Family Threatens Lawsuit Over Release of Man Charged With Concealed Carry Crime
As Miami firearms crimes defense attorneys, we were sorry to see a report about a Welsh immigrant family that lost its son in an apparent robbery. According to May 23’s Wales On Sunday, the Daniel family of Tampa is planning to push for changes to Florida gun laws after the death of son Michael, 19, in a burglary. The Daniel family immigrated from Aberystwyth, Wales, Britain, 17 years ago. One night in April, Michael opened his door in a gated apartment complex in the Tampa area. The person on the other side was Michael Crossno, who fatally shot Michael Daniel. Crossno had been in jail weeks before for carrying a concealed weapon without a permit, but had been released on $2,000 bail. Paul Daniel, Michael Daniel’s father, said he was upset that Crossno was free, and planned to sue the judge who set such a low bail.
Michael Daniel was watching a movie with his live-in girlfriend, Samantha, and their friend Kyle when a knock came at the door. Samantha looked through a peephole and didn’t recognize the person. Knowing that the complex had seen a series of burglaries, they decided not to answer. But the man left and returned with another man, and kept knocking. Michael loaded a shotgun he used for skeet shooting and asked Kyle to aim it, then answered the door. Crossno immediately shot him through the neck. Kyle shot at Crossno and the other man, wounding Crossno badly enough to send him to the hospital in critical condition. If found guilty on all charges, Crossno faces up to 20 years in prison. Paul Daniel told the newspaper he’d like to eliminate the “gray areas” that give judges authority to decide how much bail to require.
Our West Palm Beach gun crimes criminal defense lawyers understand that the Daniel family are victims of a terrible, senseless tragedy. Even so, we think taking away judges’ ability to use their judgment in bail matters is a bad idea. We don’t know enough facts to say whether the judge in Crossno’s concealed weapon case made a bad call, but we do know that carrying a concealed weapon without a permit is penalized by anything from probation up to five years in prison. This gives judges wide latitude, allowing them to tailor the sentence to fit the crime. Similarly, giving judges a chance to set bail allows them to use their professional judgment about whether the person is a danger to society. For example, a person with a criminal history and evidence of bad intentions is likely to get much higher bail than someone with no criminal history who simply allowed a CCW permit to expire.
At Law offices of Sebastian John Balliro, P.A., we believe strongly in the Second Amendment right to bear arms. We put that belief into practice as NRA referral attorneys and Fort Lauderdale weapons crimes criminal defense attorneys, defending clients accused of all kinds of gun-related crimes. We are experienced former prosecutors and public defenders who can take on all types of criminal charges, from simple concealed carry violations to serious crimes like assault with a deadly weapon. We also handle defense of larger-scale charges, such as investigations of people who are lawful collectors, manufacturers, dealers or importers of firearms and other weapons. And we handle civil firearms matters such as expunctions of criminal records or CCW permit appeals, allowing more Americans to assert or defend their civil rights.
Balliro offers free, confidential consultations, so you risk nothing by speaking to us about your rights and your case. To set up a consultation, please contact us through the Internet or call 1-866-FIREARMS toll-free from anywhere in Florida.
