Latest news with #Florida-licensed
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Miami Herald
13-06-2025
- Automotive
- Miami Herald
Is there an age limit for drivers? What Florida law says about teens and seniors
Does Florida have an age limit for driving? The question comes up time to time, especially after crashes involving teens and senior citizens. Here's what to know about rules related to age: Younger drivers in Florida Learner's permit: The state issues learner permits to drivers if they are at least 15 years old. A parental consent form is required for anyone under 18. To get a learner's permit, a future driver must pass a traffic law exam and vision and hearing tests, according to Florida Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles. A learner's license requires a licensed driver 21 or older to be the vehicle and also restricts driving to daylight hours for the first three months. Driver's license: The minimum age for a full driver's license is 16. To get a license at that age, a driver is required to have had a learner's permit for a year and pass a driving test, according to the Florida agency. There are some driving time restrictions in place until a licensed driver turns 18. The laws 'allow teen drivers to safely gain driving experience under lower-risk conditions before obtaining full driving privileges,' according to the state Depasrtment of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles. Older drivers in Florida Age limits: The state doesn't have an upper age limit for driving. But in 2004, Florida mandated that drivers 80 or older needed to pass a vision test and file a vision examination report when renewing a license. You pass and your license can be renewed, unless a doctor notes otherwise. What does the law say about seniors driving? ▪ According to the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles, a Florida Class E driver's license — a standard driver's license for non-commercial vehicles — must be renewed every eight years for those who are 79 years old and younger. But at age 80, driver's licenses must be renewed every six years. ▪ Drivers 80 or older and who aren't eligible to renew their driver's license online must pass a vision test, the state says. The test can be taken at a Florida driver's license service center. There is no extra charge. ▪ Drivers can also ask their Florida-licensed medical doctor, osteopathic physician or an optometrist to administer a vision test. Once a customer passes the vision test, the driver or a doctor must submit a Mature Driver Vision Test form that is available from the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles. If the vision test reveals medical conditions that result in a referral to an eye specialist, such as a Florida-licensed ophthalmologist or an optometrist, a driver must submit a completed Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles Report of Eye Exam form. On that form a physician can sign off on patients being safe to drive if they pass the visual test. But eye examiners can also sign the form recommending that a license be denied and can state why. The medical professional can also OK the patient to drive but only under certain specifications such as daytime only or only after passing a driving test or with special equipment on the car. How to request an unsafe driver investigation in Florida Sometimes the problem may go beyond visual and you may have to have a talk with your family member, friend or doctor. Sometimes you may have to reach out to the state. AARP communications manager Dave Bruns says his organization was concerned about the issue as the organization noted that there were 825,000 drivers 80 or older and 112,000 drivers 90 or older registered in Florida. 'But we also think it's unfair to say that it's age alone that is an indicator of why you should be or not be behind a wheel,' he said. 'It's not so much age. It's really about health conditions.' Florida had the largest number of older drivers involved in fatal crashes at 767 compared to other states, according to a 2021 U.S. Department of Transportation report. In 2020, about 7,500 adults 70 and older nationwide were killed in traffic crashes, and almost 200,000 were treated in the ER for crash injuries, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. These figures translated to 20 older adults killed and almost 540 injured in crashes daily. Sometimes age-related impairments are a factor and the driver may not be willing to give up their independence or recognize the time may have come. The Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles 'will accept information from any doctor, person, or agency representative who knows of a physical or mental condition that may affect an individual's ability to drive safely,' according to Nolo, a nationwide firm that answers legal questions. These reports can be filed to the state by completing the department's Medical Referral form. Reports are kept confidential, but you must include a name, address and telephone number. Department investigators may interview family members, neighbors or the driver's doctor, and may also require medical tests or written or road retests.
