Recently in Self-Defense Category

December 3, 2009

Jacksonville Juvenile to Face Criminal Charges for Downtown Shooting

Jacksonville Juvenile, Quintavis Seay, is only 16-years-old and charged with the homicide of a 20-year-old Jacksonville man, Jeremy Godboldt.  According to local reports, Seay was involved in a physical altercation with Godboldt and his brothers.  At some point, Seay allegedly shot Godboldt, who was later pronounced dead at the hospital.

Seay will likely be charged as an adult.  If he is charged with murder, he could face life in prison without parole, despite his age.  Since the shooting death stemmed from a fight between the alleged victim (Godboldt) and the Jacksonville criminal defendant (Seay), I would not be surprised to see Seay's Jacksonville Criminal Defense Lawyer argue that Seay acted in self-defense.  This is even more plausible considering that Godboldt's two brothers may have assisted him in the fight.  Also, reports state that "the fight that led to Godboldt's death was part of an ongoing dispute between him and Seay."  Therefore, we need to look at all the evidence, including prior contact between these two people, to see if Seay acted reasonably under the circumstances.

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December 8, 2008

Jacksonville Police Officer Shoots a Home Invader

house_american_flag.jpgIn Jacksonville, Florida, 16-year-old, Daniel Sanchez, and one or two other intruders confronted Jacksonville Assistant Police Chief, Carson Tranquille, and his wife in the couple's garage late Saturday night.  The Jacksonville police officer shot the teenager in the leg, but the other culprit(s) ran away.  

Florida Statute Section 776.013 allows a Jacksonville resident to use deadly force against a home intruder.  This law is often referred to as Florida's castle doctrine.  Florida's castle doctrine is intended to protect the Jacksonville resident from criminal liability when defending the home.  

In Officer Tranquille's case, he acted in self-defense pursuant to Florida's castle doctrine.  The Jacksonville Police Officer was in his garage when he used deadly force against Sanchez, a person that had unlawfully entered his Jacksonville residence.  To learn more about Florida's castle doctrine or other Jacksonville self-defense laws, contact a Jacksonville Self-Defense Attorney.  

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