LPD | SEONewsWire.net

Embattled Lakeland Police Department Chief Lisa Womack resigned today.

admin — Sat, 25 Jan 2014 00:02:58 +0000

LPD Chief Lisa Womack resigned today. Womack’s resignation is effective May 1. The chief’s resignation comes only two (2) days after a “no confidence” vote by employees of the Lakeland Police Department. This comes after a scandal filled year at LPD including sexual misconduct, “bra-shaking” searches of females, my DUI case where issues with the police reports being notarized even though the reports were blank, the arrest of an LPD officer on charges he sexually abused and stalked a woman while on duty, and a grand jury investigation into problems with Womack and the department’s handling of public records. Chief Womack cited the resignation was in the best interest of herself and her and her family. A nationwide search will begin to find her replacement.

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 post Embattled Lakeland Police Department Chief Lisa Womack resigned today. first appeared on SEONewsWire.net.

Lakeland Police Department fires back at Polk prosecutor Jerry Hill’s office today.

admin — Sat, 18 Jan 2014 01:35:23 +0000

Today, the Lakeland Police Department released a 68-page report to Lakeland city commissioners regarding problems with criminal cases investigated by L.P.D. The report, prepared by members of Lakeland P.D.’s internal affairs division, detailed case by case what efforts have been taken or are in the works to address Polk State Attorney Jerry Hill’s concerns.

While LPD admitted their officers made mistakes in some cases, LPD also stated that it was the Polk prosecutors fault for not communicating with LPD officers enough. One of the errors concerned a registered sex offender case that resulted in the criminal charges being dropped. The Ledger article can be read here:

http://www.theledger.com/article/20140117/NEWS/140119298?tc=cr&tc=ar#gsc.tab=0

The State Attorneys office responded quickly to the report, explaining that the prosecutor does not experience these problems with any other law enforcement agencies in Polk County. That response can be seen at:

http://www.wfla.com/story/24484917/lakeland-police-chief-answers-state-attorney-criticisms

There are still problems. The biggest problem is that you can not have communication and cooperation problems between a law enforcement agency and prosecutor. These agencies must work together. They are a team that must cooperate to protect society and insure that justice is done in all criminal cases and investigations. It is a team effort. As I have stated before, LPD should have had an experienced criminal defense trial attorney aiding in the internal investigation of LPD. Criminal defense attorneys examine issues and problems with a critical eye and no agenda. There is no self-interest involved for an outside attorney who can assess where mistakes were made and which agency needs to correct them.

Hopefully, these problems can be resolved so that Polk County residents and people arrested are treated fairly and all evidence and witnesses to events are preserved in criminal cases and justice prevails.

If you have been arrested by Lakeland Police Department or are charged with a crime in Polk County, retain a trial attorney with the experience to defend you in court.

CALL NOW AND SPEAK TO AN EXPERIENCED CRIMINAL DEFENSE LAWYER.

FREE OFFICE CONSULTATION

Thomas C. Grajek 863-688-4606

The post Lakeland Police Department fires back at Polk prosecutor Jerry Hill’s office today. first appeared on SEONewsWire.net.

Lakeland Police DUI unit in the news again. Arrest outside LPD’s jurisdiction.

admin — Fri, 08 Nov 2013 20:48:11 +0000

Today, another story was brought out in the Lakeland Ledger. Sgt. Lloyd resigned today. He was involved with my DUI case where I discovered blank DUI reports being sworn to as a regular practice at LPD. This resulted in over 40 Lakeland DUI cases being dismissed. At the time that story broke, other incidents were coming to light such as the bra-shaking searches conducted by LPD officers. You can read the story here:

http://www.theledger.com/article/20131108/NEWS/131109285/1358/news06?p=2&tc=pg&tc=ar

Another officer was part of the story. A DUI arrest made by Officer Tyler Anderson was outside the jurisdiction of LPD. This DUI case was eventually dismissed. This DUI arrest was the subject of newscasts months ago. However, it wasn’t until very recently that LPD started investigating the incident. Why did it take so long for LPD to initiate an internal investigation? I understand that LPD has a lot of internal problems and issues to investigate, but it has been months and was prime time television news. That is why when The Ledger asked my thoughts on the panel LPD was putting together to conduct an internal investigation, I said it was useless in my opinion. Officers can not thoroughly investigate themselves because they think they are performing their duties correctly in the first place. That is why LPD needed to bring an experienced criminal defense attorney from another county or a criminal defense expert to investigate any problems or issues. Defense attorneys know what to look for and may cause problems with an arrest or criminal investigation. After all, it was defense attorneys that brought these problems to the public and law enforcement’s attention.

