Hopefully, the community’s confidence can be restored in the Lakeland Police Department in the future.

If you have been arrested by the Lakeland Police Department, call Thomas C. Grajek, an aggressive Polk county criminal defense attorney that has experienced defending criminal charges.

CALL AND SET YOUR FREE OFFICE CONSULTATION NOW! 

You will not have to drive to another county. Office – Lakeland, Polk County.

 Thomas C. Grajek  863-688-4606

Handling all felony and misdemeanor sex cases in Polk County, Florida including Bartow, Lakeland, Winter Haven, Auburndale, Haines City, and Davenport.

The Plant City school teacher allegedly committed these acts with three separate people who reported seeing a man masturbating in his vehicle. Because of the ages of the alleged witnesses to these sex acts, he was arrested on felony charges.  He was arrested and charged with two counts of lewd exhibition on a child under 16 and two counts of indecent exposure.

The teacher was charged under Florida Statute 800.04 “Lewd or lascivious offenses committed upon or in the presence of persons less than 16 years of age.”  Subsection (7) “Lewd or lascivious exhibition” states “A person who

1. Intentionally masturbates;

2. Intentionally exposes the genitals in a lewd or lascivious manner; or

3. Intentionally commits any other sexual act that does not involve actual physical or sexual contact with the victim, including, but not limited to, sadomasochistic abuse, sexual bestiality, or the simulation of any act involving sexual activity

in the presence of a victim who is less than 16 years of age, commits lewd or lascivious exhibition.

An offender 18 years of age or older who commits a lewd or lascivious exhibition commits a felony of the second degree, punishable by up to 15 years in Florida State Prison for each alleged act.

Sheriff Grady Judd is looking into other incidents that may involve this arrested person.  I have handled these types of cases before and this is not an uncommon tactic by the police.  Once the arrest someone, they will take that person’s mug shot, put it into a photo line-up and show the photo array to witnesses in cold cases.  The problem is that the police do not videotape or audiotape this show-up so it makes it difficult for a criminal defense attorney to insure the procedures used by the police were not unduly suggestive.

If you have been arrested for a sex crime, call Thomas C. Grajek, an aggressive Polk county criminal defense attorney that has experienced defending these types of criminal charges.

CALL AND SET YOUR FREE OFFICE CONSULTATION NOW! 

You will not have to drive to another county. Office – Lakeland, Polk County.

 Thomas C. Grajek  863-688-4606

Handling all felony and misdemeanor sex cases in Polk County, Florida including Bartow, Lakeland, Winter Haven, Auburndale, Haines City, and Davenport.

Most people gave high marks to the prosecutor for the State’s opening statement.  The prosecutor did an effective job to create emotion with their very first words.  The prosecutor also did a good job of creating a story and images that will stay with the jurors throughout the trial.  I think he used the expletives too much and did not have to repeat them so much, but a very effective job.

The defense on the other hand opened with a “knock, knock” joke.  In a murder trial.  That is a horrendous start in my opinion.  You only get one chance to make a first impression.  The defense made it worse, by harping on the “joke” by saying “C’mon, that was funny.”  A case this serious, with this much controversy, must be treated with respect.  It puts the defense in an early hole in the juror’s minds.  Another complaint by many people was that the defense did not tell a compelling story in opening.  Opening statements are a road map for the jury as to what the case will be about and what evidence the jury can expect to see.  A good defense attorney tries to paint a picture that places the jury at the scene of the incident.  In this case, you want to make the jury feel the fear George Zimmerman would have felt that night.  He is in a dark area, there are repeated criminal episodes in this area, when all of the sudden, a hooded figure turns and bears down George Zimmerman left to wonder what is about to happen to me?!?”  Instead, we remember the “knock, knock joke”.  Hopefully, the defense will get better as the trial continues.

CALL NOW AND SPEAK TO AN EXPERIENCED POLK COUNTY CRIMINAL DEFENSE LAWYER

Office – Lakeland, Polk County.

 Thomas C. Grajek  863-688-4606

Handling all felony and misdemeanor criminal cases in Polk County, Florida including Bartow, Lakeland, Winter Haven, Auburndale, Haines City, and Davenport.

In order to cite a driver for this violation, the person must be stopped for some other lawful reason. That means that if a police officer saw a driver texting, the deputy could not pull the person over and give them a ticket, unless the cop saw another infraction that gives him that authority.

This is called a “secondary offense” because it does not allow the officer to pull you over for it, but can be an additional traffic citation. This is how Florida’s seat belt law started out. Initially, law enforcement officers or Florida Highway Patrol trooper could not pull a driver over for not wearing a seat belt, but eventually the law was changed to make not wearing a seat belt a primary offense did allow an officer to pull a person over and write a ticket for not wearing a seat belt.

There is also a provision in the law that allows police to use drivers’ mobile phone records against them only when texting causes a crash resulting in death or personal injury. Whether this part of the law stands up to illegal searches and seizures or requires a warrant before the police can get this information will eventually be challenged in court. In addition, an objection would be made that the need a custodian of records from the cell phone company to get these records into evidence to assure they are accurate and your phone record and not someone else on your plan.

The ban covers tablet computers as well as mobile phones, but excludes using a talk-to-text feature. It also allows texting while stopped at a red light. You can also use your phone records to defend against a texting-while-driving ticket, but some phone companies’ records don’t differentiate between manual texting and talk-to-text messaging.

A first violation is a $30 fine plus court costs. A second or subsequent violation within five years adds three points to the driver’s license and carries a $60 fine.

Eventually, this will become a primary offense so that the police will have another reason to pull drivers over and search their vehicles. Even if your phone records prove that you did not text, you will still have to fight the search because an officer can always say “well, it looked like he was texting.” However, a judge or jury may have something to say about that and your criminal charges could be dismissed because the officer did not have the right to pull you over.

If you were pulled over and the police searched your car, you may have a defense to the criminal charges against you.

Call aggressive criminal lawyer Thomas C. Grajek in Lakeland, Florida now and go to court with a an attorney that will fight for you!

CALL NOW AND SPEAK TO AN EXPERIENCED, AGGRESSIVE

POLK COUNTY CRIMINAL DEFENSE LAWYER.

CALL AND SET YOUR FREE OFFICE CONSULTATION NOW!

You will not have to drive to another county. Office – Lakeland, Polk County.

Thomas C. Grajek 863-688-4606

Aggressive DUI, DRUG and SEX CRIME attorney representing all individuals arrested in Florida and Polk County, Florida including Bartow, Lakeland, Winter Haven, Mulberry, Haines City, Auburndale, and Lake Wales.

If you have been arrested in the latest solicitation for lewdness sting, call me for more information about your case, how these investigations are conducted, and what defenses you may have.  In addition, I can explain to you about getting your record sealed or expunged so that your reputation is protected.  call an aggressive attorney who is fighting the outrageous fine and is willing to fight for you.

CALL NOW AND SPEAK TO AN EXPERIENCED, AGGRESSIVE

POLK COUNTY CRIMINAL DEFENSE LAWYER EXPERIENCED IN ALL CRIMINAL CASES.

CALL AND SET YOUR FREE OFFICE CONSULTATION NOW! 

You will not have to drive to another county. Office – Lakeland, Polk County.

Thomas C. Grajek  863-688-4606

Handling all criminal cases in Polk County, Florida including Bartow, Lakeland, Winter Haven, Auburndale, Haines City, and Davenport.