Tallahassee, FL
Criminal defense Lawyer at Tallahassee, FL
Practice Areas: Criminal Defense, Personal Injury, DUI & DWI
OUTCOME: REVERSED
Appeal to the Second District Court of Appeal. Client was convicted of fleeing to elude and sentenced to prison (another attorney did the trial). Won a reversal based on the trial court's denial of c ... lient's right to counsel of his choice.
OUTCOME: REVERSED
Appeal to the Supreme Court of Florida. Client was charged with first degree murder. Appealed the conviction (another attorney did the trial), and got the case reversed on errors in the jury instruct ... ions.
OUTCOME: NOT GUILTY
Client was charged with battery, grand theft, and criminal mischief. The incident was caught on video tape by the accuser. Client was alleged to have gone onto neighbor's property and attacked him, k ... icked a dent in his truck, and stolen his expensive glassed after they were knocked off the neighbor's face. Despite the fact that the incident was on tape, I was able to show huge inconsistencies in the accuser's story, and that in reality the neighbor started the fight. Also proved that there client did NOT kick the truck, and that the glasses were actually picked up and tossed to the accuser after the scuffle.
OUTCOME: JURY TRIAL: NOT GUILTY AND LESSERS
Jury trial. Client charged with THREE counts of aggravated assault with a firearm, and felon in possesion of a firearm. Potential sentence was over 45 years in prison, much of it as a prison release ... reoffender. After Bodiford's withering cross-examination, and prodcution of a defense witness, verdict was: Guilty of only LESSER OFFENSES of simple assault and NOT GUILTY of felon in possession of a firearm. Sentence? 180 days in jail with credit for time served. Client was relased from jail! Read about it at: http://publicrecord.hillsclerk.com/oridev/criminal_pack.doc?pcSearchMode=CS&pnPidm=924409&pcCaseId=09-CF-015430&pnCnt=1&pcFirst=FADY&pcLast=SULEIMAN&pcMi=S&pcSuf=&pcId=@924212&pcByear=1990&pcPtyp=D001&pcDefStat=Closed%20-%2003/16/2010&pdInit=09-SEP-09&pcCaseStat=Closed%20-%2003/16/2010&pcCtyp=TF&pcLocn=TA&pcPref=&pcWarrant=&pcCaseDscr=THEFT%20FORGERY%20FRAUD&pcDiv=E&pcCourtType=&pnCaseYrFr=1970&pnCaseYrTo=2010&pcCtypCL=&pcLocnCL=
OUTCOME: Case about jury instructions.
Appellate opinion stating that it is reversible error for criminal jury instructions to have the words "and/or" between names of victims. Analysis turned to whether it was a fundamental error. Opinon ... can be viewed at: http://www.2dca.org/opinions/Opinion_Pages/Opinion_Page_2010/February/February%2026,%202010/2D07-3392.pdf The significance of this case is that the post-conviction motion, alleging ineffective assitance of counsel, has been set up. The appellate court afforded no relief here (saying that the jury instructions were erroneous, but not fundamentally so). However, the appellate court stated that had there been an objection to the instructions as trial, then the error would have been reversible. Mr. Bodiford's work has all but assured the client that the case will be overturned in the post-conviction stage.
OUTCOME: Denial of post-conviction motion REVERSED
Bodiford filed a post-conviction motion, alleging ineffective assistance of counsel for the attorney (NOT Bodiford) failing to file a motion to suppress. The lower court judge summarily denied the mot ... ion, however, Bodiford obtained a reversal on appeal! View the opinion here: http://www.5dca.org/Opinions/Opin2008/012808/5D07-3888.op.pdf
OUTCOME: Murder conviction SET ASIDE
2000 murder conviction set aside. Bodiford filed a motion to set aside the conviction based on new evidence - a witness recanted her testimony. Initially the judge denied the motion - Bodiford appeal ... ed and won. The case was then heard over three days, and Bodiford convinced the judge that the recantation was true, and that the sole eyewitness to the crime had been forced to lie. The conviction was set aside, and a new trial ordered. Based on the recantation from the lone witness, a conviction is not likely.
