Andrew D. Stine, P.A. - Florida Criminal Defence Attorney

There have been a few mixed martial arts fighters making headlines in recent years for breaking the law. As the sport grows in popularity, so does the amount of media attention the athletes are forced to contend with. MMA Fighter Fernando Rodrigues was recently arrested and charged with several crimes after a road rage incident where he allegedly pistol-whipped another person in addition to punching and kicking him several times and putting him into a wrestling hold. Palm Beach Post covered the details of the confrontation after the victim spoke out to the public.

When officers of the law are arrested, the public usually sees the case on the news because officers generally always fight the charges. This is usually because if they are convicted, they will never again be able to be officers of the law. In Broward County, a Sheriff’s deputy is facing this dilemma after conducting a suspicious arrest while off duty. His accuser allegedly has a video recording of the incident.

The West Palm Beach metropolitan area is the 13th most violent city in the country. There are many violent crimes committed in Palm Beach County and assault and battery are two of the most serious. Most people think "assault and battery" are the same offense but technically "assault" and "battery" are two distinct and separate crimes.

Aggravated battery is the crime of intentionally causing harm to another person using a deadly weapon. A deadly weapon can be considered a firearm, a knife, or even a vehicle. In this case, the deadly weapons used were poles and sticks. Aggravated battery is a second-degree felony punishable by up to 15 years in prison.

Stabbing is a serious crime as it can be deemed it court as assault with a deadly weapon or even attempted murder. These two crimes are both felonies but the sentences may vary depending on the circumstances of the crime. Also, stabbing may have residual charges depending on the situation as well. If the stabbing coincided with theft or robbery, the multiple charges could have a serious impact on the sentence and court proceedings. 

Criminal charges can’t be separated by categories because one criminal charge often results in residual charges. A great common example would be when a residence is busted for being a marijuana grow house and then the owner is also charged with weapons possession after weapons are found in the residence. Multiplecriminal charges can often result in a very complicated sentence.

A New York man has been accused of battery against a JetBlue flight attendant. He is facing serious criminal charges, according to WPTV News. The article is included below.