Today Florida's 2nd District Court of Appeals (DCA) ruled that municipalities can contract with 3rd party vendors to sort through images and issue violations for red light violations. This ruling covers Polk, Pasco, Hillsborough Pinellas, Manatee, and other counties in the jurisdiction of the 2nd DCA. The opinion can be read here. While the opinion...
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Canadian teen arrested for Polk "SWATting" incident for alleged fake calls to law enforcement.
A Canadian juvenile was arrested in the recent Polk County "swatting" case. "SWATting" is when an individual attempts to lure the SWAT time to respond to a location for a fake threat of some type. Polk County deputies allege the teen anonymously placed hoax calls to law enforcement officials in an effort to lure SWAT...
Read MoreAnother Christmas Prostitution sting in Polk County results in 61 arrests.
Sheriff Grady Judd will hold a press conference today to announce the results of the latest Polk Prostitution sting from last week. The sting was part of a undercover operation targeting individuals who respond to online advertisements on Backpage.com. The online ads are usually listings for escort or massage services, but once the person responds to the hotel,...
Read MoreBartow high school teacher arrested for possession of cannabis and paraphernalia.
Over the weekend, a Bartow high school teacher was arrested for possession of marijuana and paraphernalia (a grinder). WFLA channel 8 is reporting that Polk County Sheriff deputies allegedly went to the teacher's house in response to a tip that the teacher was in possession of the marijuana. Once the deputies arrived, they alleged smelled...
Read MoreWhat advantages are there to hiring a local Polk criminal lawyer over an Orlando or Tampa lawyer?
Thursday is Pre-Trial Conference in Polk County misdemeanor and criminal traffic court. What happens at a Polk County Pre-Trial Conference (PTC) court date? These are usually scheduling court dates. Some cases are set for jury trial. Other cases have Motions that must be filed before the case is ready for trial. A Motion...
Read MorePolk criminal lawyer Thomas Grajek attends Florida Bar seminar on cross-examination for trial.
Yesterday, I attended a seminar by Roger Dodd on cross-examination sponsored by the Florida Bar. Why was I spending a Saturday at a seminar? Because Roger Dodd is one of the leading experts on cross-examination in the country. When you get a chance to learn from one of the best, you go. I want to...
Read MorePolk County prostitution sting operation "When Will You Learn" results in 98 arrests!
Once again, Grady Judd and the Polk County Sheriff's Office conducted another prostitution sting. This four day operation was called "When Will You Learn" by the sheriff. Almost 100 people were arrested. The suspected "johns" arrested for solicitation of prostitution will be subject to the $5,000.00 "civil penalty" that was enacted last year if the...
Read MoreFlorida speed limits to be raised? Gov. Scott just needs to sign the bill.
Could the speed limit on some of Florida's highways be raised in the near future? That is a very real possibility now as the Florida House narrowly passed the bill to raise the limit by only 2 votes. If the bill is passed it does not mean that speed limits will be raised at all....
Read MoreThree Florida Men Arrested for Promoting Obscenity at Polk County Nightclub
Where is the line when promoting live obscene shows in a bar? Three Florida men were arrested for promoting obscenity at a Polk County nightclub. The arrests were made because law enforcement described the bar’s activities as a “violent public nuisance.” Under those circumstances, the police began an investigation of the business and arrested the...
Read MoreFemale teacher arrested for allegedly having sex with her student. Teacher was booked into the Polk County Jail on counts of
Yesterday, a female Polk County teacher was arrested for allegedly having sex with her 17 year old student. The teacher, Jennifer Fichter, is an English teacher at Central Florida Aerospace Academy. The arrest allegedly stemmed from text messages the teen's mother found on her son's phone. The mother then allegedly asked the teacher to come to...
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