Associated Press
11-06-2025
- Associated Press
Dominican Journalist Ángel Martínez Facing Travel Restrictions Despite Closed Case
MIAMI, FL, UNITED STATES, June 11, 2025 / / -- Legal representatives for Dominican journalist and licensed private investigator Ángel Ramón de Jesús Martínez Jiménez have filed motions in Dominican court seeking the immediate lifting of travel restrictions imposed after his detention on May 26, 2025 at sea leaving the port of Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic. Martínez, a well-known investigative content creator behind the YouTube channel Detective Ángel, was detained while aboard the MSC World America cruise ship. The arrest occurred despite the fact that the legal matter cited in his detention — Expediente No. 503-2020-EPRI-00545 — was formally closed on November 12, 2024, by the Ninth Criminal Chamber of the Criminal Court of the Distrito Nacional. The court ruling, referenced under Sentencia No. 047-2024-SSEN-00171, declared the action extinguished, lifting all associated arrest warrants and ordering removal of alerts issued to Dominican migration authorities and INTERPOL. ormal notifications were submitted between January and April 2025 by attorney Lic. Carlos Manuel Mesa, who represents Mr. Martínez. On May 26, after the ship had departed the port, Dominican authorities reportedly contacted the vessel. Law enforcement personnel, led by Coronel Elian Andrés Rosario José, boarded the ship. Mr. Martínez was removed from the vessel and transferred to Dominican custody. No active warrant was presented to the cruise line at the time. 'We respectfully request the court to lift the impediment of exit that remains in place, given that there are no active criminal charges and the case was legally extinguished,' said Lic. Carlos Mesa. 'All filings are in accordance with procedural law and the original ruling from the Ninth Chamber.' Though Mr. Martínez was released from custody shortly after, he continues to face a court- imposed impedimento de salida (travel restriction) and must appear periodically in court. His legal team has cited humanitarian and medical concerns in support of the motion to lift the restriction. Case Information Case No.: 503-2020-EPRI-00545 Court: Ninth Criminal Chamber, Criminal Court of the Distrito Nacional Ruling: Sentencia No. 047-2024-SSEN-00171 Defense Counsel: Lic. Carlos Manuel Mesa About Ángel Martínez Ángel Ramón de Jesús Martínez Jiménez is a Dominican journalist, Florida-licensed private investigator, and producer of the Detective Ángel YouTube channel, which reports on corruption and public accountability in the Caribbean. His content is created and distributed from Miami, Florida, and serves a wide international audience. Greg Wheeler Big Reach PR +1 3055209557 [email protected] Legal Disclaimer: EIN Presswire provides this news content 'as is' without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the author above.
Miami Herald
05-06-2025
- Politics
- Miami Herald
Florida Bar complaint accuses Bondi of ‘misconduct' as U.S. Attorney General
During her Senate confirmation hearing for U.S. Attorney General, Pam Bondi tip-toed around whether she would stand up to President Donald Trump's pressure on the Justice Department, promising only in a broad sense that 'politics has to be taken out of this system.' Since her confirmation in February, Bondi has earned the praise of conservative Republicans for loyally following Trump's agenda while drawing the wrath of critics on the Democratic spectrum who say she has politicized the Justice Department on issues ranging from illegal immigration to public corruption. Now, a liberal- and moderate-leaning coalition of about 70 law professors, attorneys and former Florida Supreme Court justices is attacking Bondi's record in an ethics complaint filed on Thursday with the Florida Bar. They accuse Bondi of violating her ethical duties as U.S. Attorney General, saying she has committed 'serious professional misconduct that threatens the rule of law and the administration of justice.' The complaint claims Bondi 'has sought to compel Department of Justice lawyers to violate their ethical obligations under the guise of 'zealous advocacy' ' that she espoused in a Feb. 5 memo to all agency employees on her first day in office. The complaint further says Bondi threatened agency lawyers with discipline or termination if they failed 'to zealously pursue the President's political objectives,' alleging her conduct violates Florida Bar rules and longstanding norms of the Justice Department. The coalition, which includes retired Florida Supreme Court justices Barbara J. Pariente, Peggy A. Quince and James Perry, noted that the Florida Bar rejected two other recent ethics complaints against Bondi, saying it 'does not investigate or prosecute sitting officers appointed under the U.S. Constitution while they are in office.' But the coalition countered that 'the Florida Bar's dismissal is unsupported by history or precedent,' arguing none of its rules exempt a Florida-licensed lawyer from scrutiny who is accused of abusing her position as a federal public official. Justice Department officials condemned the latest Florida Bar complaint. 