The Dunn Law Firm, P.A.

10/09/2026

Nobody here is planning to take the boat out in a hurricane. But here is what this weekend actually looks like on the Suncoast.

Hurricane Isaias is tracking toward the Panhandle, not Sarasota. Even so, it is stirring up the Gulf, and forecasters expect choppy water, small craft advisories, and a high rip current risk at area beaches through Saturday. As conditions calm down and boats head back out, here are four things every Florida boater should know:

1. The limit is the same as on the road. Florida's boating under the influence law (Fla. Stat. 327.35) applies the same 0.08 standard as DUI, and you can also be charged if your normal faculties are impaired.

2. The operator is the one charged. Choose a sober captain before you leave the dock, not after.

3. Implied consent applies on the water. Refusing a lawful breath, blood, or urine test while operating a vessel carries its own penalties (Fla. Stat. 327.352).

4. Conditions matter. Leftover chop, wind, and sun exposure can all affect how a person appears to an officer. That is one more reason to keep the cooler closed until the boat is tied up.

Question for Suncoast boaters: when do you plan to get back on the water, Sunday or waiting until the Gulf settles next week? Let us know in the comments.

Share this with the friend who always ends up behind the wheel.

If you or someone you know is charged with BUI or DUI, call The Dunn Law Firm, P.A. at (941) 866-4352.

To our neighbors in the Panhandle and Big Bend: please follow your local officials and hurricanes.gov for the latest. Stay safe.

The Dunn Law Firm, P.A. | Adam Dunn, Sarasota, Florida
General information, not legal advice.

10/07/2026

A license-plate camera puts a car near an alleged crime. Does that prove who was driving?

Not by itself. An automated license-plate reader (ALPR), sometimes called a Flock camera, may document a plate or vehicle at a particular time and place. It does not automatically establish who was behind the wheel, why the vehicle was there, or what anyone in it did.

A careful defense review should follow the evidence from the original camera record to any later stop, search or identification. That may include:

- The native image and software’s plate reading
- The timestamp, location and camera identifier
- The plate or hot-list entry and whether it was current
- Confirmation and dispatch communications
- Search, access, audit and interagency-sharing logs
- Body-camera and dash-camera video showing what officers knew before they acted

Preservation can be time-sensitive. Keep the citation, bond or release papers, vehicle records, property receipts, notices, and original photos, video or phone-location information. Do not delete messages, post case facts online or ask anyone to change a statement.

Read the Sarasota–Manatee guide: https://adamdunnlaw.com/florida-flock-license-plate-reader-criminal-case/?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=organic_social&utm_campaign=sarasota_manatee_alpr_evidence_2026&utm_content=wednesday_camera_identity_fb

If a plate-reader alert or location search played a role in a Sarasota or Manatee arrest, call The Dunn Law Firm, P.A. at (941) 866-4352.

Attorney advertising. General information only, not legal advice. A camera alert, allegation or arrest is not proof of guilt. The evidence, defenses and outcome depend on the complete record.

10/05/2026

A roadside drug kit changes color and the arrest report says “positive.” Is that the same as a laboratory result?

No. A presumptive field test may support an arrest decision, but it is not the same as a confirmatory laboratory analysis—and it does not answer every question in the filed case.

In Florida, the exact substance, amount, statutory subsection and alleged conduct can change the accusation and its potential consequences. A defense review may ask:

- What sample was actually tested?
- Was the kit within date and used and interpreted according to its instructions?
- Was the item packaged, sealed, stored and transferred consistently?
- What did the laboratory identify and weigh?
- Did the laboratory result match the arrest report and filed charge?
- Do body-camera footage, property receipts and evidence records match the written timeline?

Keep every citation, property receipt, bond or release paper, prescription record and original photo or video. Do not post case facts, delete messages, discard anything or ask someone to change a statement.

Read the Sarasota drug-possession guide: https://adamdunnlaw.com/areas-of-practice/criminal-defense/sarasota-drug-possession-lawyer/?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=organic_social&utm_campaign=sarasota_drug_field_test_2026&utm_content=monday_field_test

If you face a drug charge in Sarasota or Manatee County, call The Dunn Law Firm, P.A. at (941) 866-4352.

Attorney advertising. General information only, not legal advice. An arrest or allegation is not proof of guilt. The evidence required and available defenses depend on the exact charge and complete record.

10/02/2026

A Florida DUI arrest can start two separate tracks: the criminal court case and an administrative driver-license suspension. Waiting for the first court date can miss a different deadline.

Under Florida's current statute, a driver generally has 10 days after the suspension notice is issued to request formal or informal review—or to ask FLHSMV to review eligibility for another available path. Which choice is appropriate depends on the notice, driving history and complete circumstances, and choosing one path can affect another.

Keep the citation, suspension notice and every paper received. Note the issuance date and get case-specific advice promptly rather than assuming the court date controls the license process.

Read the Sarasota–Manatee guide: https://adamdunnlaw.com/florida-dui-10-day-license-deadline-sarasota-manatee/?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=organic_social&utm_campaign=sarasota_manatee_dui_deadline_2026&utm_content=friday_two_tracks

If you were arrested for DUI in Sarasota or Manatee County, call The Dunn Law Firm, P.A. at (941) 866-4352.

