Florida Domestic Violence Defenses: Definitions

Definitions are extremely important. How things are defined can determine how a case result is obtained - or not. Therefore, a quick video primer on Florida Domestic Violence Law definitions is extremely important.

Note: Florida Criminal Law contains numerous definitions and to cover all of them would take an eternity. So, only the basics are covered here.

One of my favorite examples definitional disaster involves "assault and battery" since the phrase is commonly misused, and gives the impression that they are one and the same. However, assault is not a battery and a battery is not an assault. The penalties alone are strikingly different, even in the context of a criminal misdemeanor: assault can result in sixty (60) days in jail; battery, up to a year. The simplest way to describe the difference is to liken assault with a swing and a miss, and battery as a swing that hits. This is grossly oversimplified, but gives a good mental visual of the difference between the two.

Florida Criminal Law Explained in 39 Seconds

Florida Criminal Law is a television show I've hosted for years. This clip is all of 39 seconds, and it is probably the only time in my career where the entire criminal law legal procedure has been explained so briefly.
Many people do not realize how the criminal justice system will pull one over on them, especially when it comes to criminal misdemeanors and criminal traffic offenses. The government hopes people will show up, plead out on their first court date (usually arraignment, but sometimes called "Plea Day" in some counties), and get sentenced on the spot.

The result is that people think they are saving money on legal fees (reasoning that they are guilty, so this is a way to cut their losses), and end up with criminal history, miss out on legal defenses and never get the best deal possible. A criminal defense attorney in Florida will be able to help you get the best possible plea bargain if you wish to settle your case.

This short video clip shows the procedure when a criminal case is handled correctly.