The Umansky Law Firm

Actor Randy Quaid and his wife, Evi, escaped felony fraud charges this week when Ms. Quaid accepted a plea deal on a misdemeanor offense. The couple had been facing felony charges for defrauding an innkeeper and skipping out on a hotel bill worth $10,000 in Santa Barbara, California.

The bill has been paid in full, and Ms. Quaid entered a plea of no contest to the one misdemeanor count of defrauding the innkeeper. She was sentenced to three years probation and 240 hours community service. Randy Quaid escaped any punishment because investigators could not approve direct involvement. However, they allege there is circumstantial evidence against him. The evidence showed Ms. Quaid was the one dealing with the credit card and hotel.

According to news reports, the Quaids were arrested in Texas last September on a warrant issued by a Santa Barbara judge. They then allegedly missed several court dates and were ordered to jail. Each of them was released on $100,000 bail.

Fraud is a serious crime that can cost you thousands of dollars in damages paid out, as well as time in prison. An experienced criminal defense attorney is your best chance at having the charges reduced or dismissed.

If you have been charged with fraud in the Orange County or Orlando, Florida area, or anywhere else in the state of Florida, please contact the experienced fraud defense attorneys at the Umansky Law Firm for a free case consultation.

Last year, a Volusia Mall jewelry store was broken into and $51,000 worth of jewels taken. This weekend, police said they caught the alleged burglar after the 33-year-old man committed another burglary in Tallahassee at a JC Penny on Friday. It is estimated that $95,000 worth of jewelry was taken in that burglary.

The Daytona Beach police called the alleged thief a "heavy-duty burglar" who broke into the jewelry store last year with a mallet; the JC Penny crime was reportedly committed with a large stone through the front door and a small sledge hammer at the display case. The man was connected to last year's Volusia Mall burglary through his DNA. Police claim he was cut and bled during the alleged crime.

The man was apparently apprehended when an alarm was tripped. Police, including K-9 units, showed up and caught the man after he ran from the store. Police allegedly recovered a backpack in the nearby woods they say belonged to the man. There were several bracelets and necklaces inside the backpack.

The man police accuse of burglary has been arrested several times in the past and was thought to have left Florida. Since he was caught in the state, he can now be represented by an area criminal defense lawyer. Just because the man has a criminal record does not mean he shouldn't get the best defense possible.

If you have been charged with burglary or theft in Orange County or Orlando, Florida, or anywhere else in the state of Florida, please contact the experienced criminal defense attorneys at the Umansky Law Firm for an initial free and confidential case consultation.

Cameron Douglas, son of actor Michael Douglas, was sentenced to five years in prison for distribution of methamphetamine and cocaine in New York yesterday. The 31-year-old pleaded guilty in January.

The sentence stems from the younger Douglas' arrest at a Manhattan nightclub in July 2009. He has had previous run-ins with the law and has struggled with his own drug problems. While the elder Douglas, his ex-wife and Cameron's mother Diandra Luker, grandfather Kirk Douglas, and even Catherine Zeta-Jones all wrote letters of Cameron's character and appealed to the judge for leniency, the U.S. District judge said that prison may be Cameron's "last chance."

Cameron spoke on his own behalf and apologized to the court for his actions. He said things would be different if given a second chance, but to no avail. While the judge acknowledged he received many letters from celebrities and some of them allegedly implied he should not make an example of Cameron just because he is the son of a famous actor, the judge stated in court that not one of them mentioned the impact on "victims of society for dealing drugs."

Though Cameron Douglas is going to prison, his five year sentence could have been much longer. Many drug dealers are given decades behind bars for their role in trafficking. And nearly all of them do not have the backing of famous family and friends when they are appealing to the judge for a lighter sentence.

In these types of cases, you absolutely need an experienced criminal defense attorney to help you through the legal system and be an advocate for you. While all the letters in the world about your good character may not help you, one good criminal defense attorney can punch so many holes in the prosecution's case that you may have your sentence reduced to probation or drug counseling, depending on the situation.

If you have been charged with a drug offense in Orange County or Orlando, Florida, or anywhere else in the state of Florida, please contact the experienced criminal defense attorneys at the Umansky Law Firm today.

Two men have been arrested for stealing nearly $40,000 from a Bradenton jewelry store on Sunday night. The two entered Bartlett's Jewelers around 8:00pm and were observed on the store cameras removing the door lock and then removing the jewelry. They then allegedly emptied the jewels into blue shopping bags.

The men then travelled to Naples and attempted to enter a Lens Crafters store nearly three hours later. However, they were caught in the act and arrested. Naples police allegedly found blue shopping bags with the stolen merchandise from Bartlett's Jewelers in one of the men's vehicle.

Naples police department contacted Maricopa County Sheriff's Office, which allegedly linked the two suspects to the jewelry burglary.

A blue shopping bag identical to those the suspects had with them was allegedly found at another Bartlett's Jewelers after a burglary.

Individuals who are charged and convicted with grand theft may spend years of their life in prison. They will then have fewer employment opportunities, lose friends and family, and more. In order to help keep the charges to a minimum or have them dismissed, you need an attorney with experience in defending individuals charged with burglary, theft, or shoplifting.

