TILDEN LAW – Orlando Criminal Attorney

Daytona Beach authorities have received reports of 6 sexual assaults during the first week of Spring Break 2010. Detectives were called by a 37 year old woman to reported that she was grabbed by her hair by a unidentified male while walking to the restroom at the newly renovated Ocean Center and pulled into a men’s bathroom stall where she was sexually assaulted. The attack occurred sometime after 4:00 p.m. in broad daylight.

It is common for sexual assaults to increase during the Spring Break month of March. “All of last year we had a total of 41 sexual assaults,” Police Chief Mike Chitwood said Tuesday. “Here we have six in one week.”

In an unrelated incident, Daytona Beach police arrested a rape suspect in another incident that involved heavy drinking. The suspect is accused of raping a Spring Breaker at the Plaza Resort & Spa, on North Atlantic Ave. According to an arrest report, the suspect engaged in sex with a woman who was unconscious because she was drunk. The suspect admitted to investigators the woman was already drunk when he met her earlier in the day on March 14. He said he decided to buy her more booze and then had sex with her at least twice in two different hallways of the hotel, an arrest report states.

The other four rapes occurred at another hotel, behind a popular beachfront restaurant and one on the mainland after a woman met a man at a nightclub and invited him over, the chief said.

Anthony Ducasse, 25, of Clermont was arrested by the Lake County Sheriff’s Office and accused of attempting to smuggle approximately 7 ounces of Marijuana into a state prison facility in Clermont.   Ducasse had been employed as a contracted food service worker. 

According to Lake County Sheriff’s Department Sgt. Jim Vachon, the drugs were discovered during a daily pat down of workers entering the Lake Correctional Institution off U.S. Highway 27 in Clermont. Deputies responded to the scene at the request of prison officials and apprehended Ducasse today, Vachon said.  The drugs were in a plastic bag and concealed in Ducasse’s pants.

Antony Ducasse, 25, was found in possession of the narcotics during a staff inspection at a prison gate, according to a statement from LCSO Sgt. Jim Vachon. The street value of the drugs was estimated at $500.  No additional illegal drugs were found after authorities conducted a search of Ducasse’s vehicle.

Ducasse is facing charges of possession of more than 20 grams of marijuana, introduction of contraband into a state facility and possession of marijuana with intent to distribute, all felony charges.  He is now held at the Lake County Jail on $12,000 bond.

If you have been arrested or charged with a Drug Crime or other criminal offense in the Orlando area and are facing criminal prosecution in either Orange County, Osceola County, Volusia County or Seminole County, Florida, contact the attorneys at Tilden Law for an initial and confidential consultation, 407-599-1234.

Three Volusia County Beach Patrol officers were fired based on allegations of sexual misconduct with under age girls.   Capt. Jecoa Simmons, lifeguard Christian Duarte and Beach Patrol officer Robert Paul Tameris were accused last year by the former lifeguard of having sex with her. Citing insufficient evidence, no charges were brought against the three by the State Attorney’s office for allegedly having sex with the 17-year-old, the State Attorney’s Office said.

After the initial accusations, a second teenager came forward, alleging multiple sexual encounters with Tameris who was charged with unlawful sexual activity with a minor.  The victim who was 16-years old told authorities she met Tameris while she was sunbathing on the beach. The two engaged in sex 20 to 25 times at the officer’s home, according to State Attorney’s Investigator Michael K. Taylor.  On at least one occasion, Tameris video-recorded sex with the girl without her knowledge, and sent a lewd photograph of the girl, Taylor said.

Investigators monitored phone calls and text messages between Tameris and the girl, including two calls they set up in which Tameris acknowledged having sex with the girl “frequently” when they first met, as well as videotaping one of the encounters, according to an arrest report.

The county is firing Simmons and Duarte on grounds of unprofessional conduct and inappropriate relationship with a minor. Simmons also was accused of tampering with or harassing a witness victim or informant and improperly using state driver’s license and criminal justice data bases.  Miranda, who is accused of lying for Duarte, is being fired on grounds of unprofessional conduct.

