The Umansky Law Firm

Paris Hilton, who used to be everybody's favorite party girl, was arrested and charged with possession of a controlled substance – a felony – in Las Vegas, Nevada over the weekend.

According to Nevada law enforcement, Hilton was riding in the front passenger seat of a Cadillac Escalade when police allegedly smelled marijuana smoke coming from the vehicle. Hilton allegedly tried to roll up the window when a police car pulled up next to the Escalade. Police pulled the vehicle over and asked the driver to perform a field sobriety test. He failed the test and was arrested for driving under the influence.

A crowd then began to gather once people realized it was Hilton in the vehicle. Police asked her to get out so they could search the vehicle for drugs. Hilton said she was embarrassed about all the people gathering and taking pictures, and didn't want to be seen by them. However, she wanted to stick around and see what was going to happen to the driver, identified as Las Vegas nightclub mogul, Cy Waits.

Hilton asked if she could use the bathroom and police officers escorted her to the Wynn Hotel to protect her from crowds and get her somewhere private while the investigation was going on. Hotel staff directed them to the security holding room, which was private and had a bathroom. Hilton was asked to put her purse on the table while the two officers waited for a female officer to escort Hilton to the bathroom.

Hilton asked for lip balm from the purse and when she opened it, a plastic bag with what police allege appeared like cocaine fell out. Hilton claimed the purse was borrowed from a friend and that she thought the plastic bag contained gum. A broken tablet of Albuterol was hers, which Hilton said was prescribe to her. The cosmetics in the purse were not hers, but the credit cards, $1300 in cash, and Zig Zag rolling papers were.

The substance in the bag tested positive as 0.8 grams of cocaine.

Hilton was released early Sunday morning from Clark County jail. She will be arraigned in late October.

If you have been charged with drug possession 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 a free confidential consultation.

Craigslist and Backpage.com are great places to find many things you may want or need, as well as sell things for money, but there are some things that you may want to be wary of. One of these is soliciting sex for cash. It has been reported recently that at least 19 states are asking Craigslist to end these ads.

Polk County authorities used these kinds of online advertisements to solicit sex for cash and arrested every single suspect that showed up to the pre-set location. The alleged suspects include a 17-year-old, a pregnant woman, and a 77-year-old man. These three and 41 others face various charges, including soliciting prostitution, disorderly conduct, and a variety of drug charges.

The sting was set up in connection with a suspected prostitution ring, and those involved in the prostitution ring were also arrested. While some of the suspects are from Florida, many of them come from out of state.

Florida is one of the nation's premier tourist spots. As a result of this, many tourists find themselves in trouble with the law. Prostitution and solicitation is just one of the areas people get into trouble. While Craigslist and Backpage.com may seem like anonymous places, you never can be sure who is going to meet you for liaisons.

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

A few months ago, Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s wife, Mary, was pulled over for erratic driving. She was charged and pleaded guilty to driving while impaired and her license was suspended – although Kennedy was still allowed to drive under certain circumstances. However, those circumstances may have caught up with Kennedy over the weekend.

State police in New York allege that Kennedy was pulled over for speeding on the Taconic State Parkway going 82 mph. She claimed she was on her way to a yoga class at the time. Officers suspected she was under the influence of prescription drugs and arrested. A drug-recognition expert then allegedly examined her and determined that she was indeed under the influence.

The Kennedys have four children and have reportedly filed for divorce. In the week before Mary's May DUI arrest, the police were called to the residence twice, but police say no crimes were committed.

Regardless of your feelings about the Kennedys, you can't help but feel a little sorry for Mary Kennedy. She's a 50-year-old woman with four children going through divorce. She has had several run-ins with the police this year. You have to wonder if the alcohol and drug use are because of marital strife, or vice versa. This is sadly a common occurrence, and leads to an arrest record as well as divorce proceedings.

If you have been charged with DUI in Orange County or the Orlando, Florida area, or anywhere else in the state of Florida, please contact the experienced criminal defense attorneys at the Umansky Law Firm today. We offer a free and confidential case evaluation.

A Beverly Hills, California beauty salon owner has been charged with fraud for using credit card information from several celebrity clients. The 51-year-old salon owner faces two counts of fraud for allegedly ringing up several thousand dollars on the credit cards of Liv Tyler and jewelry designer Loree Rodkin.

Although it has not been confirmed, Rodkin claims other stars who have had unauthorized charges on their credit cards include Jennifer Aniston, Cher, and Anne Hathaway.

An affidavit claims that Tyler had around $214,000 in bad charges from the salon to two of her credit cards over the past several months. Rokin's card was allegedly charged around $68,000 without Rodkin's authorization. The affidavit states the salon owner offered Rodkin $25,000 worth of products in exchange for the credit card charges, but Rodkin refused.

Secret Service agents showed up to arrest the salon owner at her studio. The two fraud charges carry a maximum of 25 years in prison if she is convicted. Investigators say that most of the charges were entered manually rather than the credit card being swiped.

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 criminal defense attorneys at the Umansky Law Firm for an initial case consultation.

On the day two DeLand women were to graduate from Florida Technical College, one was invited to the other's house to borrow clothes for the ceremony. Although she was allowed to borrow shoes and clothes, she also allegedly took an expensive piece of jewelry. The bracelet was taken out of a locked safe and was going to be worn by the owner to the college graduation.