OUTCOME: CASE DISMISSED AFTER MOTION TO SUPPRESS
This was a clear case of illegal search and seizure. Client was in his home, entertaining a visitor. Cops banged on door with an erroneous search warrant. Visitor ran out back door as client was inn ... ocently answering the front door. Cop at back door grabbed visitor, marched him back in house to get visitor's ID. There were drugs next to visitor's wallet and keys. Client was no where nearby. Cops who wrote report conveniently left out name of cop who illegally entered the home. It was only through the tenacious depositions of Mr. Bodiford that the name was discovered, and that cop deposed, and the admission to the illegal entry obtained. On motion to suppress, one cop lied and said there was permission to enter the home. State went with that version of the events, despite critical cross-examination by Mr. Bodiford. Cop who illegally entered home admitted he had no permission. After motion to suppress granted, motion to dismiss GRANTED. Case can be found at: http://publicrecord.hillsclerk.com/oridev/criminal_pack.doc?pcSearchMode=NS&pnPidm=6530642&pcCaseId=09-CF-000451&pnCnt=1&pcFirst=JOHN&pcLast=WELLER&pcMi=THOMAS&pcSuf=&pcId=@6528597&pcByear=1956&pcPtyp=D001&pcDefStat=Closed%20-%2004/30/2010&pdInit=08-JAN-09&pcCaseStat=Closed%20-%2004/30/2010&pcCtyp=DO&pcLocn=TA&pcPref=&pcWarrant=&pcCaseDscr=DRUG%20OFFENSE&pcDiv=A&pcCourtType=&pnCaseYrFr=1970&pnCaseYrTo=2010&pcCtypCL=&pcLocnCL=
OUTCOME: CASE DISMISSED AFTER MOTION TO SUPPRESS GRANTED
Motion tu suppres alleged an illegal stop, and that the following seach of client's car and person were therefore illegal as well. Cop alleged that he pulled client over for (1) spitting out the door ... of the car while stopped at a red light, and (2) smelling the odor of burnt marijuana emitting from the car. Court heard cop testify and wither under cross-examination by Mr. Bodiford. Held: even if cop at some point did smell marijuana (which was a lie, as there was NO evidence of ashes, marijuana cigarettes, etc in the car), there was no reason to pull the car over to begin with! Perfect example of Bodiford calling a cop on his lies, and winning in a hearing. Case can be viewed here: http://publicrecord.hillsclerk.com/oridev/criminal_pack.mn?pcSearchMode=CS&pnPidm=6343627&pcCaseId=08-CF-006906&pnCnt=1&pcFirst=SHANIKA&pcLast=LUCAS&pcMi=LONAIL&pcSuf=&pcId=@6340980&pcByear=1980&pcPtyp=D001&pcDefStat=Closed%20-%2012/01/2008&pdInit=08-APR-08&pcCaseStat=Closed%20-%2012/01/2008&pcCtyp=DO&pcLocn=TA&pcPref=&pcWarrant=&pcCaseDscr=DRUG%20OFFENSE&pcDiv=A&pcCourtType=&pnCaseYrFr=1970&pnCaseYrTo=2010&pcCtypCL=&pcLocnCL=
OUTCOME: MOTION TO DISMISS GRANTED
Cops illegally entered home to arrest for a misdemeanor. Client was charged with battery on law enforcement and resisitn with violence for "allegedy" attacking to cops once they were inside. However, ... cleint was severly beaten by the cops (a Federal civil suit is immient). Based on Bodiford's motion to dismiss, State had no choice but to concede the motion and the case was dismissed. Read about it at: http://publicrecord.hillsclerk.com/oridev/criminal_pack.mn?pcSearchMode=CS&pnPidm=6488127&pcCaseId=08-CF-021464&pnCnt=1&pcFirst=FRANCIS&pcLast=DOSSEY&pcMi=TERRELL&pcSuf=LEE&pcId=@6486839&pcByear=1946&pcPtyp=D001&pcDefStat=Closed%20-%2003/25/2009&pdInit=01-NOV-08&pcCaseStat=Closed%20-%2003/25/2009&pcCtyp=PE&pcLocn=TA&pcPref=&pcWarrant=&pcCaseDscr=OTHER%20CRIMES%20AGAINST%20PERSON&pcDiv=D&pcCourtType=&pnCaseYrFr=1970&pnCaseYrTo=2010&pcCtypCL=&pcLocnCL=