uses his position to make foolish, and what I believe to be, ignorant statements regarding a tragedy that led to a child’s untimely death. ( See http://latino.foxnews.com/latino/politics/2012/03/23/trayvon-martins-hoodie-and-george-zimmerman-share-blame/)

Under Geraldo Rivera’s hypothesis that he vocally stated on the air and in writing, Trayvon Martin would not have died but for his….hoodie???

No…in my opinion this is far from accurate.  Trayvon Martin’s death is an example of race relation issues that still exist in this country today.  Trayvon Martin’s death was caused by a man with a gun who ignored the advice of a 911 dispatcher and took what he thought was the law into his own hands.  However, Trayvon Martin had done nothing wrong and the law had no reason to be invoked.

I am disheartened by the ignorant comment made by Geraldo Rivera regarding the child’s choice in clothing being the cause of his death and not the man that shot him.  We teach children not to judge a book by its cover and it is a sad day when an adult cannot follow this simple lesson.  Clothing does not dictate who a person is on the inside but is simply a form of free expression and protecting you from the elements of the weather; a hoodie is a form of protection from the rain, and yes Geraldo Rivera it was raining.

Trayvon Martin: A Child is Dead.

No matter what happens in this case a child is dead. He is dead because an individual is claiming he was acting in self-defense when he shot and killed Trayvon Martin. Not only do you have a dead child, but you also have a community that is outraged; when that child was killed no immediate action was taken by the police, and as a result the State Attorney's Office has not been able to open a case against Mr. Zimmerman. Currently, there is an ongoing investigation about the shooting and it will be sent to a grand jury to see if there is enough evidence against Mr. Zimmerman to proceed.

This is a situation that can get out of control very quickly if the appropriate action is not taken in a reasonable time period.  The city of Sanford has been, and will continue, to face tough scrutiny if appropriate measures are not taken.

How would you feel if your child was killed and the person who was responsible for the shooting is walking free?