The Beggs & Lane Blog

Two terms used interchangeably from clients regarding their auto insurance are “No-Fault” and “Full Coverage”.  These terms are frequently misunderstood. What do they really mean? Florida is a “No-Fault” State. What does this really mean? Many assume that because Florida is called a “No-Fault” state, this means that no party is deemed to be at fault for a motor vehicle accident. This could not be further from the truth. Florida is one of the few states in the country that requires “No-Fault” insurance coverage, also known as “Personal Injury Protection”, or “PIP”. The other states that are pure “No-Fault” states [...]

Effective September 30, 2022, Florida’s minimum hourly wage increased from $10 per hour to $11 per hour for standard employees.  For qualified tipped employees, the minimum hourly wage increased from $6.98 per hour to $7.98 per hour.  Florida’s minimum hourly wage will continue to increase by $1 each year until the minimum reaches $15 per hour on September 30, 2026, after which the wage will be adjusted annually for inflation. Employers should ensure that their Florida Minimum Wage poster is updated and posted in an area where their employees will reasonably be exposed to it (the law calls for placement [...]

The initial stages of a criminal case in federal court can be a confusing and anxiety-producing time for a person who has been arrested.   Here’s an explanation of what a federal criminal arrestee can expect at the beginning of the case. In general, the initial stages of a federal criminal case typically come in three steps: (1) the arrestee’s initial appearance, (2) a preliminary hearing, and (3) a detention hearing. This article discusses what to expect at a detention hearing. What is a detention hearing? The pretrial detention hearing is the hearing at which the court decides whether to detain [...]

The initial stages of a criminal case in federal court can be a confusing and anxiety-producing time for a person who has been arrested.   Here’s an explanation of what a federal criminal arrestee can expect at the beginning of the case. In general, the initial stages of a federal criminal case typically come in three steps: (1) the arrestee’s initial appearance, (2) a preliminary hearing, and (3) a detention hearing. This article discusses what a person can expect at a preliminary hearing in a federal criminal case. What is a preliminary hearing?  An arrestee (now referred to as the “defendant”) [...]

The initial stages of a criminal case in federal court can be a confusing and anxiety-producing time for a person who has been arrested.   Here’s an explanation of what a federal criminal arrestee can expect at the beginning of the case.

As previously discussed, the federal government may seize property pursuant to civil asset forfeiture proceedings under 18 U.S.C. § 983.  The primary way that a person can seek return of the property is to show that he or she is an “innocent owner.” What does it mean to be an “innocent owner” of seized property: The “innocent owner” claim is found at 18 U.S.C. § 983(d).  The person seeking “innocent owner” status has the burden of proving that claim by a preponderance of the evidence. 18 U.S.C. § 983(d)(1). Does it matter if I owned the property before or after [...]