Khonsari Law Group

12/20/2025

LICENSE PLATE FRAMES ARE NOT ILLEGAL!

What's legal regarding frames and covers on license plates HAS NOT CHANGED.

What HAS changed is the penalty for KNOWINGLY altering or covering your plate with the intent to hide it or make it unreadable.

So you still can't:

Use tinted covers
Apply reflective spray
Install devices specifically designed to hide your plate

§ 316.605 FSS (Civil Infraction - unchanged):
Your license plate must be plainly visible and readable from 100 feet away in normal daylight. The alphanumeric designation (your plate number) and registration decal must be clearly visible.

§ 320.061 FSS (Criminal - NEW as of October 1, 2025):
If you KNOWINGLY alter or cover your plate to hide it or make any feature unreadable, this is NOW a 2nd degree misdemeanor punishable by up to 60 days in jail and/or a $500 fine.

Bottom line: If your plate number and registration sticker are clearly visible from 100 feet away, you're good to go!

12/20/2025

**UPDATE**

Below are the results from last night’s Wolf Pack:

Criminal Charges:

DUI- 16
Felony Drug Charges- 2
Misdemeanor Drug Charges- 3
DWLSR Arrest- 2
Other Misdemeanor Arrest- 10
Other Felony Arrest- 1
Warrant Arrest- 2

Total Charges- 36

Citations:

DWLSR- 15
No Insurance- 2
Speeding Tickets- 90
Seat Belt- 3
Child Restraint- 1
DL Restriction- 5
Open Container- 0
Non-Moving Violations- 58
Moving Violations- 44
DUI Citations- 15

Total Citations- 233

**End of Update**

DUI Wolf Pack Operation This Weekend

PCSO, along with multiple local police agencies, are teaming up to keep impaired drivers off our roads. This operation is dedicated to the memory of Marion Miller, a life lost to an impaired driver in 2023.

Make the smart choice. Drive sober or use a rideshare service.

Full details: https://bit.ly/3ME7XMu

11/11/2025

“It's always in the mind of the agencies, ‘what could we have done differently?" said law enforcement consultant Randy Nelson.

10/03/2025

🚨 Big Development from the Second DCA 🚨

Yesterday, the court ruled that the smell of ma*****na alone is no longer sufficient to establish probable cause to search.

This 72-page opinion recedes from prior precedent and will have a major impact on how defense attorneys approach suppression issues and protect clients’ rights.

👉 https://facdl.org/news/711586/Second-DCA-Rules-Smell-of-Marijuana-Alone-Is-Not-Probable-Cause.htm

10/02/2025

NEW FLORIDA LAWS NOW IN EFFECT (October 1, 2025)

Nearly 30 new laws go into effect today in Florida. Here are some of the key laws you need to know about:
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MOTOR VEHICLE OFFENSES (HB 253)

PENALTIES INCREASED:

🚨 Using lights to impersonate police and pull over vehicles

BEFORE: 1st-degree misdemeanor - Up to 1 year jail, $1,000 fine
NOW: 3rd-degree felony - Up to 5 years prison, $5,000 fine

🚨 Altering/obscuring license plates

BEFORE: Traffic infraction
NOW: 2nd-degree misdemeanor - Up to 60 days jail, $500 fine

NEW CRIMINAL OFFENSES:

License Plate Obscuring Devices (E.g. flip plates, photo-blocker sprays/covers, tinted covers, or electronic devices that hide your plate)

⚠️ Purchasing or possessing license plate obscuring devices = 2nd-degree misdemeanor (Up to 60 days jail, $500 fine)
⚠️ Manufacturing, selling, or distributing these devices = 1st-degree misdemeanor (Up to 1 year jail, $1,000 fine)
⚠️ Using obscuring devices to commit crimes = 3rd-degree felony (Up to 5 years prison, $5,000 fine)
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"TRENTON'S LAW" (HB 687)
Named after 18-year-old Trenton Stewart

