The Umansky Law Firm

Florida started the drug court movement by creating the first treatment-based drug court in the United States back in 1989. The drug court concept was developed in Dade County (Miami, Florida) stemming from a federal mandate to reduce the inmate population or lose federal funding.

The Supreme Court of Florida recognized the severity of the drug situation and directed Judge Herbert Klein to research the problem. Judge Klein determined that a vast majority of criminal inmates had been incarcerated because of drug charges and were revolving back through the criminal justice system because of underlying problems of drug addiction.

It was decided that the delivery of treatment services needed to be coupled with the criminal justice system and the need for strong judicial leadership and partnerships to bring treatment services and the criminal justice system together. Ultimately, the model for treatment-based drug courts was born.

If you live in Florida and have been charged with a drug offense, you need an experienced criminal defense attorney on your side. Your life does not have to end following your arrest. We can help you get a reduced sentence or an acquittal in some cases. Please contact the Umansky Law Firm in Orlando, Florida today to schedule your initial consultation.

An Indiana bar has been ordered to pay a settlement of $704,649 to a motorcyclist who is totally disabled as a result of a crash caused by a drunk driver who had been a patron at Jake's Roadhouse in West Lafayette, Indiana. Christopher Harmon, 22, has been in a coma since the accident in September 2004 where he suffered a traumatic brain injury.

The Harmons agreed to accept the settlement with the bar's insurance company, Lexington Insurance Company, under a $1 million liquor liability insurance policy issued to Jake's Roadhouse; in exchange, the Harmons release Jake's from further legal responsibility.

The patron who left Jake's after drinking, 24-year-old Nicole M. Fox, drove left of center that night causing three motorcyclists to crash. Fox drove away from the crash and was uncooperative with police when they caught up with her farther down the road. Ms. Fox had been arrested in December 2003 for public intoxication and underage drinking, and she was arrested for drunken driving just two weeks before the September crash that injured the cyclists. The judge in the case imposed a 14-year sentence, the maximum under Fox's plea agreement, and suspended four years.

Another motorcyclist involved in the wreck, Jerry Raiff, is confined to a wheelchair for the rest of his life.

If you have been charged with a DUI related offense, please contact The Umansky Law Firm in Orlando, Florida today as you will need an experienced defense attorney to help you get the least life destroying punishment possible.

While the temptation to believe that once you have been sentenced for a crime, probation shouldn’t matter much to you, think again. In Florida, breaking probation can be a severe crime. Proving you have violated your probation is much easier than simply showing guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. All the judge needs to hear is that you are more likely to have broken your probation than not.

Once it has been proven that you have violated your probation, either on purpose, or through circumstances beyond your control, a judge will examine the severity and impose punishment. You also do not have the right to a trial by jury for a violation. The judge might set a bond, but is not required to do so, meaning that you could be kept in jail for longer than you originally thought.

You need to know that, beyond what violations might be obvious to you, the severity of your probation violation will affect the way you are sentenced if you are caught. Your probation might be extended, or you might go to prison.

If you find yourself caught violating probation in Florida, the first thing you should do is consult an experienced probation lawyer. Do not admit to the violation until you have spoken with your lawyer. You should also know that your lawyer’s experience could mean the difference in getting the violation dropped or going to prison.

If you are in the Orlando, Florida area and have been accused of a probation violation, please contact the law offices of The Umansky Firm. The Umansky Firm will be able to answer your questions and guide you through the legal system once you have scheduled an initial consultation.

Florida attracts more tourists each year than most of the other 49 states because of its sandy beaches and thrilling amusement parks, but with fun in the sun can also come trouble. If you have come to visit Florida and have found yourself in some kind of legal trouble, there is help available to you. The criminal defense attorneys at The Umansky Law Firm in Orlando, Florida have experienced lawyers who can help you through the legal mess if you’ve been charged with a misdemeanor or felony while visiting the state.

Tourists Can Be Perpetrators and Victims

Florida has experienced more than its share of highly publicized tragedies involving visitors to this state. These events have given the impression to some that Florida is an unsafe place to visit. While recent reports indicate that the Florida tourism industry has rebounded strongly—with last year’s growth spurring thousands of new jobs—the issue of crime as it relates to tourism cannot be ignored. Clearly, the events of past years have shown the highly-volatile nature of the industry and the severe threat of a "tarnished" image of Florida.

