Legal News & Updates

Florida’s career offender registration law changes on October 1, 2026. CS/SB 1332, now chapter 2026-151, Laws of Florida, ends with a single sentence: “This act shall take effect October 1, 2026.” Under section 775.261(2)(a), a “career offender” is a person designated a habitual violent felony offender, a violent career criminal, or a three-time violent felony […]

A Haines City officer is accused of running 717 license-plate-reader searches on his estranged wife’s vehicle. The case shows why the audit trail behind every Flock query matters — for officers, and for anyone the cameras help arrest.

Candidates for governor are arguing about Flock cameras. Current Florida law already regulates them — but it does not require a warrant, and the constitutional ground is moving faster than the Legislature.

Welcome back to Florida Courts Watch, our recurring look at recent Florida appellate decisions that matter to people facing criminal charges. This edition is a first for the series: every case below comes from the Sixth District Court of Appeal — the court that hears appeals from Polk, Highlands, and Hardee Counties. Three decisions from

Two July 10, 2026 rulings from the Second District Court of Appeal on when police may search without a warrant: a suppressed home search, and the “no objection” trap that can waive a motion to suppress.

The first edition of Florida Courts Watch: the Fourth DCA struck down the age-21 concealed-carry restriction, the Florida Supreme Court ended suppression for knock-and-announce violations, and a Polk County appeal showed why the six-person jury objection must be preserved now.

The Legislature adjourned its 2026 session without codifying open carry or clarifying where firearms stayed off limits. McDaniels v. State still controls — and so does section 790.06(12).

Florida’s Fourth DCA struck down the concealed carry ban for adults ages 18 to 20 in Eubanks v. State. The under-21 purchase ban and the prohibited-places list did not change.

In the cheekily named “Operation No Tricks, No Treats,” the Polk County Sheriff’s Office arrested 102 individuals for alleged prostitution-related activity. Legally reviewed by Tonmiel Rodriguez, Board Certified Criminal Trial Lawyer — last reviewed June 2026. Florida Statute 796.07 defines “Prostitution” as the giving or receiving of the body for sexual activity for hire (excluding