'The Florida Bar has twice rejected performative attempts by these out-of-state lawyers to weaponize the bar complaint process against AG Bondi,' Justice Department chief of staff Chad Mizelle said in a statement provided to the Miami Herald on Thursday. 'This third vexatious attempt will fail to do anything other than prove that the signatories have less intelligence —and independent thoughts — than sheep.' Bondi's role in firings The coalition's complaint accuses Bondi — the 59-year-old former Florida Attorney General and State Attorney in the Tampa area — of playing a central role in the improper firings and resignations of numerous government lawyers during her four-month span at the helm of the Justice Department. Three examples are cited in the complaint: ▪ In mid-April, Bondi and Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche fired a seasoned immigration lawyer who the Trump administration accused of sabotaging its legal case over the mistaken deportation of a Maryland man to his native El Salvador. Justice Department lawyer Erez Reuveni argued the government's case in the deportation of Kilmar Armando Abrego Garcia, who was sent to a Salvadoran mega prison in March due to an 'administrative error,' despite an immigration court order that he not be removed from the United States. Reuveni was initially placed on administrative leave days after informing a federal judge: 'Our only arguments are jurisdictional. … He should not have been sent to El Salvador.' The U.S. Supreme Court affirmed the judge's order directing the Trump administration to 'facilitate' Garcia's release, but he's still imprisoned in El Salvador. READ MORE: Judge orders Trump administration to bring Venezuelans back from El Salvador prison ▪ In mid-February, a longtime federal prosecutor resigned rather than carry out what she described as orders from Trump-appointed officials to pursue enforcement actions unsupported by evidence, according to a copy of her resignation letter. Denise Cheung, who was the head of the criminal division of the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Columbia, wrote in her resignation letter to interim U.S. Attorney Ed Martin that she had 'always sought to offer sound and ethical counsel' and that she had been asked to take investigative and law enforcement actions despite what she called the lack of 'sufficient evidence.' Cheung wrote that she was asked to review documentation provided by the Office of the Deputy Attorney General 'to open a criminal investigation into whether a contract had been unlawfully awarded by an executive agency.' The contract was reportedly granted by the Environmental Protection Agency during President Joe Biden's administration. ▪ Earlier in February, several senior federal prosecutors in New York and Washington resigned after they refused to follow a Justice Department order to drop the corruption charges against New York Mayor Eric Adams. They resigned after Emil Bove, the acting U.S. deputy attorney general, issued a Feb. 10 memo ordering federal prosecutors in New York to dismiss the case against Adams, saying it hampered the mayor's ability to tackle 'illegal immigration and violent crime.' Danielle R. Sassoon, the acting U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York, resigned one day after appealing to Bondi. Sassoon said she attended a meeting on Jan. 31 with Bove, Adams' attorneys and members of her office. 'Adams's attorneys repeatedly urged what amounted to a quid pro quo, indicating that Adams would be in a position to assist with the Department's enforcement priorities only if the indictment were dismissed,' Sassoon wrote on Feb. 12. 'Zealous advocacy' According to the Florida Bar complaint, Bondi's 'principal ethical violation arises from her perversion of the concept of 'zealous advocacy' into an overriding campaign, individually and through Messrs. Blanche, Bove and Martin, to coerce and intimidate the lawyers they supervise into violating their ethical obligations.' In each of the three examples, Bondi and her senior team 'ordered Department lawyers to do things those lawyers were ethically forbidden from doing, under threat of suspension or termination—or fired them for not having done so,' the complaint says. Jon May, a longtime South Florida criminal defense attorney who represented Panamanian strongman Manuel Noriega in his drug-trafficking case in Miami, said he and others who authored the Florida Bar complaint believe 'zealous advocacy operates within the rules of ethics, not outside them.' 