Celebrity Justice

March 24, 2022

A Look Back on the Movie Theater Shooting Case and the Details of the Florida Statute that Helped the Defendant Secure an Acquittal

By now, the story of the retired police captain who shot and killed a fellow movie-goer in Pasco County has become extremely well-known, especially here in Florida. We can all debate what each man could and/or should have done differently, but this isn’t about that. Instead, this post is to focus on some legal aspects of the case that were less well-known and the lessons one can draw from this case, starting with the value of having the right Tampa Bay criminal defense lawyer on your side when you’re facing major felony charges.

To recap, Curtis Reeves, a retired police captain, was attending a matinee movie with his wife when he became frustrated with a nearby man who was texting. The captain spoke out, an argument ensued, then the other man threw Reeves’ popcorn at him. Shortly thereafter, Reeves drew his gun and shot, fatally wounding the man.

The prosecution argued that Reeves was insulted by the popcorn-throwing and shot in a fit of rage. The defense argued that Reeves shot in self-defense.

November 19, 2021

What the Rittenhouse Case in Wisconsin Can Teach Floridians About Affirmative Defenses, Burdens of Proof, and Criminal Trials in This State

by Blake & Dorsten, P.A.

Many people across the country were riveted these past few weeks by the homicide trial in Kenosha, Wisconsin. Many people were happy with the outcome; many more were profoundly disappointed. Regardless of one’s feelings about the trial’s result, there are certain things that we can all learn from the trial and why the jury decided as they did. Although the Tampa Bay area is 1,200+ miles from Kenosha and Wisconsin’s laws are not Florida’s, one thing that is nearly universal is how important the right defense strategy can be. That’s why, if you or a loved one is on trial or potentially facing charges here, it pays to have a knowledgeable Tampa Bay criminal defense attorney on your side.

For those unfamiliar with the background events, Kyle Rittenhouse was a teen who lived 20 miles south of Kenosha and who traveled to the city on August 25, 2021, after a series of protests the day before had included arson, vandalism, and property damage. (The protests had begun after local police shot and paralyzed a Black man.)

During the night of August 25, Rittenhouse was involved in a pair of confrontations with protestors. During those confrontations, Rittenhouse shot at four men, hitting three and killing two.

September 17, 2021

Lessons to Take Away from the Court Ruling that Overturned Bill Cosby’s Criminal Conviction

by Blake & Dorsten, P.A.

Public perception of the criminal justice system can be skewed. People follow cases on TV or the internet, they form opinions, then they want the “bad guy” punished. They often don’t care about the finer points of proper criminal procedure… right until they are the person facing a potential criminal conviction. That’s when they gain a whole new understanding of the importance of fundamental fairness in a criminal case. Part of ensuring fundamental fairness in your case is exercising your right to obtain a skilled Tampa Bay criminal defense attorney.

Back in late June, in a ruling that made headlines around the world, the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania tossed the sex crimes conviction of famed comedian and actor Bill Cosby.

A lot of people were very angry about Cosby being set free. Undeniably, the things of which he was accused were abhorrent. However, if one digs deeper into what the Supreme Court ruled, one can see the fundamental notions of fairness that undergird our criminal system required the outcome the court reached.

March 16, 2021

What a Former Baseball All-Star’s Arrest Can Say About Your DUI Case in Florida

by Blake & Dorsten, P.A.

The 2004 World Champion Boston Red Sox baseball team was embraced by fans and given the affectionate nickname “The Idiots.” Unfortunately, one of the members of that team who grew up playing baseball in the Orlando area is in the news again, and he’s accused of doing something genuinely not very smart: driving under the influence of alcohol. While the criminal legal troubles of any person, including famous people, are no laughing matter, the mistakes they make can serve as teachable moments about what to do and what not to do. One thing this retired baseball star’s case teaches is the importance of taking the right steps if you’ve been stopped by the police. If you’re under suspicion of DUI in Florida, one thing you should do with all due haste is to reach out to a knowledgeable Saint Petersburg DUI defense attorney.

Law enforcement officers in an Orlando suburb stopped a black SUV shortly before 1:30 am early one morning in February. Inside were the former World Series champ and his wife. The officers asked if the retired outfielder had consumed any alcohol that evening. He replied “just a little bit” as he held his index finger and thumb in a gesture indicating the same thing. The police stated that the man’s speech was “extremely slurred,” according to News Channel 8.

The police asked the man to perform a field sobriety test. He accepted because, as he told the officers, “I’m a big boy,” Channel 8 also reported. At the police station, the man agreed to take a breathalyzer test, even though his wife advised him to refuse it. The two valid breath samples the police obtained yielded results of .294 and .300, according to a TMZ report.

