sex offense

Record Number of Illegal Immigrant Deportations

Andrew Stine — Fri, 18 May 2012 12:10:03 GMT

Immigration is a tricky subject. If you are an immigrant, legal or illegal, and you are accused of a serious crime, you could be facing potential deportation. Regardless of your legal status you need to contact an experienced criminal defense lawyer immediately. This is the only chance you have at staying in this country. The law does not take immigration lightly and while there is momentum in changing immigration legislation, for now, being an illegal or even legal immigrant can be a precarious thing.

Possible Immigrants Land on Shore

There are so many stories about the coast guard catching speed boats racing towards our shores carrying loads of people entering our country illegally. Recently, nine people were taken into custody late Thursday as a result of a possible immigrant landing on Hutchinson Island, the Martin County Sheriff's Office reported.

Officials are still in the area, looking for up to five more people. At about 10 p.m. Thursday, deputies found six men and three women in the area of MacArthur Boulevard, sheriff's spokeswoman Rhonda Irons said. The men and women appeared to be of Colombian descent, Irons said. They were on foot and no vessel was located, according to WPTV News.

Record Number of Deportations in 2011

According to WPTV News, the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Director said in a statement late last year saying that 2011 fiscal year produced nearly 400,000 deportations involving immigrants committing serious crimes including both felony and misdemeanor convictions. The agency says that this number is up 89 percent from 2008 and is the largest in history.

Among those deported were more than 1,000 people convicted of homicide. Another 5,800 were sexual offenders, and about 80,000 people convicted of drug crimes or DUI's.

Authorities say two-thirds of those deported either recently crossed the border or had done so repeatedly.

Criminal Defense

If you are an immigrant and you have been accused of a crime, you have a serious chance of being deported back to your country. Even being found in the U.S. again after your deportation is a felony. Contact a criminal defense lawyer immediately after your arrest as he is your only hope at staying in the country.

Distributed by Viestly

School Teachers and Sex Crimes

Andrew Stine — Fri, 02 Mar 2012 15:29:34 GMT

It seems that almost once a week, one Florida teacher or another is headlining news reports after being arrested for some sex crime against a child. Only recently, it was a teacher in Palm Beach County, this week it is an elementary school teacher in Mango, Fla. Sex crimes against children are extremely serious and have even more serious consequences. These crimes often involve a heavy investigation and no room for mercy for the defendants. If you have been accused of committing a sex crime against a minor, seek the guidance of a criminal defense lawyer immediately.

Why Teachers Have Sex with Their Students

In an effort to understand why there are so many teachers being featured in news articles for having had sexual relationships with their students, I conducted some research to find out what drives teachers to commit sex crimes that could result in years in prison.

According to an article in Business Insider, female teachers may have sex with their male students for several reasons including love, loneliness, lust, or as a reaction to having been sexually abused as a child themselves. The article gives a few case examples for each of these intrinsic motivations but it all boils down to one thing: emotional unbalance. These teachers who are choosing to involve themselves sexually with students who are 20 or more years younger than them (and minors no less), are willing to risk being convicted of a felony to fulfill some emotional emptiness caused by an event from their past. The article also discusses why society is almost making these relationships more acceptable, regardless of the law, because of cultural shifts we are experiencing.

Sex Crimes Against Children in South Florida
Parents are growing more and more concerned with this epidemic of teachers having sex with students, and law enforcement is wondering exactly what sort of regulations to increase to prevent this from happening. Should we increase the qualifications required in order to become a teacher? Should we require psychological evaluations? Teachers have an obligation to society to guide and help shape younger generations into quality citizens, it is disheartening to see people we entrust our children to committing crimes against minors.

Criminal Defense
If you have been accused of committing a sex crime against a minor, it is imperative that you get help from a criminal defense lawyer immediately. Being convicted of this crime can result in extremely serious consequences including time in prison or even having to register as a sex offender. Contact a criminal defense lawyer immediately to begin planning a defense strategy for your case.

Distributed by Viestly

Sex Offenders Moving In Causes Eviction for Other Residents

Andrew Stine — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 13:52:45 GMT

When a person is convicted of a sex crime, after serving the sentence in prison, the defendant must register as a sex offender immediately after release. Sex offender registration is a public record. Anyone who requests this information as access to it including potential employers, landowners, fellow residents, or even school officials. Being a registered sex offender severely limits one's freedom and ability to make independent choices. While this can be difficult for the offender, what happens to those people who co-exist in the communities with sex offenders?

Sex Offender Migration in Pahokee

Sex offenders that have been released after serving their sentences have an extremely difficult time setting up lives for themselves. Being a registered sex offender is public knowledge and can limit even the most basic freedoms including where one can and cannot live.

In an effort to curb this issue, a prison minister wanted to create a community where sex offenders could live without scrutiny. However, he chose the community called Pelican Lake Village in 2008 to set up his Miracle Park, encroaching on the lives of 13 adults and 26 children. These families were forced to move due to the influx of registered sex offenders moving into town.