'But the Attorney General wrongly demands government lawyers abandon their ethical obligations and advance the Administration's agenda no matter the cost to the rule of law,' May said. 'Since her first day on the job, Pam Bondi has made clear that she plans to use the Department of Justice for political pursuits, and she has done just that,' said Norm Eisen, executive chair of Democracy Defenders Fund, a nonprofit legal advocacy group in Washington, D.C. Eisen is the former ambassador to the Czech Republic during the Obama administration. Trump's executive power While the Florida Bar complaint focuses on three examples of Bondi's alleged ethical misconduct, it does not capture Trump's latest executive order instructing his White House counsel and the attorney general to investigate former President Biden and his staff. In his order issued on Wednesday, Trump instructed them to examine whether some of Biden's presidential actions were legally invalid because his aides had enacted those policies without his knowledge — an 'attempt to stoke outlandish conspiracy theories about his predecessor,' according to The New York Times. Nor does the Florida Bar complaint mention perhaps the most politically charged actions taken by the Justice Department in the week after Trump was sworn in on Jan. 20 for a second term as president. Acting Attorney General James McHenry, Bondi's temporary predecessor, fired more than a dozen career prosecutors in the Justice Department and U.S. Attorney's Office in Miami who had worked on the classified documents case or the election-interference case arising from the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol — both brought against Trump by the former special counsel, Jack Smith, during the Biden presidency. The firings by Trump's Justice Department conjured up then-President Richard Nixon's controversial move to have special prosecutor Archibald Cox fired because he refused to withdraw a subpoena for the Nixon White House tapes during the Watergate investigation. In what became known as the 'Saturday Night Massacre,' Nixon ordered Attorney General Elliot Richardson to fire Cox, but Richardson refused and resigned. Then, the president ordered the AG's deputy, William Ruckelshaus, to fire Cox. He also refused and resigned. Nixon finally prevailed when he ordered the Justice Department's solicitor general, Robert Bork, to terminate Cox — a move that backfired on Nixon and ultimately led to his resignation as president in 1974. In the aftermath, it was generally understood there would be 'no contact' between the president and the attorney general regarding investigations and prosecutions. But after more than 50 years, the Justice Department's wall of independence from the White House was officially torn down in July 2024. In an historic 6-3 opinion, the Supreme Court ruled that former President Trump was generally immune from criminal liability for his official acts — including his attempts to use the Justice Department to obstruct the results of the 2020 election, which he lost to Biden. The court's conservative majority found that 'the President may discuss potential investigations and prosecutions with his Attorney General and other Justice Department officials to carry out his constitutional duty to 'take Care that the Laws be faithfully executed' ' under Article II of the Constitution. Bondi pledges Justice Department won't be weaponized During her Senate confirmation hearing in mid-January, Bondi said she would keep politics out of the Justice Department — despite refusing to say that Trump lost the 2020 election and previously saying 'prosecutors will be prosecuted.' 'The partisanship, the weaponization, will be gone,' Bondi testified, while repeatedly saying the Justice Department had been misused under the Biden administration. 'America will have one tier of justice for all.' In her Feb. 5 'Zealous Advocacy' memo to all Justice Department employees, Bondi advised prosecutors that their responsibilities 'include not only aggressively enforcing criminal and civil laws enacted by Congress but also vigorously defending presidential policies and actions against legal challenges on behalf of the United States.' But then Bondi said: 'The discretion afforded Department attorneys entrusted with those responsibilities does not include latitude to substitute personal political views or judgments for those that prevailed in the election.' She concluded by warning that anyone who 'refuses to advance good-faith arguments on behalf of the Administration ... or impedes the Department's mission will be subject to discipline and potentially termination.'
