The Umansky Law Firm

Massachusetts Democratic Representative Barney Frank has said the United States should stop arresting responsible marijuana users and has announced a proposal to end federal penalties for Americans carrying fewer than 100 grams (a quarter of a pound) of the popular herb.

Current laws targeting pot users place "undue burdens" on law enforcement agencies, punish sick Americans whose doctors have prescribed the drug and unfairly affect the African-American population, Frank asserts. Frank continued, "The vast amount of human activity ought to be none of the government’s business. I don’t think it’s the government’s business to tell you how to spend your leisure time."

Frank and his supporters are urging that the use of marijuana (not the Abuse) be decriminalized.

The DEA insists that very few people are ever incarcerated for simple possession of the drug. The DEA and the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy have long opposed marijuana legalization.

If you have been charged with a drug offense in Orlando or anywhere in Florida, please contact The Umansky Law Firm today to schedule your confidential 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.

Well, not Batman actually, just the most recent actor to play him on the big screen. Christian Bale, who plays Batman in the recently released "The Dark Knight", was arrested today for allegedly assaulting his mother and sister in London.

The 34-year-old actor lashed out at the women in his suite at Park Lane’s Dorchester Hotel.

Despite the alleged incident at the hotel, the actor was allowed to attend the first European screening of his new blockbuster film.

If you, or your favorite superhero, are in need of a criminal defense attorney, please contact Orlando’s Umansky Law Firm today to schedule a confidential consultation.

A Sanford, Florida third grade teacher has been arrested for taking a gun onto school property. The 56-year-old teacher brought a snub-nosed .38 caliber revolver on the school property, and it fell out of a bunch of things she was carrying into the building. The gun and the teacher's cell phone were found by a bus ramp. The teacher readily admitted the gun was hers and stated she has a concealed weapons permit but did not mean to bring the gun to school. She claims it got mixed in with other stuff she needed to take into the school from her car.

The woman was charged with two misdemeanors--possessing a firearm on school property and culpable negligence. If convicted, she could face a year in jail.
The Seminole County School Board suspended this teacher shortly after her arrested. The woman has taught for 25 years.

If you have found yourself on the wrong side of the law and need a good criminal defense team to help you with your situation, please contact Orlando’s The Umansky Law Firm today to schedule your confidential consultation.

An Ocoee police sergeant was arrested last week after a woman alleged that he stripped her, fondled her and then spanked her against her will. The cop was fired, and the charges are sexual battery, battery, and false imprisonment.

The thirty-year-old victim told Orange County deputies that the man bet her on a card trick and then asked her for oral sex; he attacked the woman at another cop's home (he was hosting a party there). The sergeant has admitted he "behaved poorly."

Everyone makes mistakes, even officers of the law. If you find yourself with criminal charges in the Orlando, Florida area, there is legal help available. Please contact the experienced criminal defense attorneys at The Umansky Law Firm today to schedule your confidential consultation today.

A former number one draft pick for the Jacksonville Jaguars was arrested in Arkansas Thursday, July 10 on suspicion of drug possession. As police approached the car, the wide receiver was using a credit card to cut up a white substance. The police drew their guns on the young man, who later admitted that the substance was cocaine. He was also in possession of a jar containing possible marijuana residue.

If you or a loved one is facing a drug charge in Florida, please contact the Umansky Law Firm today to schedule your confidential 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.

Florida attracts many more tourists each year than most other states because of its sandy beaches and exciting amusement parks, but with fun in the sun can also come trouble. If you have come to visit Florida and have found yourself in 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.

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.

In the state of Florida, vehicular manslaughter is the legal term for the killing of a human in a manner less culpable than murder. Of course, a vehicle must be involved in a charge of vehicular manslaughter. In Florida, if a person was driving a vehicle while under the influence of drugs or alcohol and causes the death of another person, the driver can be guilty of one of the following:

Second degree felony, up to 15 years in prison
First degree felony if the defendant knew or should have known the crash occurred and the defendant failed to give proper information or render aid as required by law.

First degree felonies can carry prison terms of 30 years or even life imprisonment.
If you have been charged with a serious driving offense in Florida, please contact The Umansky Law Firm today to schedule your initial consultation.

Lake County, Florida deputy sheriffs are trying to keep a boat, a truck used for catering and over $20,000 that was seized when an alleged drug trafficker was arrested; much of the property is listed in his wife’s name, however. Detectives allege that the wife knew about her husband’s alleged drug dealings and should forfeit the property and cash.

The man and his associate were arrested on May 13 in Leesburg when they arrived to swap cash and the title to a boat and the title to a catering truck in a deal that was being monitored by detectives.

The men face trafficking and conspiracy charges. The wife has not been charged in the case at this time.

If you have been charged with a drug offense in Florida, you need a highly trained legal team like the one at The Umansky Law Firm to defend you. Please contact our office today.