Florida’s residents and visitors need to know that while Florida (like most states) still experiences a major crime problem, it is being aggressively addressed by the state.

If you have recently visited Florida and were involved in some type of crime such as theft, drugs, traffic, or assault, please contact The Umansky Firm today to schedule your initial consultation.

DUI attorneys are often asked, “Why take a case where the defendant blew past the legal limit?” Well, what good DUI defense attorneys know is that breath testing machines that are used in DUI and DWI arrests are subject to error, even under the best conditions. We know that just because you blew past the legal limit, that does mean you are guilty of breaking the law.

Breath testing in DUI cases dates back to 1937 when Rolla Harger invented a machine called a "drunkometer." This machine then led to the creation of many, more advanced machines over the years, each trying to improve on the reliability of its predecessor. Even in our time, every breathalyzer machine is subject to error. They are subject to human error, maintenance problems, interference from outside sources, and internal malfunctions.

If you have been arrested for a DUI and blew into a breathalyzer machine over the Florida legal limit, you still may be acquitted of the charge. The experienced DUI attorneys at The Umansky Law Firm have the knowledge and experience it takes to prove a breath machine’s malfunction. Please contact our office today to schedule an initial consultation.

In what is perhaps one of the most shocking theft stories ever reported, a Florida family of shoplifters has been accused of stealing $100 million worth of merchandise in the last five years and selling the loot through online auctions such as eBay! An investigation by Florida police uncovered a five-year scheme of heists that targeted convenience and grocery stores by a large coordinated group.

"In less than three minutes, they could walk out with over $4,000 worth of merchandise," said Sheriff Grady Judd of Polk County, Fla.

Authorities said at least 18 relatives were involved in the crime spree. The ring had a hierarchy where the people on the top had no criminal records, but the people doing the shoplifting had extensive criminal backgrounds, according to police.

Using elaborate teams of scouts for security cameras, lookouts to track employees and grabbers, the team hit as many as eight stores a day. Police realized the depth of the situation once they discovered that the stolen goods filled a warehouse from the floor to the ceiling. There were thousands of items, primarily health and beauty aids, along with over-the-counter drugs.

If you have gotten yourself involved in shoplifting or theft and have been arrested in the state of Florida, there is legal help available to you. Please contact The Umansky Law Firm in Orlando today to meet with an experienced criminal defense attorney who can help you through these very serious charges.

Cocaine is considered the most serious drug threat in the state of Florida and is smuggled into the state via commercial cargo vessels, private pleasure crafts, cargo and passenger aircraft, and automobiles. Cocaine typically originates from South America. Recently, however, there has been a marked increase in Mexican organizations transporting and distributing large quantities of cocaine from Mexico as far south as Palm Beach County.

After the cocaine is smuggled into Florida, some is consumed locally within Miami, but the majority is destined for distribution to other areas of the state and outside Florida. A local market exists for cocaine in the Fort Lauderdale and West Palm Beach areas, but much is designated for conversion into crack.

Drug trafficking organizations dealing in crack cocaine have been identified in Orlando, Gainesville, Fort Myers, Jacksonville, Fort Pierce and West Palm Beach, thus demonstrating the availability of crack throughout Florida. African American and Haitian traffickers, as well as street gang members, continue to dominate crack distribution throughout Florida.

If you have found yourself mixed up in the drug business and facing charges, you are in serious trouble and need the help of an experienced drug offense lawyer to get you through the legal nightmare after a felony arrest.

If you have been charged with a felony drug charge, please contact the criminal defense attorneys at the Umansky Firm in Orlando, Florida today to schedule your initial consultation.

Everyone makes mistakes, and children are no exception. When your child makes a mistake as serious as breaking the law, whether a felony or misdemeanor, it is important that you find an experienced juvenile crime defense attorney to fight your case and try to get the lightest punishment possible for your child. Offenses committed in our youth can stay with us for a very long time and wreak havoc on our future success. Here is some interesting information about juvenile crime in the state of Florida.

