manslaughter

July 27, 2012in Florida Criminal Law, Florida Lawyer

Trial begins for Miami DJ accused of killing teen girlfriend

State prosecutors in the first-degree murder trial of a Hollywood man who confessed to beating and strangling his teen girlfriend, painted a portrait of a young girl on Thursday who was in a hurry to grow up, but never got the chance.

Jaclyn Elisse Torrealba went missing in the early hours of Oct. 11, 2009 after she was seen at a downtown club with a man with whom she had been romantically involved. The next day, Juan Carlos Portieles turned himself in to Miami-Dade police. He said his dead girlfriend was in the car.

Her face was pummeled and bitten. Strangulation marks could be seen on her neck.

Torrealba was 18.

Read more here: http://www.miamiherald.com/2012/07/25/2914692/trial-begins-for-miami-dj-accused.html#storylink=cpy

May 3, 2012in Federal Law, Florida Criminal Law, Florida Lawyer

Coconut Grove man, once accused in slaying of teacher, beats felonies again

A Coconut Grove man who beat five separate murder trials — four of them for the 1996 robbery-slaying of a Miami school teacher — prevailed again at trial on Wednesday.

Then he went on the lam.

Alphonso Gainer, accused of leading police on a dangerous high-speed car chase through Coconut Grove in December 2010, was acquitted of felonies charges. He was, however, convicted of one misdemeanor charge of resisting arrest without violence.

But Gainer never heard the verdict. As jurors deliberated, Gainer — who was free on bail —left the courthouse and vanished.

Read more here: http://www.miamiherald.com/2012/05/02/2780093/coconut-grove-once-accused-in.html#storylink=cpy

April 27, 2012in Florida Criminal Law, Florida Lawyer

Zimmerman’s lawyer: Donations to website totaled $200,000

The defense lawyer for George Zimmerman said Thursday night that his client had received about $200,000 through donations to his website.

Zimmerman, a 28-year-old neighborhood watch volunteer in Sanford, near Orlando, fatally shot 17-year-old Trayvon Martin of Miami Gardens on Feb. 26, after confronting the teen, whom he believed to be suspicious. Trayvon was not armed.

Sanford police cited Florida’s “Stand Your Ground” self-defense law in not initially charging Zimmerman with killing Trayvon. Angela Corey, a special prosecutor appointed by Gov. Rick Scott, earlier this month charged Zimmerman with second-degree murder.

Thursday night, Zimmerman’s attorney, Mark O’Mara, told CNN’s Anderson Cooper that at first he had been told that Zimmerman had two accounts: one with $700, another with about $2,000.

But while trying to shut down all of Zimmerman’s Internet presence, his client asked him what to do with his PayPal accounts.

Days before Corey filed her charges, a website called TheRealGeorgeZimmerman.com sprang up. The website, since removed, said visitors could use a PayPal link to donate money to Zimmerman.

O’Mara told Cooper that the account contained $200,000 and $204,000.

Read more here: http://www.miamiherald.com/2012/04/26/2770539/zimmermans-lawyer-donations-to.html#storylink=cpy

March 19, 2012in Florida Criminal Law, Florida Lawyer

Judge upholds sentence in Deerfield Beach fiery attack

The lawyer for Denver Jarvis tried to withdraw his no-contest plea in the Michael Brewer burning case, saying her client did not expect to get an eight-year prison term plus house arrest and 21 years of probation.
Read more here: http://www.miamiherald.com/2012/03/18/2701081/judge-upholds-sentence-in-deerfield.html#storylink=cpy

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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.