An Orlando News Channel 13 anchor was arrested on allegations that he impersonated a law enforcement officer.  Spanish language broadcaster, Victor Juan Martinez, 33, faces 3^rd degree felony charges.  The allegation stemmed from a February 15, 2010 report that Martinez flashed a fake police badge at a man while driving in an attempt to scare him after following him home in February.

While Martinez denies any wrongdoing and claims he was working as a news anchor on the day in question. After interviewing the alleged victim, investigators with the Osceola County Sheriff’s Office believe otherwise.  Investigators used information gathered from Martinez’ E-Pass and determined he was in the area alleged by the victim and spoke with Martinez’ supervisor who dispute his story. 

According to investigators, the victim had seen Martinez swerving in and out of traffic on State Road 417 in Orange County. At some point, Martinez tried merging into the victim’s lane, but couldn’t make it and was forced to merge after the victim had passed him.  When the victim arrived home with his toddler and pulled into his driveway, he spotted Martinez’s car suddenly drive behind him and partially block him.

“[Martinez] got out of his car and told the victim he was a police officer,” Lizasuain said. Martinez then flashed a badge that resembled a star-shaped badge and said he knew where the victim lived and had his auto tag number.
Martinez then jumped into his car and sped away.   The victim later identified Martinez in a photo lineup. He was arrested Friday at his home on an arrest warrant and booked him into the Osceola County Jail on a $1,000 bond.

Lake County, Florida attorney Bruce Duncan surrendered Friday to jail authorities after the Florida Highway Patrol charged him with DUI-manslaughter in the traffic death of a retired postal worker after a October 17, 2009 accident.  Duncan, 46, is President of the Leesburg land development company, Family Dynamics.  Prior to his current position, Duncan was previously employed as an Assistant Public Defender in Lake County.

Duncan has been a visible community booster. He is chairman of the executive board of Life Stream Behavioral Center, which provides mental-health and substance-abuse services for Lake and Sumter counties, according to the agency’s Web site.

FHP Sgt. Kim Montes said Duncan – who was returning home from Gainesville after attending the Florida Gator football game against Arkansas – had a half-empty bottle of vodka in an ice chest on the truck seat.  Montes said troopers drew blood from Duncan at the crash scene that measured his blood-alcohol content at 0.16 percent, double the state’s threshold at which a motorist is presumed to be impaired by alcohol.

In an affidavit, FHP traffic-homicide investigators cited Duncan’s blood-alcohol level, his unsteady appearance at the crash scene and statements by motorists who observed his driving pattern before the crash.

Terms of his pretrial release forbid Duncan to drink or drive, said Bill Gladson, division chief for the State Attorney’s Office in Lake County. After his arrest, Duncan was released after posting $50,000 bail.  A court date has not been set.

If you have been arrested or charged with a DUI in Orlando and are facing criminal prosecution in either Orange County, Seminole County, Florida, or if you have had your driver license suspended for a DUI, contact the attorneys at Tilden Law for an initial and confidential consultation, 407-599-1234.

Trooper Paul C. Lawence has been accused of attempting to artificially increase the number of citations issued to his credit by issuing several hundred bogus tickets.  Lawrence, a Florida Highway Patrol trooper based in South Florida has been arrested on charges of official misconduct, after authorities said he wrote hundreds of fake citations to drivers.  The official esimate is more than 200 traffic tickets have been issued since November have been by Lewis.  South Florida Courts have been dismissing these tickets but believe there may be more.

Authorities grew suspicious when the ticketed motorists began complaining they knew nothing about the citations. Prosecutors said Lawrence had used information from drivers he previously stopped to draft new tickets.  Believing there may be more victims, FHP has created a hotline.  Those who believe they received a false citation from Lawrence can call 305-470-2525.

It has long been speculated that law enforcement agencies have monthy and annual “ticket quotas”.   A spokesman for the FHP said they don’t operate on a quota system.

If you have been arrested or charged with a crime in Orlando or are facing criminal prosecution in either Orange County, Seminole County, Florida,  contact the experienced attorneys at TILDEN LAW for a free initial and confidential consultation, 407-599-1234.