January 12, 2016

Singer Chris Brown a suspect in yet another battery

by Blake & Dorsten, P.A.

From the Washington Post, it looks like troubled singer Chris Brown is starting 2016 like he ended 2015…with allegations of a battery and yet another police investigation.

Talented but troubled pop/R & B singer Chris Brown is now being named a suspect of an alleged battery of a female fan in Las Vegas. This comes right after his history of violence caused his overseas tour to be canceled along with a canceled television appearance.

In his latest incident, after Chris Brown performed in a Las Vegas nightclub, police received a call from the alleged victim. The woman claimed that Chris stole her phone and hit her after she tried to take his picture. By the time police arrived at the Palms Casino Resort, Brown had fled. As of the time of this writing, he is a suspect in a misdemeanor battery and petit theft.

The singer has not commented on any allegations other then a cryptic instagram photo of himself with a caption that read “I’m going to be hella rich after all the lawsuits I file from these crazy individuals who keep lying on my name…”.

A spokeswoman for the singer has called the allegations completely false and said the alleged victim was escorted out of a private after-party for being disruptive. Once kicked out of the party the woman began threatening people and slamming her purse to the ground.

The spokeswoman further claimed that the victim has a history of making false accusations.

As for Chris Brown, he is perhaps most well known for his beating of Rihanna, a fellow singer. Brown pled guilty to assaulting her in 2009 and photos of her badly beaten face were all over the internet. Despite the injuries, Brown only received probation. He quickly violated probation by punching a man in the nose in Washington. This led to multiple anger management programs, a few months in jail and a major lawsuit. Not learning his lesson, Brown continued feuding with fellow singers Frank Ocean and Drake. Continue reading

June 15, 2015

Justin Bieber pleads guilty to assault, traffic charges

by Blake & Dorsten, P.A.

While megastar Justin Bieber has vowed to get clean and stay out of trouble, his latest legal troubles may put his promise to the test.

Last Thursday in a tiny town in Canada, Justin Bieber plead guilty to assault and careless driving that involved an incident with photographers and his then girlfriend Selena Gomez.

The incident, that took place August 29, 2014,resulted in a plea bargain when the government reduced a dangerous driving charge in exchange for a guilty plea. Justin Bieber intentionally drove a four-wheel ATV into a van two photographers were using to stake him out at his family’s rural property, according to an agreed statement of facts.

The pop star then started to hitt one of them, Todd Gillis, 47, who said he was able to fend off the tiny singer who was yelling at him to leave.

Bieber landed multiple punches on Gillis through the window of the parked van.
While Justin did not hurt the large photagrapher, he was sore in his shoulder afterwards and most likely received a large settlement from Bieber in order to agree to the reduced charges.

In a surprising twist, the photographer was also found guilty of trespassing on Justin Bieber’s family home, which set the above events in motion.

Justin, for his part, appeared via video from his California criminal defense attorney‘s office. He was fined $750 for the careless driving and his assault charges were dismissed. It was unclear if he had to participate in a pretrial diversion program in order to secure the dismissal.

On the day he got arrested, he and his then girlfriend Selena Gomez took an ATV that seats two people, one in front of the other, to the nearby home of a family member. They were on vacation and it was reported that they were driving on roads with no helmets. Meanwhile they were being staked out by two photographers both established paparazzi who had shot them before.

Selena Gomez drove on the way out, but Justin Bieber drove on the way back, and spotted the photographers parked in a driveway up ahead as he approached his own driveway. He drove at them, intentionally colliding with the front right side of their van. The police were unable to determine where exactly the impact occurred, whether on or off the highway, but there was evidence that the van, previously parked, had been moving forward at the moment of impact.

After crashing into the van, Justin immediately raced up and started to batter the photographer.

His criminal charges were dropped, in part, because at the time of this incident, he had no other criminal record. Since this incident, he has had several run ins with the law in both California and Florida. His publicist had no comment after this latest incident and his twitter feed was unusually quiet as well.
Continue reading

January 8, 2015

Former “Saved by the Bell” star charged with battery

by Blake & Dorsten, P.A.

From ABC news. Dustin Diamond, aka “Screech” of Saved by the Bell fame, was arrested in Wisconsin. His charge? Battery with a deadly weapon.

The 37-year-old actor stabbed a man in a Wisconsin bar in where he claimed he was defending his fiance. In addition to the battery complaint, he was also charged with disorderly conduct and carrying a concealed weapon.