If you have been arrested, call an experienced criminal trial attorney that will fight for you in court!

Thomas C. Grajek 863-688-4606

FLCrimeDefense@aol.com

The post Lakeland Police DUI unit in the news again. Arrest outside LPD’s jurisdiction. first appeared on SEONewsWire.net.

Another issue with a Lakeland Police Department DUI arrest.

admin — Fri, 01 Nov 2013 23:52:31 +0000

The Lakeland Police Department was back in the news again today regarding one of their DUI arrests. Officer Kellner who works on the LPD DUI unit and is a breath test operator was the arresting officer in this case. The judge was reviewing the driver’s case to determine whether there was probable cause to hold the driver for the charge of DUI, determine whether the driver should be granted bond and, if so, what the bond shoudl be set at, and whether any appropriate pre-trial release conditions should be placed on the driver pending his DUI case being resolved. Many times this requires someone to report to Polk county’s pre-trial release services or submit to breath tests every other week.

There was no probable cause affidavit in the court file for the judge to make these decisions. The judge ordered the prosecutor to produce the probable cause affidavit the next morning and continued the 1st appearance hearing. The prosecutor requested it from Officer Kellner, but he apparently refused to produce the affidavit. because of this, the judge released the driver on his own recognizance. This means the citizen arrested for the DUI is released with no pre-trial release conditions and does not have to post bond to be released from jail. The DUI case is not dismissed and the driver still has to fight the DUI in court.

However, it is another incident with Lakeland PD and its DUI squad. It is also another dispute between the prosecutor and LPD.

If you have been arrested for DUI, call an experienced Lakeland DUI lawyer that will fight for you in court.

CALL POLK COUNTY DUI ATTORNEY THOMAS GRAJEK NOW – 863-838-5549 cell

You only have 10 days to request a Formal Review

under the new rules get a hardship license for a first-time DUI!

The post Another issue with a Lakeland Police Department DUI arrest. first appeared on SEONewsWire.net.

LPD officer arrested for armed sexual battery. Another scandal at Lakeland Police Department.

admin — Fri, 27 Sep 2013 03:10:18 +0000

Lakeland Police Officer Julio Pagan was arrested Thursday and charged with armed sexual battery by a law enforcement officer and armed aggravated stalking. Officer Pagan was formerly with the Bartow Police Department. Officer Pagan was booked into the Polk County Jail today. These charges carry a sentence of up to life in prison.

Pagan was the arresting officer on one of my client’s DUI cases and there were numerous problems with his investigation of that criminal case. The criminal allegations against Pagan stem from a domestic violence case Ofc. Pagan was investigating while working for LPD. There is allegedly video evidence supporting the alleged victim’s allegations. There are also 911 calls regarding the arrested officer. Will these scandals at LPD ever end? Chief Womack said she is “fed up” with these scandals.

If you have been arrested by Officer Pagan, the pending charges will probably be dropped immediately. If you have been arrested by the Lakeland Police Department, call an attorney fighting for you in court.

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

The post LPD officer arrested for armed sexual battery. Another scandal at Lakeland Police Department. first appeared on SEONewsWire.net.