The owners of the community simply sent out a notice warning residents that if they had children, they must move or face eviction. In an outrage, the residents filed suit against the community. The jury of the case recently awarded $1 million to the residents who were forcibly evicted.

According to the Palm Beach Post:

"Families were just jettisoned to bring in sex offenders," said Vince Larkins, president and CEO of the fair housing agency. Federal and state laws prohibit discrimination based on familial status.

It is a difficult predicament because Florida law also makes it illegal for sex offenders to live within a certain distance of where children gather. These families were forced to leave their homes so the prison minister could provide housing for men and women who's shameful pasts are publicized to local residents.

Sex Crime Criminal Defense

If you have been accused of committing a sex crime, contact a West Palm Beach Criminal Defense Lawyer immediately. It is crucial that you get the legal help you need because if you are not fairly represented in your trial and the case results in a conviction, your entire life will change and not for the better. Being a registered sex offender will limit every aspect of your life. Call a criminal defense lawyer today.

Distributed by Viestly

Facebook Leads to Arrest of Mom Charged with Child Abuse

Andrew Stine — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 15:13:00 GMT

Facebook has become a daily part of many people's lives. Law enforcement is now using the social media site more often to catch criminals. Over a year ago, Facebook was used to track down a mother and daughter who repeatedly committed animal cruelty crimes against a pig, and posted a video of the act. Now, an Orange County mother has been arrested on charges of child abuse and contributing to the delinquency of a minor due to another video on Facebook.

Contributing to the Delinquency of a Minor

The legal definition of contributing to the delinquency of a minor can include anything done by an adult that would allow or encourage illegal behavior by a person under the age of 18. It is also considered contributing to the delinquency of a minor if an adult places the child in situations that exposes them to illegal behavior, such as committing a crime in the presence of a child. An adult who serves alcoholic beverages to someone under 21 can be charged with this crime as well. The definition also includes crimes of a much more serious nature such as sexual exploitation, child pornography, or sexual relations with a minor.

Child Abuse in Orange County

An Orlando mother was captured on video yelling at her daughter during the girl's fistfight with another teen to "hit harder" and "bite her" was arrested Thursday, according to the Orlando Sentinel. Sandra Padilla Miranda, 38, asked the girl to come to her apartment complex so she and her daughter could fight after the girls, 14 and 17, got into a confrontation at their school. The girls have been suspended.

Video of the fistfight at Bellagio apartments off Semoran Boulevard was posted on Facebook and depicted one of the girls hitting the other and trying to bite her in the face, a report states. During the fight, Padilla Miranda repeatedly egged her daughter on in Spanish, investigators said.

Padilla Miranda has been charged with child abuse and contributing to the delinquency of a minor by causing a child to commit an act of delinquency. The Orlando Sentinel reported that she was in the process of posting an $1,100 bail late Thursday.

Child Abuse Criminal Defense

If you have been charged with child abuse anywhere in South Florida, there is an experienced Criminal Defense Lawyer you can call. Charges dealing with children can often be extremely serious and unforgiving including an investigation from the Department of Children and Families. A lawyer in West Palm Beach like Andrew D. Stine has experience in dealing with clients charged with child abuse and can help you resolve the case as much in your favor as possible.

Distributed by Viestly

What Will Happen if I'm Convicted for a Sex Crime Against a Minor?

Andrew Stine — Fri, 15 Jul 2011 15:10:20 GMT

Crimes against children are the most aggressively prosecuted within the justice system. One crime against children that is considered the most severe is attempting to entice a minor to engage in sexual activity through the use of a computer – especially if the perpetrator is a registered sex offender.

Convicted Again as a Registered Sex Offender

According to the Palm Beach Post, a 68-year-old man has been convicted of attempting to entice a minor to engage in sexual activity. Mark Levinson of West Palm Beach is a registered sex offender who had previously been convicted of aggravated sexual abuse of a 7-year-old girl.

He has now been found guilty of using a computer to try and entice an 8-year-old girl to engage in sexual activity, according to the post. He has been sentenced to 40 years – a number that directly relates to his previous record, and the extent of the crime.

According to the Palm Beach Post, Levinson entered an Internet chat room and conversed with an undercover police officer. The officer was posing as the father of an 8-year-old girl. Believing that he was communicating via web cam with the father and the child (played by another undercover officer), Levinson engaged in a sexual activity and asked the father and child to do the same, the release stated.

Levinson was immediately taken into custody.

Life as a Criminal Sex Offender

If you are convicted of a sexual offense against a minor, you will have to register with the Florida Department of Law Enforcement and from that moment on, your entire life will change.

Ask a criminal defense lawyer how your life will be turned inside out once you are convicted of a sexual offense against a minor. Every move you make will be closely monitored, you will be restricted in everything you do, who you meet, and how you live. Your registration as a sex offender will be public information. Only a criminal defense lawyer can help you if you have been charged with a sex crime against a minor.

Distributed by Viestly