Florida’s population of 10 to 17-year-olds increased by 9% between 2002 and 2006, putting the population of that age group in the state at 1.9 million. But Florida’s juvenile crime rate is down from 87 delinquency referrals per 1,000 youths during 2002-2003 to 77 referrals during 2006-2007. During 2006-2007, the Florida Department of Juvenile Justice handled 146,765 delinquency referrals, and during the same year, judges committed 7,187 juvenile offenders to residential delinquent treatment facilities; during 2003-03 the number of youths committed was over 9,000. Not surprisingly, juvenile crime, including violent offenses, peaks between 3-6 p.m. (when school lets out).

Violent Crime Statistics

Despite an overall decline in delinquency, serious juvenile offenses in Florida have increased over the last two years. During 2006-07, the Department received 48,471 felony referrals, up 4% from 46,363 felony referrals received during 2004-05.

Murder/Manslaughter referrals increased 70%, from 73 during 2002-2003 to 124 during 2006-07.

Attempted Murder/Attempted Manslaughter referrals increased 130%, from 36 during 2002-2003 to 83 during 2006-07.

Auto Theft referrals decreased 6%, from 3,304 during 2002-03 to 3,107 in 2006-07.

Burglary referrals decreased 6%, from 14,214 during 2002-03 to 13,396 during 2006-07.

Aggravated Assault and Battery increased slightly from 9,810 during 2002-03 to 9,869 during 2006-07.

Armed Robbery referrals increased 67%, from 800 during 2002-03 to 1,337 during 2006-07.

If your child has been charged with a felony or misdemeanor in Orlando or anywhere in Florida, please contact the Umansky Law Firm today to schedule your initial consultation. Our Orlando, Florida misdemeanor and felony lawyers represent clients in Orange, Seminole, Brevard, Lake, Polk, Osceola, Volusia, and Hillsborough counties, and in the communities of Orlando, Winter Park, Maitland, Longwood, Sanford, Kissimmee, Celebration, Windermere, Altamonte Springs, Ocoee, Oviedo, Avalon Park, Stoneybrook, East Orlando, Christmas, Bithlo, Baldwin Park, Thorton Park, Downtown Orlando, Winter Garden, Oakland, Lake Nona, Tuscawilla, Hunter Creek including school communities like University of Central Florida, UCF, Rollins, Valencia Community College, Full Sail, Motorcycle Mechanics Institute, etc.

Everyone makes mistakes; that is a fact of life. There are not many people who can claim to have never driven an automobile after drinking or ridden with someone who had a drink or two at dinner. Florida, like so many other states, has very stiff penalties for driving under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs, but if you have been arrested for this offense, there is legal help available to you in the state of Florida.

At the Umansky Law Firm in Orlando, Florida, our attorneys have a great deal of experience defending people who made the mistake of driving after drinking, and we know how to get your charges reduced or dismissed. That one split second of putting your key in the ignition after a glass of wine at dinner can be a decision that ruins your life, your reputation, your career, and your finances. Don’t let this happen to you. Let us fight for you. We will do everything we can to keep your life and your reputation intact.

In Florida, you can be arrested for DUI when operating a motor vehicle while impaired with a blood alcohol level (BAC) of .08 or higher, while under the influence of a chemical or a controlled substance. For you boat enthusiasts, a DUI charge may also be made against intoxicated boat and water vessel operators as well. Some of the most common groups of people arrested for DUI in Florida are men, college students, tourists and underage drivers.

Every DUI case is different and we know the law better than anyone. As former prosecutors who now represent DUI and DWI offenders, we know all the angles the prosecutors will use to get you convicted. Who better to defend you than someone who used to prosecute offenders?

Please contact our office today if you have been arrested for DUI or DWI in the state of Florida. The Umansky Law Firm team represents clients in Orange, Seminole, Brevard, Lake, Polk, Osceola, Volusia, and Hillsborough counties, and in the communities of Orlando, Winter Park, Maitland, Longwood, Sanford, Kissimmee, Celebration, Windermere, Altamonte Springs, Ocoee, Oviedo, Avalon Park, Stoneybrook, East Orlando, Christmas, Bithlo, Baldwin Park, Thorton Park, Downtown Orlando, Winter Garden, Oakland, Lake Nona, Tuscawilla, Hunter Creek including school communities like University of Central Florida, UCF, Rollins, Valencia Community College, Full Sail, Motorcycle Mechanics Institute, etc.