The alleged victim of the crime noticed the bracelet missing the night of the graduation ceremony, but waited nearly a month to report the theft to police and hoped her classmate would return it during that time.

The diamond bracelet is valued at nearly $30,000. It is an 18-carat white gold bangle bracelet with 148 channel-set baguette cut diamonds and 60 prong-set round brilliant-cut diamonds. According to investigators, the bracelet was pawned for $250 on July 7 by the alleged perpetrator. It was then redeemed on July 9.

The perpetrator said she pawned an engagement ring and a pair of earrings to pay bills, but didn't say anything about the bracelet until she was questioned. She then stated that it was a gift from her Miami Beach fiancé and that she had given it to him for safekeeping.

The victim showed investigators documents of appraisal made in December 2003. The alleged thief was arrested and charged with grand theft and dealing in stolen property. She is being held in Volusia County Branch Jail on $40,000 bail.

Police have not yet found her fiancé or the diamond bracelet.

If you have been charged with grand theft 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.

George Michael, the 47-year-old former singer from Wham! ("Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go" was their hit in the '80s) who then had a successful solo career, has been charged with possession of cannabis (marijuana) and driving while unfit through drink or drugs (driving under the influence) in the UK. This stems from an incident in early July after Michael was arrested after crashing his car into a building in London.

Michael is probably better known to younger people for his run-ins with authorities than he is for his music. In 1998 he was arrested for allegedly engaging in lewd acts in a public restroom in Beverly Hills, California. In 2007 he lost his drivers license and was sentenced to 100 hours community service for two years for a DUI charge.

George Michael has sold over 100 million albums, and has a huge global fan base. Although never a self-proclaimed role model, and certainly not mistaken for one, you can't help but wonder if any of his fans are a little disappointed that this is the kind of attention Michael gets. Wouldn't his music be better for the world than his police record?

If you, or George Michael, has been charged with drug possession or DUI in the Orange County or Orlando, Florida area, or anywhere else in the state of Florida, please contact the experienced criminal defense attorneys at the Umansky Law Firm for a free initial case consultation.

Actor Wesley Snipes alleges he was convicted and sentenced to tax-related misdemeanors unfairly, and has asked for a new trial. Snipes claims that jurors already assumed he was guilty and that one of the witnesses brought against him was under investigation for fraud. It is alleged this was not disclosed to his lawyers by federal prosecutors.

The 36-month prison sentence was upheld by a federal appeals court in July, but the judge who presided over the almost two week trial in Ocala told Snipes' lawyers to file motions for a new trial within 20 days. Prosecutors also will have 20 days after Snipes' filing to respond.

Other motions filed after the appellate decision include prosecutors requesting to revoke the appeal bond, as well as defense attorneys want to quiz jurors who they allege assumed Snipes was guilty before the trial even began. However, the judge has said he will not rule on these.

Snipes was convicted on three counts of failing to file federal income tax returns for several years while he was earning millions of dollars for his movies. Between 1999 and 2004 while he was fighting with the IRS over tax obligations, Snipes earned $38 million.

If you have been charged with tax violations 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.

The 20-year-old daughter of former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani was arrested for shoplifting at a New York store. NYPD allege Caroline Giuliani pocketed $150 worth of makeup from Sephora on the city's Upper East Side.

Giuliani who is a student at Harvard University was seen on security video taking five items and then confronted by security personnel. Although store managers called police, they did not want to press charges when they found out who she was. However, police arrested her on a petty larceny charge anyway.

It is unclear whether the Manhattan D.A. will file charges against Giuliani, or if this is her first offense.

Although it is reported that Sephora managers did not want to press charges because of who she is, and the public will certainly judge this, it is also rumored that Giuliani is estranged from her father.

A first time petty larceny charge for shoplifting will most likely be met with a small fine and perhaps something else, depending on what Giuliani's lawyer and the D.A. work out. However, do not assume that if you have never been charged with shop lifting before and that your record is spotless, the law will not come down hard on you. No matter the charge, you should find an experienced criminal defense lawyer to represent you.

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

Actor Charlie Sheen reached a plea deal with prosecutors in Aspen, Colorado over a Christmas Day assault on his wife. The plea deal allows Sheen to avoid jail time and will not require him to do community service in Aspen.

Sheen pleaded guilty to misdemeanor third-degree assault in return for prosecutors dropping two other charges, including a felony charge of menacing. He was sentenced to 30 days probation, 30 days in a rehab center and 36 hours of anger management.

These charges against Sheen stem from a domestic incident he had with his wife. Sheen's wife alleges Sheen pulled a knife and threatened to kill her after she told him she wanted a divorce. The two have since reconciled.

Sheen may not have to go to the rehab center since he has already spent over 90 days at Promises Treatment Center in California for an earlier incident this year. The time in rehab may be credited toward his current sentence.

Sheen also has no criminal record in the state of Colorado, which allowed him to avoid jail time. However, he has been charged with past violence against a girlfriend for which he pleaded no contest and was placed on two years of probation in 1996, and spent time in rehab in 1998 after overdosing on cocaine and violating his probation.

If you have been charged with domestic violence 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 consultation.