Ask a Lawyer with Steve Sleeper

What if Title IX misconduct charges are false? The accused may believe that, but the other side won't. The purpose of a hearing is for the accused to present the facts as they see them. Attorney Terrell Jackson had a client who went to a wedding with his girlfriend. They had a few drinks and went back to the dorm and something happened, so to speak. Later on the girlfriend said she was drunk and there was no consent and filed a Title IX complaint. Attorney Ratliff was able to get videos from the wedding reception showing the complainant was fully functional. He also interviewed multiple people who said she only had one or two drinks. Ultimately his client was found not responsible. So, both the respondent and the complainant have the same rights, but the respondent had to spend the money to prove he didn’t do anything wrong.

Our guest today is criminal defense attorney Jordan Holmes with Jordan Holmes Law in Orlando, FL. If you have been arrested or charged with a crime, what you do next matters. Early legal intervention can determine whether your case is reduced, dismissed, or taken to trial. Jordan Holmes Law defends clients facing serious criminal charges, including felonies, DUI, and violent offenses. Jordan’s phone number is (407) 666-4560, and her website is https://www.jordanholmeslaw.com.

A DWI offense can be reduced to a lesser offense if a dismissal is not in the cards. Dismissal is priority number one, but the second-best result is a reduction to a charge that is not a DWI. It can be careless driving, defective equipment, or maybe you ran through a stop sign. So Benjamin Law requests an amendment to a lessor charge and the prosecutor has that authority. There are exceptions to the rule for CDL holders that make it more difficult for the client. But nonetheless, a prosecutor can amend a charge, and Benjamin Law takes advantage of that discretion.

With DWI cases, every observation the officer makes is evidence used against you. The officer sees you driving, and they report signs of someone who's impaired. So, they're observing how you stop. Did you stop shortly after lights and sirens? Did you pull over without hitting the curb? The other evidence that's going to be used against you is personal contact. The officer's going to approach your vehicle, and he will use his nose, eyes, and ears to determine evidence to use against you. The Benjamin Law Firm knows there are many signs of sobriety the officer blows off and ignores, and that's how they win many cases. Whether he followed his training or not is crucial, as he's supposed to execute field sobriety tests according to strict standards. The blood, breath, or urine sample they take after your arrest serves as evidence against you.

What evidence is important in a personal injury case? Good evidence is the backbone of any strong case. It includes photos and videos from the scene, the police report, witness statements, contact information, and your complete medical records showing your treatment. Documentation of lost wages matters, and anything showing how the injury affected your daily life, like a personal journal or statements from your family. In some cases, surveillance footage from nearby businesses or the vehicle's own data recorder can play a role. The earlier Attorney Everett is involved, the better the chance of preserving evidence before it disappears. Some evidence, like surveillance footage, is deleted within days or weeks. Don't waste time. Call Attorney Pepper right away.

DWI criminal cases can go to trial. However, almost everyone has two cases. There’s the driver's license case and the criminal case, and they are separate cases with different opposing counsel. The criminal case has prosecutors. The driver's license case has the Department of Revenue and different judges in most jurisdictions. We'll go to trial with the criminal case if we have to. We're going to trial 100% of the time on the driver's license case because there are no plea negotiations. It's not a criminal case. It's either yes or no. You either lose your driver's license or you don't. We have to go to trial to convince either the opposing counsel, the judge, or the administrative hearing officer to give us what we want. With the criminal case, we use the information we've learned from the driver's license case and potentially the win we got for you to help win the case.

Can you transfer if there’s a Title IX investigation? Yes, but it's going to follow you. And believe it or not, you can have a Title IX filed against you even after you graduate if the conduct is alleged to have happened while you were in school. Attorney Terrell Ratliff has had many Title IX cases where the senior just graduated, and there’s a Title IX from something that happened freshman year.

Our guest today is DUI Criminal Defense Attorney Elena Blose at AMB Law in Fort Lauderdale, FL. Her phone number is (786) 686-0263, and her website is https://amb-legal.com/

For over a decade, Elena has been a powerhouse in criminal defense. Known as a fierce negotiator and an uncompromising champion of her clients’ rights, she ensures the State is met with a flawless defense strategy at every turn. She’s your relentless advocate.

With DWI cases, every observation the officer makes is evidence used against you. The officer sees you driving, and they report signs of someone who's impaired. So, they're observing how you stop. Did you stop shortly after lights and sirens? Did you pull over without hitting the curb? The other evidence that's going to be used against you is personal contact. The officer's going to approach your vehicle, and he will use his nose, eyes, and ears to determine evidence to use against you. The Benjamin Law Firm knows there are many signs of sobriety the officer blows off and ignores, and that's how they win many cases. Whether he followed his training or not is crucial, as he's supposed to execute field sobriety tests according to strict standards. The blood, breath, or urine sample they take after your arrest serves as evidence against you.

Will a Title IX case stay on your transcripts? If you are found responsible, anything can be negotiated. Attorney Ratliff had a case about a year and a half ago where a client had been found responsible. Three years after the fact, it was still on his transcripts, but he had turned his life around. Attorney Ratliff contacted the school and arranged for the removal, but they had to show a tremendous amount of mitigation. He got the client to enroll in therapy twice a week for 6 months. Anything can happen. It just depends on how much the student and the family want it.