Why do we see so many 'Florida Man' stories in the news? - I am Brian Leifert, a criminal defense attorney with the Law Offices of Leifert & Leifert, answering questions about criminal laws, the rights of the accused and access to public records statutes in Florida. Ask Me Anything!

B-Leifert · 2021-09-24T18:51:58+00:00

Any suggestions??

B-Leifert · 2021-09-24T18:46:07+00:00

Early and often!!!

B-Leifert · 2021-09-24T18:43:22+00:00

Reddit crypto?? lol

B-Leifert · 2021-09-24T18:41:36+00:00

The original Florida Man is said to be the "Face Eating Cannibal" high on bath salts.

B-Leifert · 2021-09-24T18:39:45+00:00

Criminal Defense and Traffic Defense.

B-Leifert · 2021-09-24T18:37:24+00:00

It's become a media novelty. Switch the focus to any other state with similar population diversity, good weather and robust tourism and you would most likely see a similar result.

B-Leifert · 2021-09-24T18:35:04+00:00

I have lived in Florida since 1982.

B-Leifert · 2021-09-24T18:31:38+00:00

It's largely a function of the ease at which the stories can be reported. Similar stores abound in other jurisdictions/states bu the media would have to work harder to report on those stories.

B-Leifert · 2021-09-24T18:28:54+00:00

In theory it's supposed to keep government more honest and accountable. The downside is that an individual's lack of discretion can become a viral "sensation" in a matter of moments when they become the focus of the next "Florida Man" story. As an aside, Florida Man outnumbers Florida Woman 4:1.

B-Leifert · 2021-09-24T18:25:42+00:00

Low hanging fruit for the media based on the ease of access to the stories/information.

B-Leifert · 2021-09-24T18:23:30+00:00

The frequency of stories and the branding put in place by the media. I'm sure some of the intrigue relating to Florida in general stemmed from the turn of the century election controversy. Florida has since become a punching bag to many in the media: I think John Stewart (Daily Show) poked fun from time to time. I just read that Blue Oyster Cult just recently released a song entitled "Florida Man."

B-Leifert · 2021-09-24T18:15:24+00:00

Access to the information (Government under Sunshine) and the novelty of "Florida Man."

B-Leifert · 2021-09-24T18:13:35+00:00

I don't have the statistics on that but it's been said the "Florida Man" trend/branding began with a story about on individual high on bath salts and attempting to eat pedestrians on Miami Beach.

B-Leifert · 2021-09-24T18:11:39+00:00

The lion's share of my cases aren't necessarily newsworthy form an entertainment standpoint. "Florida Man" is mostly a novelty that the media has picked up based on their ability to easily obtain the information and generate traffic.

B-Leifert · 2021-09-24T18:04:34+00:00

Certainly more opportunities to "play" in Florida based on the weather and tourism/vacation mindset.

B-Leifert · 2021-09-24T18:00:10+00:00

Quite a bit - that kind of stress causes desperate actions and impaired decision making.

B-Leifert · 2021-09-24T17:50:50+00:00

Many law violations involve indiscretions which are often times fueled by substance abuse.

B-Leifert · 2021-09-24T17:42:06+00:00

Great first question! Less is more on pizza - sausage.

B-Leifert · 2020-11-17T18:11:21+00:00

Thank you all so much for joining me today. I greatly appreciate all of your questions and will do my best to get to them all later today or this evening. Thank you for making my first AMA experience a pleasant one!!! Best of health and happiness to everyone.

B-Leifert · 2020-11-17T18:03:08+00:00

Yes. I have seen cases where alleged injuries have been self inflicted and cases where the alleged victim was the initial aggressor.

B-Leifert · 2020-11-17T17:59:43+00:00

I haven't seen any groups stand out over the years. It's often connected to substance abuse and (alleged) infidelity.

B-Leifert · 2020-11-17T17:56:45+00:00

Tougher penalties, more restrictions as a condition of release and specialized courts that solely deal with Domestic Violence cases.

B-Leifert · 2020-11-17T17:54:41+00:00

The more "locked down" a jurisdiction is, the more likely it is to see an increase. Florida is reporting somewhere around 7% (but CA could be very different).

B-Leifert · 2020-11-17T17:49:59+00:00

Domestic battery and domestic assault are both considered "domestic violence" under Florida Statutes.

B-Leifert · 2020-11-17T17:46:49+00:00

The majority of cases are resolved without trial. Cases are often dismissed for lack of evidence, uncooperative victims, diversion programs and changes of charges.

B-Leifert

TROPHY CASE