The actor and his fiance were both arrested after the bar fight in Port Washington, Wisconsin. She was charged with disorderly conduct and released. He was released on bail after posting a $10,000 bond.

Details are still coming out but Screech’s criminal defense attorney has made a brief statement to the news: “Dustin has absolute faith in our legal system. We are confident that the truth will ultimately prevail … Dustin appreciates and respects the work of the Port Washington Police Department and its efforts to keep the community safe.”

Police were called out to a bar late Thursday after receiving reports of a man stabbing another man and then leaving the bar. A folding knife with an almost 4 inch blade was recovered in Dustin’s car the next day.

While being interviewed by the police, Dustin kept changing his story. He would either claim a pen or a knife was in his hand. He told the police that there was a large group of intoxicated people that were being rude. He then claimed that his girlfriend got into a fight with another woman and he had to defend her from a large group of people. He then said that he never intentionally stabbed anyone but was only defending his girlfriend.

Dustin, who had a court date inearly January, was arrested after police spoke with the bartender, multiple witnesses and the victim, who was stabbed in the armpit.

After “Saved by the Bell” went off the air in the 90’s, Dustin’s career has suffered. He starred in a few spin-offs of the show as but he had alienated his co-stars after publishing a negative book about the behind the scenes shenanigans. He has most recently been linked to drugs and his ill-fated porn video “Saved by the Smell”.
Continue reading

August 21, 2014

Super Bowl Champion Investigated by the Police

by Blake & Dorsten, P.A.

A police department in the state of Washington is investigating Seattle Seahawk running back Marshawn Lynch for assault and criminal mischief allegations.

The local police were quick not to jump to conclusions. Per the police spokesman: “At this point, this is only an allegation. We haven’t even confirmed that he was there, so it’s very early on in this investigation. Everything that we can confirm is in the news release”.

While details are still murky, the incident might have taken place early Sunday morning in a woman’s Bellevue apartment. The woman claimed that the football player threatened a battery against her and then damaged some of her things.

The police were quick to note that no sexual assault or domestic battery was suspected.

As for Marshawn Lynch, the timing could not be worse for the three-time Pro Bowler. Lynch last year led the Superbowl champion Seahawks with over 1200 rushing yards. There were many insiders who had hoped that a superbowl ring would mature the trouble-proned running back.

He had previously been suspended three games in 2009 by the NFL commissioner for a weapons charge. Then just two years later, he was arrested for a DUI.

Despite his past, it is important to remember that these newest charges are mere allegations at the time of this writing and he has yet to be charged.
Continue reading

June 26, 2014

Hope Solo arrested again…

by Blake & Dorsten, P.A.

Last time we wrote about soccer star Hope Solo, it was as a victim of domestic violence. Now it is her turn to be a criminal suspect. From CBS news online,

Olympic soccer star Hope Solo was arrested for assault and domestic violence this week against her 17-year-old nephew and and her sister according to police.

The charges resulted from a 911 caller who said a woman was “hitting people,” Washington police said. The caller also said Solo wouldn’t stop or leave the house where the alleged assault took place.

When police arrived, they found Solo intoxicated and emotional. Further investigation found injuries on the boy and her sister. Solo was determined to be at fault.

She was booked into jail early Saturday morning where she remained over the weekend until first appearance court on Monday.

The ex-Olympic soccer legend is now the goalkeeper for the Seattle Reign in the National Women’s Soccer League.

In 2012 Hope was involved in a criminal battery case with he NFL tight end husband. She declined to prosecute, married him immediately and charges against him were later dropped.
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March 14, 2014

Update on Justin Bieber’s Florida DUI arrest

by Blake & Dorsten, P.A.

We had mentioned pop star Justin Bieber’s DUI arrest in a previous blog post. By now, the whole world knows about his arrest for driving under the influence and his disaster of a deposition for his upcoming civil suit he took. There is now an update on his criminal cases.

After being charged in Miami, Florida for a DUI, resisting arrest without violence and a No Valid Driver’s License (NVDL), Justin Bieber finally gets a trial date.

A judge has set trial for May 5 as the singer had previously pled “Not Guilty” to the charges. Per both the prosecutor and his criminal defense attorney, no offer has been made on the case.

There had been a previous trial date but it was continued due to publicity surrounding Bieber’s urine test that was caught on video.

The defendant and Khalil Sharieff, another singer, were arrested in January for closing down a street to race sportscars. Police investigated and later made an arrest on the above charges. There are several interesting angles in this story. Bieber’s blood-alcohol content was below the 0.02 level for underage drivers. However he underwent further tests which found marijuana and Xanax in his system, potentially complicating his defense.
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