The most recent case showing the magnitude of this problem can be found in the Florida Department of Law Enforcement's use of the Automatic Fingerprint Identification System (AFIS). Technical problems with this system have cost the State of Florida over $11 million...
Month: March 2014
System Failure: Breathalyzer, Fingerprint Analysis and Other Scientific Evidence
There is a common misconception that scientific evidence is infallible and the results of scientific testing are used to convict people for criminal offenses throughout this country on a daily basis. Many people do not realize undetected or undisclosed system errors...
Bill Sheppard and Samuel Jacobson Challenge Florida Laws Refusing to Recognize Same-sex Marriages
Our firm was recently in the news: Attorneys Bill Sheppard and Samuel Jacobson have filed the challenge on behalf of a same-sex couple who got married in Canada and live in Tallahassee. The lawsuit filed late Friday in the Northern District of Florida names Gov. Rick...
Driving While Stoned
With what appears to be the imminent legalization of medical marijuana in Florida, questions have begun to arise as to what may happen in the event Officer Friendly believes that a citizen is driving under the influence of marijuana. In Florida's an officer's request...
Florida’s First Integrated Law Firm
As one of the founders of Florida's first integrated law firm, William J. "Bill" Sheppard has been highly regarded as a prominent criminal defense and civil rights attorney during his tenure practicing law. Throughout his career, he has argued cases at every level of...
Roommate Can Consent to Warrantless Search of Residence Over Objection of Non-Present Occupant
In a 6-3 decision, the United States Supreme Court this week ruled that, in a limited set of circumstances, police officers can conduct a warrantless search of a person's residence over that person's objection, if another occupant consents to such search. The facts of...