July 2, 2019in Family Law, Florida Criminal Law, Florida Domestic Violence, Florida Lawyer

National Domestic Violence Hotline Had Its Busiest Year Ever

The National Domestic Violence Hotline received more than half a million calls, texts and online chats in 2018 — marking its busiest year ever.

The 573,670 calls and other communications were a 36 percent increase from 2017, according to the hotline, which has provided 24-hour, year-round support since 1996 for individuals affected by relationship abuse.

Hotline CEO Katie Ray-Jones attributed the uptick to several major news stories, such as the allegations of domestic violence against the R&B singer R. Kelly and former White House staff secretary Rob Porter — allegations Kelly and Porter have denied — but also to an evolving cultural mindset in which survivors no longer feel a need to stay silent about abuse, prompted by the #MeToo movement that began in 2017.

Please read the full article at:  https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/national-domestic-violence-hotline-had-its-busiest-year-ever-more-n1019231

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May 2, 2013in Family Law, Florida Domestic Violence, Florida Lawyer

Florida Gov. Scott vetoes bill that would end permanent alimony in state

Gov. Rick Scott vetoed a bill late Wednesday that would have ended permanent  alimony in Florida.
Scott vetoed the measure (SB 718) just four hours before the midnight  deadline to approve or veto it. The bill automatically would have become law if  Scott had done nothing by then.
If it had become law, Florida would have become the fifth state to abolish  permanent alimony.
In a letter to Senate President Don Gaetz, Scott commended bill sponsors  Ritch Workman in the House and Kelli Stargel in the Senate — both Republicans  — and said there are “several forward looking elements of this bill.”
But alimony “represents an important remedy for our judiciary to use in  providing support to families as they adjust to changes in life circumstances,”  Scott wrote. “As a husband, father and grandfather, I understand the vital  importance of family.”
Read more:  http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2013/05/01/florida-gov-scott-vetoes-bill-that-would-end-permanent-alimony-in-state/#ixzz2S9UgQc8k

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April 8, 2013in Family Law, Florida Lawyer

Bill to end alimony draws acrimonious debate in Tallahassee

“Lawmakers are considering a bill that would put an end to permanent alimony payments, and allow the courts to modify existing arrangements between former spouses. The bill would also require judges to give divorced parents equal custody of their children, unless one parent could make a convincing case otherwise.”

Read more here: http://www.miamiherald.com/2013/04/03/3321668/bill-to-end-alimony-draws-acrimonious.html#storylink=cpy
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March 26, 2013in Federal Law, Florida Criminal Law, Florida Lawyer

Court says drug dog’s sniff at front door is unconstitutional search

The Supreme Court ruled Tuesday that police cannot bring drug-sniffing police dogs onto a suspect’s property to look for evidence without first getting a warrant for a search, a decision which may limit how investigators use dogs’ sensitive noses to search out drugs, explosives and other items hidden from human sight, sound and smell.
The high court split 5-4 on the decision to uphold the Florida Supreme Court’s ruling throwing out evidence seized in the search of Joelis Jardines’ Miami-area house. That search was based on an alert by Franky the drug dog from outside the closed front door.  The defendant was susequently charged with trafficking in marijuana.
Justice Antonin Scalia said a person has the Fourth Amendment right to be free from the government’s gaze inside their home and in the area surrounding it, which is called the curtilage.
“The police cannot, without a warrant based on probable cause, hang around on the lawn or in the side garden, trawling for evidence and perhaps peering into the windows of the home,” Justice Antonin Scalia said for the majority. “And the officers here had all four of their feet and all four of their companion’s, planted firmly on that curtilage — the front porch is the classic example of an area intimately associated with the life of the home.”
http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/courts_law/court-says-drug-dogs-sniff-at-front-door-is-unconstitutional-search/2013/03/26/cd02ce84-9621-11e2-8764-d42c128a01ef_story.html

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March 14, 2013in Florida Criminal Law, Florida Lawyer

Judge denies college student’s self-defense bid in killing of South Miami man

A former Miami Dade College student who stabbed a South Miami man to death lost his bid for immunity under Florida’s self-defense law.
A judge on Thursday ruled that James Arauz, 23, did not act in self-defense when he stabbed Vincent Pravata in October 2009. Arauz claimed that Pravata, who acted as a mentor and had penned a letter of recommendation for an internship, made sexual advances and chased him around the man’s house.
Arauz’s defense attorney can still argue self-defense before a jury. Trial is set for May 13.
Miami-Dade Circuit Judge Yvonne Colodny pointed out that Arauz, after stabbing Pravata, meticulously cleaned up the crime scene, stole the man’s credit card and went on a shopping spree seemingly to impress a girlfriend.
And Arauz never called police and lied to detectives and others about what happened, the judge said.
“Taken in their totality, these actions do not reflect someone who had simply been trying to protect himself from death or seriously bodily injury,” Colodny wrote in her five-page-order. “Rather, they reflect a consciousness of guilt and an attempt to avoid legal consequences.”

Read more here: http://www.miamiherald.com/2013/03/14/3285657/judge-denies-college-students.html#storylink=cpy
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March 12, 2013in Family Law, Florida Lawyer, Uncategorized

8 Tips for Dealing With A Narcissist In Family Court

“Dealing with someone who suffers from Narcissistic Personality Disorder in the family court system is a daunting task that is made even more difficult if you are in pro se, or self-represented. I would personally rather be awake and un-medicated during a root canal if given the option of choosing one over the other. While each court room is unique, I happen to have lots of advice for those who find themselves in pro se. This advice is organically developed after spending the past four years acting as my own attorney in a hellish custody battle with someone who is an extremely high-conflict personality.”
Read more at: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/tina-swithin/8-tips-for-dealing-with-a_b_2799069.html?ir=Divorce&ref=topbar

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Melmer Law, LLC prides itself on being readily available at all times for their clients and their families. Please contact us below for more information.

Melmer Law, LLC

Mark P. Melmer, Esq. served as a prosecutor here in Miami-Dade County, handling thousands of cases at both the misdemeanor and felony level. For the last 10 years Mark has devoted his practice to family law and domestic violence issues. This experience and insight makes him a formidable advocate.

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