If you have been charged with burglary in Orange County, or Orlando, Florida, Central Florida, or anywhere else in the state of Florida, please contact the experienced criminal defense attorneys at the Umansky Law Firm for an initial and confidential consultation.

On a list of things to never do, getting drunk and stealing a police cruiser has to be near the top of the list. Yet, this is exactly what an 18-year-old Oregon teenager is accused of doing. He allegedly stole the Ford Mustang from an off-duty law enforcement officer's house over the weekend and took it for a joyride while under the influence.

Oregon State Police arrested the teen Saturday night after a trooper spotted the obviously marked cruiser parked near a road. When the trooper approached the cruiser, believing he was going to find a deputy inside the vehicle, he found the teen sleeping in the driver's seat. According to police, they had a report about 20 minutes earlier about a white Mustang driving recklessly on Highway 214.

The teen was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence, unauthorized use of a motor vehicle, reckless driving and recklessly endangering another person. If he is convicted on these charges, the teen will face monster fines and maybe even jail time.

It is never easy seeing young people get into trouble like this, especially for parents. However, we are a better society if we can rehabilitate teens. Rather than throw them in jail and give them a mark that will make future employment and scholarships difficult, we can use counseling and community service. Sealing and expunging criminal records in some cases is also in our best interest. With an experienced criminal defense attorney, there is a greater likelihood this can occur.

If your teen has been charged with criminal violations in the Orange County or Orlando, Florida area, or anywhere else in the state of Florida, please contact the criminal defense attorneys at the Umanksy Law Firm. We offer an initial confidential and free consultation.

A program centered in Orange County called "Project Courage" is targeting a single six block area in an intense bid to prevent domestic violence, and is expected to last for several years. The neighborhood that is being targeted has not yet been announced, but the effort involves at least 40 different agencies and individuals. It was made possible with a $110,000 grant from 100 Women Strong, a local all-female "giving circle" where individuals give their own money to make community grants possible.

Project Courage is in response to University of Central Florida researchers who found high incidence of domestic violence in Orange County area codes. The two highest areas are Edgewood and Pine Hills. However, this does not mean that either of these communities will be part of the Project Courage effort.

There was a 12.5 percent increase in domestic violence calls to law enforcement from 2008 to 2009. The initial goal of Project Courage is community awareness and teaching first responders, students, parents, and those in business how to recognize warning signs of domestic violence and what to do about them.

If Project Courage is successful during its initial phases, it is hoped that it can be moved to other counties in Florida.

In addition to attempting to end domestic violence, several officials have noted that it is a "root cause of other evils," including child abuse, animal abuse, and homicide involving third parties.

Orlando mayor Buddy Dyer said, "In the seven years I've been mayor, if drugs have not been involved, domestic violence has."

If you have been charged with domestic violence in the Orange County or Orlando, Florida area, please contact the experienced criminal defense attorneys at the Umansky Law Firm for an initial case consultation.

Days before his death, 38-year-old actor Corey Haim was reportedly shopping around for doctors to give him prescription medication. In the past year, Haim obtained the names of at least 20 Los Angeles area doctors. All of these doctors can expect to be subpoenaed to tell California law enforcement what they know.

Haim's primary care doctor was giving the actor one day supplies at a time in an attempt to wean him off the drugs. He was also calling urgent care centers he believed were writing prescriptions for Haim. Just under two weeks before his death, Haim obtained prescriptions for a muscle relaxer called Soma and a pain reliever called Norco. These were filled out at a San Fernando pharmacy.

Doctor shopping has come to light several times lately due to the deaths of Haim, actress Brittany Murphy, and others. However, this is not limited to just actors and actresses. Although the famous may have an easier time obtaining prescription drugs due to their name recognition, illicit prescription drug sales and drug use are on the rise across the country, including in the state of Florida.

Being arrested for the sale or use of prescription drugs can affect your life for years to come. If you are a doctor and have been accused of selling prescription drugs to those without a prescription, you can lose your license to practice medicine.

If you have been charged with selling or obtaining prescription drugs illegally in the Orange County or Orlando, Florida area, please contact the experienced criminal defense attorneys at the Umansky Law Firm for an initial and confidential case consultation.

Late last month, Jason Wahler, a former star on the show Hills, was arrested and charged with two counts of driving under the influence of alcohol in California. His blood alcohol content was allegedly 0.15, higher than the 0.08 allowed in California. What makes this DUI more notable than the average star arrested for driving under the influence is that it is Wahler's second alcohol-related arrest in a month.

One week prior to this DUI, Wahler was arrested for a bar fight in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico. He was quickly bailed out and driven back across the border by a mysterious person where he seems to have continued his party.

As a result of Wahler's arrest, he faces up to six months in jail if he is convicted.

It may seem to the average person that stars are more likely to get out of trouble than others. That may be the case in some instances. However, an experienced DUI defense attorney, like those at the Umanksy Law Firm, work hard to see that charges are reduced or dropped. If you are a first time offender, we may be able to get you into alternative treatment. Once this is class or treatment is completed, your record may then be sealed or expunged.

If you have been charged with DUI in the Orange County or Orlando, Florida area, or anywhere else in the state of Florida, please contact the experienced DUI defense attorneys at the Umansky Law Firm for an initial case consultation.