A few weeks ago, Tilden Law was contacted by a client who had been arrested in Orlando on a DUI charge that resulted in her driver license being suspended for refusing to take the breath test.  According to the police report, our client was accused of weaving within her own lane of travel and with having a tail light out.  Once stopped by police, the officer noted a smell of alcohol and requested she participate in Field Sobriety Exercises.  As a result of her performance, the officer arrested and charged our client with DUI.  At the breath testing facility, our client refused to provide a breath sample after being read implied consent.  The result of her refusal was a one (1) year driver license suspension. 

Attorney, N. Fleetwood Tilden, filed for a Formal Review Hearing on behalf of our client to challenge the suspension of her license.  At the hearing, Mr. Tilden cross examined the arresting officer and determined that several errors were made in both the preparation and filing of the documents by the officer.  Mr. Tilden motioned the hearing officer to invalidate the suspension of our client’s driver license which was granted.  As a result, our client now has her full driver license reinstated without cost or penalty.

If you have been arrested or charged with a DUI in Orlando and are facing criminal prosecution in either Orange County, Seminole County, Florida, or if you have had your driver license suspended for a DUI, contact the attorneys at Tilden Law for an initial and confidential consultation, 407-599-1234.

A domestic battery case against porn star and aspiring U.S. Senate candidate Stormy Daniels was dropped after the alleged victim, her husband, decided not to prosecute. The State Attorney’s Office said, Daniels, whose real name is Stephanie Gregory Clifford, was arrested in July after her husband told Tampa police that she hit him several times during a dispute about laundry and unpaid bills. Pam Bondi, a prosecution spokeswoman in Hillsborough County, said prosecutors could not determine who the aggressor was. There were no visible injuries. “He did not want to prosecute,” Bondi said.

If you have been accused of Domestic Violence in Orlando, Seminole County or Orange County, Florida, call the experienced domestic violence attorney’s at Tilden Law for you free initial consultation at 407-599-1234.

Captain Mike Rolls of the Marion County Sheriff’s department couldn’t believe his eyes in the early morning hours of September 15, 2009.  Rolls was on patrol traveling eastbound on State Road 200 near Interstate 75 when he saw the strange sight driving westbound toward the interstate’s northbound on-ramp.  A motorcyclist who just passed him wasn’t wearing any clothes.

The driver, Dante J. Krauss, 45, of Dunnellon, whose arrest record includes four prior DUI convictions and a 10 year driver license revocation, bonded out of the Marion County Jail later the same day.  According to the arrest report, Krauss admitted to drinking and stated that the last thing he remembered was going to Hooters.

Krauss was given a shirt, courtesy of a nearby hotel, and his lower body was covered with a shawl that had been on the handlebars of the motorcycle.

A field sobriety exercise was performed, and Krauss reportedly failed, at which time he was taken to the Marion County Jail. During a breath test, he reportedly registered a blood-alcohol content of 0.178 and 0.162. The state’s legal limit is 0.08.

If you have been arrested and charged with a DUI in Orange County or Seminole County, Florida, contact the DUI defense firm of Tilden Law for a free case evaluation.

Thirteen people whose drivers license were suspended or revoked were arrested after they drove away fromcourt in Delray Beach, Florida.  Florida Highway Patrol troopers stopped the thirteen individuals shortly after they left the parking lot of the courthouse knowing that each had lost their driving privileges. 

Undercover officers in plain cloths attended the court session in which a judge had suspended these indivisuals drivers licenses and warned each of them not to drive until their driver license had been reinstated.   After observing the violators drive off, uniformed troopers were notified and the individuals stopped and arrested.

The crackdown is part of a statewide sting operation by the Florida Highway Patrol targeting those who drive to and from court proceedings despite having their drivers license suspended. 

If you have been arrested for driving on a suspended license and are facing criminal prosecution in either Orange County or Seminole County court, please contact the defense firm of Tilden Law for a free case evaluation, 407-599-1234.