People suspected of a crime or facing criminal charges may be familiar with the names of certain legal concepts and phrases but not truly understand their meaning and application. Many people have heard “ex post facto” or “fruit of the poisonous tree.” Few know exactly when these phrases apply to their cases and, if they do, precisely how to use them. An experienced Tampa Bay criminal defense lawyer, however, knows exactly how these and other concepts work and how to use them to your maximum benefit.
Arguments about ex post facto laws are an area where many pro se criminal defendants go wrong, raising the argument in circumstances where no ex post facto violation exists. A recent sex offender registry case from our south, however, is an example where the accused did have a valid ex post facto argument.
The defendant, A.C., was a Venice man convicted of a sex crime in 2016. At that time, the court sentenced him to incarceration followed by one year of probation. The sentence also required him to register as a sex offender. In the summer of 2019, while on probation, A.C. was arrested for another internet sex crime. Continue reading