What is an injunction?
An injunction is a court order issued by a judge that prohibits an individual from having contact with another individual. A violation of this court order can sometimes result in incarceration and other penalties assessed to the person who violates that injunction.
What if the DCF investigation is based on false allegations?
Once a report’s made, the Department of Children and Families or the Child Protective Services are going to want to investigate that allegation. They’re going to want to determine whether or not the child has actually been harmed, in danger of being harmed, is being neglected, or is in danger of being neglected. Ultimately,… Read More »
What happens in a child protective investigation in Florida?
Whenever there is a complaint regarding alleged child abuse or neglect, the Department of Children and Families or the local sheriff’s office will sometimes send out a child protection investigator to look into the basis for that complaint. If the child protection investigator believes that enough information exists to substantiate that complaint then the… Read More »
Can an attorney help me during the child protective investigation?
Absolutely. Whenever there is a child protection investigation, an attorney can help guide you through the process. Specifically, an attorney can meet with you ahead of time, speak with you, advise you as to what to expect, and assist you in making a determination as to whether or not you should provide an interview… Read More »
What is the purpose of a grand jury in Florida?
The purpose of a grand jury is to consider evidence that is brought before them by a prosecutor, and to make a recommendation as to whether they would bring an indictment to actually criminally charge somebody with a crime, and typically those are very serious crimes or they might be politically sensitive crimes, and… Read More »
What happens during a DCF investigation?
During a DCF investigation, there’s typically somebody assigned by the Department of Children and Families and that person is called a child protection investigator, also known as a CPI. That person is a sworn law enforcement officer and they are looking to gather any and all facts into evidence as it relates to a… Read More »
If a child protection investigator wants to talk to me, what should I do?
You should definitely contact an attorney. If a child protection investigator’s talking to you, they are looking into allegations that have been made against you about your conduct as it relates to how you treated a child. And that can be whether you abused a child, abandoned a child, or neglected a child. And… Read More »
I was given a ticket and released with a date to appear in court. What do I do?
You should definitely appear in court. It may be that you were cited with a criminal infraction or a civil infraction, but either one of those, if you’re given notice to appear in court, you should be in court. You don’t want your license to get suspended or, worse yet, have a warrant issued… Read More »
Do I need a lawyer if I am being investigated by the DCF?
Absolutely. If the Department of Children and Families is telling you that you’re under investigation as it relates to your conduct towards a child, that you put your hand on a child, you left a red mark on a child, you pushed a child. Even if it’s in a lunch line or in a… Read More »
What should I do if I am arrested in Florida?
You should immediately contact a lawyer. The government is seeking to charge you with a crime, and you need to be defended on that. The first thing you should do after that is make sure that you keep your mouth shut. Do not talk to anyone except your lawyer about the circumstances surrounding your… Read More »