Attorney advertising. General information only, not legal advice. An arrest is not proof of guilt, and deadlines, eligibility, defenses and outcomes depend on the complete record.

Illustrative image generated for The Dunn Law Firm, P.A.; it does not depict a client, arrest or incident.

09/30/2026

After a Sarasota or Manatee domestic-battery arrest, “Can I go home?” is not answered by who owns or rents the residence or by a private invitation. The written release order controls, and a separate injunction or family-court order may also matter.

Before returning home, texting, sending a message through someone else, or arranging access to children, pets or belongings, read every written order. Counsel can compare the orders, identify conflicts and, when appropriate, ask the court for a lawful modification. Until a judge changes an order, follow it exactly.

Updated guide: https://adamdunnlaw.com/areas-of-practice/criminal-defense/domestic-violence/?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=organic_social&utm_campaign=sarasota_manatee_domestic_violence_2026&utm_content=wednesday_can_i_go_home

If you were arrested or received a no-contact order in Sarasota or Manatee County, call The Dunn Law Firm, P.A. at (941) 866-4352.

Attorney advertising. General information only, not legal advice. An arrest or accusation is not proof of guilt, and court orders and available options depend on the complete record.

Photo: Sarasota County Courthouse by Upstateherd, cropped from the original, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons. No endorsement implied.

09/28/2026

A new arrest while on probation in Sarasota or Manatee County needs prompt attention—but the arrest alone does not prove that you committed a new offense.

A VOP case can turn on the alleged condition, the evidence presented at the hearing, the reason a warrant issued, and whether detention or bond is available. The underlying police report, video, witnesses, messages, and court paperwork should be reviewed before anyone assumes the new allegation proves the violation.

If you or a family member is facing a VOP allegation, Dunn Law can review the probation conditions, alleged violation and available evidence. Call (941) 866-4352. Our Sarasota–Manatee guide explains the hearing, bond, and possible outcomes:

https://adamdunnlaw.com/understanding-violation-of-probation-vop-in-sarasota-manatee-counties-florida/?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=organic_social&utm_campaign=sarasota_manatee_vop_2026&utm_content=monday_arrest_vs_proof

Attorney advertising. General information only, not legal advice. An arrest or allegation is not proof of guilt, and the available arguments depend on the complete record.

Photo: Manatee County Courthouse by Ebyabe, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons. No endorsement implied.

09/25/2026

After a traffic stop in Sarasota or Manatee County, preserve the record before guessing about the case. Save the citation or warning, tow or impound papers, your license and insurance information, and any original dashcam, passenger video, photographs, or location data. Do not edit, delete, or post evidence online.

Dunn Law's Sarasota–Manatee traffic-stop guide explains what an officer may ask for, when a stop can be extended, and why the exact sequence matters:

https://adamdunnlaw.com/florida-traffic-stop-rights-sarasota-manatee/?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=organic_social&utm_campaign=sarasota_traffic_stop_rights_2026&utm_content=friday_evidence_preservation

Attorney advertising. A citation, arrest, or charge is an allegation; every accused person is presumed innocent unless proven guilty. General information, not legal advice.

Stopped by police in Florida? Learn your rights on documents, questions, searches, K-9 delays, DUI tests, and preserving evidence in Sarasota–Manatee.

09/25/2026

A battery arrest after a fight often starts with two competing stories. But “they started it” is only the beginning of a self-defense analysis.

Video, witnesses, 911 timing, messages, injuries, the physical layout, and whether anyone tried to withdraw can all matter. Some evidence disappears quickly.

Our new guide explains Florida's nondeadly self-defense rule, the initial-aggressor limitation, what to preserve, and why a trial defense is not the same thing as a pretrial immunity claim.

Read it here: https://adamdunnlaw.com/florida-battery-self-defense-evidence-sarasota-manatee/?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=organic_social&utm_campaign=battery_self_defense_2026&utm_content=thursday_fight_evidence

Attorney advertising. General information, not legal advice.

09/21/2026

An old Sarasota County arrest can still show up after the criminal case is over. A dismissal answers what happened in court, but it does not always answer whether the record is still public or which Florida record-clearing process applies.

This updated Sarasota County guide explains the current Clerk and FDLE steps, automatic sealing, court-ordered sealing and expungement, local filing costs, and what records to gather before asking for an individual review:

https://adamdunnlaw.com/areas-of-practice/criminal-defense/sealing-expunging/sarasota-county/?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=organic_social&utm_campaign=sarasota_record_clearing_2026

General information, not legal advice. Eligibility depends on the complete record and current law; no result is guaranteed.

09/18/2026

Paid parking is one of those Sarasota issues that can fill a room fast. The City has gone back and forth on hours and enforcement this year, and says it expects to revisit the issue after the November 3 election.

So what's fairest?

Should downtown and St. Armands parking simply be free? Should tourists pay while Sarasota residents park free or at a reduced rate? Or should the cost be shared by drivers, city taxpayers, and downtown businesses?

And should Sundays stay free?

If you live here, work downtown, own a business, or visit regularly, tell us what you're actually seeing. Please keep it neighborly and make the case for your answer.

City update: https://www.sarasotafl.gov/News-articles/Parking-update

Photo by Josiah Gibbs on Unsplash.