Jacksonville Criminal Defense Attorney Blog

Mildred Muhammad, ex-wife of DC Sniper John Allan Muhammad, gave an interview to Larry King the night before her husband was to be executed for his crimes at a Virginia state prison. Muhammad left 10 dead in a shooting spree that his ex-wife believes was destined to end with her as its final victim.

Ms. Muhammad said she felt very guilty about the victims of her ex-husband’s rampage, which left millions of DC residents fearful of going out in public. She claims that she had done “everything I knew how to do” to bring Mohammad’s violent and abusive nature to the attention of authorities, but it wasn’t enough. And she feels ashamed for not realizing that his violent behavior would extend beyond her, to affect other people.

Ms. Muhammad had divorced her husband because of his allegedly abusive behavior towards her. Authorities maintain that Muhammad started killing random strangers as a cover up, with the ultimate goal of shooting his wife the same way, so that he could take custody of their three children. Muhammad has always claimed that he is innocent of the charges.

Ms. Muhammad has worked through her guilty feelings and is concentrating on caring for her three children during this emotional time. Muhammad’s first wife, Carol Williams, was also interviewed by King, and said she planned to visit Muhammad in prison with their son before the execution. You can read more about the interviews at Ex-wife of infamous 'D.C. Sniper' felt guilty about shootings.

Domestic violence is very dangerous behavior, and it this case is a tragic example of how far it can go if left unchecked. People who are in reasonable fear of being in imminent danger of domestic violence should take very action to protect themselves, including calling the police and taking out an injunction.

If you are a victim of domestic abuse, please contact our firm to explore your legal options.

David Swain of Jamestown, Rhode Island, nearly got away with murdering his wife, Shelley Tyre, during a scuba diving trip to the British Virgin Islands ten years ago. Prosecutors called it a “near perfect” murder, but this month a jury has convicted him of murder – and he may spend the rest of his life in a Caribbean prison.

Even though Ms. Tyre was an experienced diver, police had written her death off as a tragic drowning accident. But Tyre’s parents were convinced that Swain had killed their daughter, and they filed a civil suit against Swain in Rhode Island. In 2006 the state of Rhode Island found that Swain was responsible for his wife’s death and awarded the Tyres $3.5 Million; that judgment convinced the British Virgin Islands to charge Swain with murder. During the trial, the prosecution claimed that Swain had found a new girlfriend, and killed his wife for her inheritance of $630,000. The jury convicted Swain unanimously. Swain’s attorney plans to appeal.

It is unfortunate that time after time, men choose to kill their wives to pursue an affair or another romance instead of just divorcing the wife. They always get caught. No matter what the circumstances, people should consider getting a divorce and dividing the assets; violence is never the answer. Even a lengthy divorce is better than going to prison. You can find out more details about this case at US man convicted of scuba death of wife in BVI.

If you are having trouble in your relationship, and would like to find out more about the option of divorce, please contact our firm for expert legal counsel.

Recently, a married Scottish couple lost custody of two of their children after failing to comply with Scottish social services’ warnings to reduce the children’s weight. A woman in South Carolina has also lost custody of her son and is facing criminal child neglect charges after the child’s doctor reported concerns about his weight to social services. There have been several other similar cases in the US and Canada. The public may not have heard about the growing number of cases because of child privacy laws.

Many states are now considering the obesity of the children post divorce in modification actions. A modification is a change to any final divorce judgment and is based on a substantial change in circumstances of either party since the entry of the final judgment. If the final judgment grants custody to the wife and two years later the kids are 300 pounds, the courts COULD change the custody to the father if the court finds that it is in the best interests of the children to change the custody and if the courts find that the weight of the children is now a substantial change in circumstance. Now, obesity of the children could be one of the considerations in a change of custody issue and is an interesting legal argument to keep an eye on.

If you are engaged in a child custody battle, please contact our firm for expert, compassionate legal counsel.

Find out more on the issue of childhood obesity at Should Parents of Obese Kids Lose Custody?

A Nevada couple recently woke up with a car on top of them in their own bedroom. After an hour of being pinned down to the bed with motor fluid raining into their faces, the two college students, Kristin Palmer and Trent Wood, were rescued by emergency workers. They suffered remarkably minor injuries. The man driving the car, Eric Cross, allegedly slammed into the house not only because he was drunk but also because he thought the house was that of his ex-girlfriend and her new boyfriend. Cross has been charged with battery with a deadly weapon, possession of a stolen vehicle, driving without a license, and careless driving. According to the Washoe County Sheriff’s office, Cross was also drunk at the time of the accident.

The end of a relationship is a difficult time, and people often let their emotions and pain get the best of them during the dissolution process and do things to harm their own case, especially when child custody is involved.

If you are having marital or criminal problems, and would like to find out about your options, please contact our firm for expert, compassionate legal counsel.

Find out more about this horrific accident and the couple’s ordeal at Couple alive after car pins them to bed for almost an hour.