Lakeland DUI attorney Thomas C. Grajek quoted in Ledger article regarding DUI problems with LPD.

admin — Sun, 18 Aug 2013 16:20:23 +0000

Today’s Ledger has another article regarding the problems with Lakeland Police department and their DUI unit that I discovered. This deals with the problem with Lakeland’s DUI police reports. The article dealt with LPD’s “internal investigation” regarding the policies and practices of its DUI unit and officers in general. You can read the article here:

http://www.theledger.com/article/20130816/NEWS/130819412/0/search

As I previously explained in a blog about Tampa ‘s Police Department conducting the same type of “investigation” these “investigations” have no teeth. If you really want to fix your problems you need an independent critical eye looking at the police investigation. That means a DUI defense attorney must be on the investigative team. Defense attorneys are the people who find problems with the breath test machine, police paperwork, search warrants, and endless other issues. Self-policing does not work. DUI lawyers that file motions to suppress and public record requests for documents the police and prosecutors do not hand over are the ones that insure fairness and justice are served and our constitutional rights are protected.

If you have been arrested, call an attorney that knows what to look for and how to defend you in court.

Thomas C. Grajek

863-688-4606

The post Lakeland DUI attorney Thomas C. Grajek quoted in Ledger article regarding DUI problems with LPD. first appeared on SEONewsWire.net.

Fox News Tampa did a story this evening on LPD and the latest on the investigation into the LPD DUI unit.

admin — Fri, 19 Jul 2013 02:42:45 +0000

The Lakeland Police Department was in the news again tonight. Fox New Tampa Bay did a story on the investigation of LPD. The focus this time was on LPD’s internal affairs division. An officer was reassigned from that division. This again delat with the DUI case I tried last month. You can watch the story at:

http://www.myfoxtampabay.com/story/22881005/2013/07/18/more-troubles-at-the-lakeland-police-department

To read more of my DUI case results and jury verdicts, follow this link:

http://www.flcrimedefense.com/case-results/

The DUI laws changed July 1, 2013. Call now to learn how these changes will affect your Polk DUI arrest.

PROTECT YOUR RIGHTS!!!

CALL LAKELAND DUI ATTORNEY THOMAS c. GRAJEK NOW!!!

863-838-5549 cell

You only have 10 days to request a Formal Review or obtain a hardship license under the new DUI rules!

The post Fox News Tampa did a story this evening on LPD and the latest on the investigation into the LPD DUI unit. first appeared on SEONewsWire.net.

Forty DUI arrests by the Lakeland Police Dept. to be dismissed by Polk prosecutors "The Ledger" reports.

admin — Wed, 17 Jul 2013 19:35:50 +0000

As a follow up to yesterday’s News Channel 8′s story on LPD, The Ledger is reporting that “The letter also said Hill will no longer accept testimony from Sgt. Raymond Lloyd and Officer David Edds. In addition, nearly 40 pending DUI cases will be dismissed.” The full article can be viewed at:

http://www.theledger.com/article/20130716/NEWS/130719456?p=1&tc=pg

The article refers to my DUI case that brought to light some of the problems with the DUI arrests being made by Lakeland Police Department officers. You can read about that case on my CASE RESULTS page here:

http://www.flcrimedefense.com/case-results/

If you are looking for a criminal defense attorney that will thoroughly investigate call me!

Thomas C. Grajek

Experienced criminal defense trial attorney

863-688-4606

The post Forty DUI arrests by the Lakeland Police Dept. to be dismissed by Polk prosecutors "The Ledger" reports. first appeared on SEONewsWire.net.

News Channel 8 continues investigating Lakeland Police Dept.

admin — Wed, 17 Jul 2013 12:32:36 +0000

Last night News Channel 8 did a story regarding the Lakeland Police Department. The station reported a “bombshell” announcement regarding further problems at LPD. You can see the story at this link:

http://www.wfla.com/story/22856459/lakeland-police-scandals-could-place

News Channel 8 also has copies of the letters the State Attorney sen Chief Womack regarding some of the LPD officers. In the letters the prosecutor states he does not feel he can trust the officers’ testimony in criminal cases. Without that testimony, the prosecutor may not be able to prove the DUI charges pending against suspected drivers. This may result in up to 40 DUI cases being dismissed. Other alleged criminal prosecutions may also be affected and dropped including felony criminal charges.

