Stephan Lopez Law Firm
Being Fired is Not the Same as Staying Fired. Police Officer discharge cases are often the most difficult cases for Police Departments to win at arbitration, in great part, thanks to the time-honored seven pronged “for just cause,” test set forth by Arbitrator Carroll...
When you bring forth a civil rights case, it often takes years to settle the case or to get to trial, if the case gets to trial at all. This sounds like bad news, but the process is in place to protect all parties involved in a civil rights claim. THE PROCESS The...
Protecting Your Constitutional Rights By Stephan Lopez, Esq. The Constitution and Bill of Rights serve as the bedrock to our democracy. Among the most cherished of the first ten Amendments are our rights to freedom of speech, freedom of religion, freedom of assembly,...
Supervisory Liability in Municipal Litigation Stephan Lopez, Esq., Supervisory liability in municipal litigation…Looking the other way can make you liable. Supervisory liability in municipal actions under §1983 cannot be based on the theory of respondeat superior,...
DUI Defense By Stephan Lopez, Esq., The Importance of a DUI Defense Lawyer An Arrest for DUI is a very serious matter that must not be ignored. REASONS NOT TO IGNORE A DUI ARREST: -A DUI in Florida is a mandatory conviction! -A conviction means that you were found...
Career Criminal – A Label You DON’T Want By Stephan Lopez Esq., Career Criminal Enhanced Sentencing—the past can truly come back to haunt you. Under Florida Law, a “career criminal” can be punished more severely than a person who is not.[1]Many family members...
The Reasonable Hypothesis of Innocence By Stephan Lopez Esq., Proven innocence took him from death row and life in prison to freedom. In Florida, in order for the prosecution to convict a person charged with a crime through circumstantial evidence, the state must...
Juvenile Offenders By Stephan Lopez Esq., Juvenile Offenders in Florida—a different set of rules In Florida, as in most states, there is a separate court system that deals with juvenile offenders. Who are juvenile offenders? Juvenile offenders are children, under the...
By Stephan Lopez Esq., Constructive Possession: Even Without Actual Possession…You Could Be in Trouble! The old adage “possession is nine tenths of the law” means someone in actual possession of drugs is presumed to be in possession. By contrast that should mean that...