🚗 REFUSE A BREATHALYZER? NOW A CRIME:

BEFORE: 1ST refusal = Administrative penalty
NOW: 1st refusal = 2nd-degree misdemeanor - Up to 60 days jail, $500 fine

🚗 REPEAT DUI MANSLAUGHTER? DOUBLED PRISON TIME:

BEFORE: 2nd-degree felony - Up to 15 years
NOW: 1st-degree felony - Up to 30 years
Applies if you have ANY prior conviction for DUI manslaughter, vehicular homicide, or BUI manslaughter
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"TROOPER'S LAW" (SB 150)
Named after Trooper, a dog abandoned during Hurricane Milton

🐕 NEW FELONY OFFENSE:

Restraining a dog outside during a natural disaster AND abandoning it

BEFORE: General animal cruelty laws applied
NOW: 3rd-degree felony - Up to 5 years prison, $10,000 fine
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FLOOD DISCLOSURE FOR RENTERS (SB 948)

🌊 NEW REQUIREMENT FOR LANDLORDS:

Must disclose BEFORE signing lease (1 year or longer):

Any known flooding that damaged the property
Any insurance claims filed for flood damage
Any assistance received for flood damage

🌊 TENANT PROTECTIONS:

If landlord fails to disclose and tenant suffers substantial flood damage (50%+ of property value):

Tenant can terminate lease within 30 days
Tenant entitled to refund of advance rent paid

⚠️ Important for Pinellas County: This is especially critical for coastal areas prone to flooding and hurricane damage. Standard homeowners and renters insurance does NOT cover flood damage.
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📋 For a comprehensive list of all laws that are now in effect, visit the official Florida Senate website:
https://www.flsenate.gov/Session/Bills/2025
(Search for bills with effective date October 1, 2025)

06/16/2025

We have received multiple calls at the firm for this scam. Please read if you are an iPhone user!

Here’s how the scammers are out to get you this time.

01/04/2025

New year, newly single.

10/08/2024

Stay safe!

Because of the imminent effects of Hurricane Milton, which are expected to be more powerful than those associated with Hurricane Helene, it has been decided that the closures of the courthouses in the Sixth Judicial Circuit, which comprises Pinellas and Pasco counties, will be extended to include Thursday and Friday. This means the courthouses will be closed today, Tuesday, Oct. 8, Wednesday, Oct.9, Thursday, Oct. 10, and Friday, Oct. 11. Advisories in both counties will be held Wednesday and Friday, but not on Thursday. Pinellas advisories will begin at 8:30 a.m. at the Pinellas County Justice Center and those in Pasco at 9 a.m. in the West Pasco Judicial Center. As of now, we expect to resume court proceedings on Monday, Oct. 14, but please check this web site periodically for updates.

07/02/2023

Be careful on the roadways! Uber or Lyft to be safe. Call the Khonsari Law Group for any of your DUI or criminal defense needs!

Thirty people were charged with DUI overnight after a county-wide “Wolf Pack” operation by Pinellas County law enforcement agencies.

07/01/2023

05/05/2023

PINELLAS DEPUTIES TO CONDUCT COUNTY-WIDE DUI SATURATION PATROL ON CINCO DE MAYO:
On Friday, May 5, 2023, deputies will maintain a proactive profile on the highly traveled roadways of Pinellas County. The saturation patrol will run from 7:00 p.m. on Friday, May 5, 2023, until 5:00 a.m. on Saturday, May 6, 2023. The goal of saturation patrols are to educate people and create public awareness about the dangers of operating a motor vehicle while under the influence of alcohol and any chemical or controlled substances.
https://bit.ly/3HJWs0v

04/03/2023

Recent employment law opinion regarding nondisparagement agreements

"Overly broad" nondisparagement agreements are unlawful, a new NLRB memo states — but you should read this before trashing your old workplace.