It also appears the investigation by the State Attorney’s office into the Lakeland Police Department are not finished. It was also reported that the Lakeland Police Department is reviewing all of LPD’s DUI arrests since last year. I will keep an eye on these events and how it may benefit my clients to insure they are treated fairly.

If you have been arrested by the Lakeland Police, call the attorney who worked to discover some of these allegations.

Lakeland Criminal Defense Lawyer

Thomas C. Grajek – 863-688-4606

Handling all felony, misdemeanor, and DUI cases in Polk County.

The post News Channel 8 continues investigating Lakeland Police Dept. first appeared on SEONewsWire.net.

Polk County State Attorney Jerry Hill issues "no confidence" letter for two LPD officers.

admin — Tue, 16 Jul 2013 23:27:30 +0000

The ongoing problems and investigation into the Lakeland Police Department continue. The Ledger reported today that the State Attorney for the 10th Judicial Circuit issued a “No Confidence’ letter for two LPD officers. You can read the article here:

http://www.theledger.com/article/20130716/NEWS/130719456?tc=cr

That means that the prosecutor’s office will no longer accept testimony from Sgt. Raymond Lloyd and Officer David Edds. These were the officers on my LPD case a few weeks ago where I brought out the problems with the DUI reports and how the police reports were sworn to under oath. Usually, that means that the State Attorney’s office will not go forward with any cases in which these officers are the sole officer giving testimony. For some individuals, that may mean criminal charges are dropped against them if the testimony is critical to the case.

The investigation is still ongoing. Hopefully, the thorough job the State Attorney’s office is doing will result in restoring the public’s confidence in the Lakeland Police Department.

In addition, two deputies with the Polk County Sheriff’s Office were also fired today based upon their misconduct.

If you have been arrested and are looking for an attorney to stand up and fight for you in court call me!

THOMAS C. GRAJEK, POLK COUNTY CRIMINAL ATTORNEY

CALL NOW 863-688-4606

The post Polk County State Attorney Jerry Hill issues "no confidence" letter for two LPD officers. first appeared on SEONewsWire.net.

Prosecutor calls for changes at LPD. The Ledger explains the issues in-depth and with great detail.

admin — Wed, 26 Jun 2013 02:14:35 +0000

The Lakeland Ledger did a very thorough investigation into the on-going problems at the Lakeland Police Department. These issues include my DUI case regarding how DUI reports are completed in criminal cases, bra-shaking searches conducted by patrol officers, FDLE’s investigation of LPD, and other issues. You can read the full article here:

http://www.theledger.com/article/20130620/NEWS/306215002/1358/news06?p=1&tc=pg

If you have been arrested, call an attorney that will fight for your rights!

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

The post Prosecutor calls for changes at LPD. The Ledger explains the issues in-depth and with great detail. first appeared on SEONewsWire.net.

Lakeland DUI procedures get attention of news after Thomas C. Grajek’s NOT GUILTY verdict this week!

admin — Fri, 21 Jun 2013 11:28:46 +0000

This week I obtained a NOT GUILTY verdict after a jury trial in my client’s Lakeland DUI arrest. Due to my investigation into the Lakeland Police Department’s procedures in DUI cases, the news picked up on this story. My preparation for the case and cross-examination of the officer has led the LPD to conduct an investigation into LPD’s DUI arrest procedures.

You can watch News Channel 8′s excellent story here:

http://www.wfla.com/story/22644586/fl-investigates-lakeland-police-dui-procedures

If you are arrested for DUI, you need an attorney who thoroughly investigates your case.
You need a DUI lawyer that will stand up for your rights in court.
You need an experienced trial attorney that knows how to cross-examine a DUI officer.
You need an attorney that attends the latest DUI and criminal seminars that knows the law.

Polk County DUI lawyer Thomas C. Grajek is that attorney!

863-838-5549 cell

The administrative driver license suspension rules for DUI’s change July 1, 2013.

The post Lakeland DUI procedures get attention of news after Thomas C. Grajek’s NOT GUILTY verdict this week! first appeared on SEONewsWire.net.