William Sheppard and Betsy White were interviewed last week by the Bar Bulletin Staff of the Daily Record about the recently filed complaint against Chief Judge Mahon and Sheriff Mike Williams as it relates to the unfair bail practices against misdemeanants. Read the...
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Scharlette Holdman
It is with great sadness that we have learned of the death of our dear friend, Scharlette Holdman. Scharlette was an unstoppable force of nature, who did more to stop the death penalty than virtually any other individual in this country. We first met Scharlette 40...
Navigating the Speedy Trial Act
Most people know that the Sixth Amendment guarantees criminal defendants the right to a trial, "without unnecessary delay". However, in the federal system, defendants also have speedy trial rights under statutory law. Specifically, the Speedy Trial Act of 1974...
The Medical Marijuana Amendment: How Does It Change Florida Law?
While the 2016 election is most notable for selecting the nation's next president, Florida voters are also deciding on some important amendments to the state's constitution. Not the least of which is Amendment 2, which is poised to legalize medical marijuana in...
Using Double Jeopardy to Fight Multiple Child Sex Crime Charges
Florida law contains dozens of crimes that punish defendants from pursuing or soliciting sex with minors. Many of these crimes share similar elements. This means that prosecutors can often charge defendants with multiple crimes for the same incident, dramatically...
Is It Too Late to File Your Federal Habeas Petition?
When a criminal defendant wants to challenge a state court conviction, the highest state court is rarely the last stop. Prisoners who have exhausted their options in state court can often get a second chance at challenging their trial court's errors through a petition...
Attorney Bill Sheppard Filed Lawsuit to Open Primary for State Attorney
Bill Sheppard and Sam Jacobson have filed a lawsuit in Circuit Court on behalf of registered voters within the Fourth Judicial Circuit. The lawsuit alleges that the written-in candidacy of Kenny Leigh is a sham designed to close the election primary for the Office of...
War Hero Seeks Presidential Clemency
Recently, our office had the pleasure of assisting a man who was seeking presidential clemency for a non-violent drug offense. We were shocked to find out later that this man was a war hero who had been sentenced prior to the amendments to U.S.S.G. §5H1.11 which...
Veteran Rights
William J. Sheppard invited to speak on veteran's rights at Federal Bar Association annual meeting On September 20, 2012, at the invitation of the Federal Bar Association, Mr. Sheppard presented a seminar about representing combat veterans in federal criminal cases at...
What is Post Conviction Relief?
A motion for post conviction relief is typically a defendant's last resort for attempting to overturn a criminal conviction. It could also be a last effort to be released from prison after direct appeal of the person's criminal case has been denied or not been...