It took a Broward jury less than two hours on Tuesday to find Mitchell Kraft not guilty of trying to use his wife's position on the Broward School Board to benefit a pair of corrupt developers. Kraft, 62, held his breath as the verdicts were read shortly before 5 p.m. He was charged with bribery, unlawful compensation and conspiracy. His wife Stephanie Kraft was acquitted of the same charges last December, but in her case, the jury found her guilty of [...]

By Simon Cohen When it comes to visions of the future in transportation, there are two versions we just can’t get out of our heads: the flying cars from The Jetsons and the amazing hoverboard that Marty McFly rode with so much style in Back to the Future Part II. Face it: Our reality is far more mundane. But a new “personal motorized transporter,” unveiled at the annual Consumer Electronics Show in January, just might make us feel like we’re living in the future. Available in red, white [...]

Judge Reversed On Appeal From Attorney Ken Padowitz Samantha Joseph, Daily Business Review February 12, 2015 Broward Circuit Judge Matthew Destry received a tongue lashing Wednesday from the Fourth District Court of Appeal for refusing to consider bond for Stephanie Kraft, a former Broward School Board member, after she was convicted of official misconduct. Destry ordered Kraft into custody Dec. 11 immediately after a jury found her guilty of official misconduct but acquitted her of bribery, unlawful compensation [...]

Broward Circuit Judge Matthew Destry was out of line when he offered no explanation for why he decided to jail Stephanie Kraft in December, an appeals court ruled Wednesday. Kraft, 58, a former member of the Broward School Board, was found guilty on Dec. 11 of one count of official misconduct, a crime punishable by up to five years in prison. Destry ordered her taken into custody immediately. Five days later, defense lawyer Ken Padowitz returned to Destry's courtroom in a bid to free [...]

Original Story by Rafael Olmeda/Sun Sentinel BROWARD COUNTY, Fla. -- The man accused of swinging a live bearded dragon lizard at employees of his Deerfield Beach reptile shop may not be competent to stand trial on animal cruelty charges, his lawyer said Wednesday.Benjamin Siegel, 40, was deemed "incompetent to proceed" by psychologist Michael Brannon, who was hired by the defense to examine him last week. According to an arrest report, Siegel placed the bearded dragon in his mouth, threw it, swung it and used [...]

 By Cortney Peltz NEED TO KNOW Florida reptile storeowner allegedly put a bearded dragon in his mouth and slapped employees with the large lizard, police say Benjamin Siegel, 40, was charged with battery and animal cruelty 'Mr. Siegel cares very much about animals,' his attorney says A Florida reptile store owner is facing charges after allegedly putting a bearded dragon in his mouth and slapping employees with the large lizard. Police say video surveillance captured Benjamin Siegel throwing the bearded dragon in the air, placing [...]

By Wayne K. Roustan, Sun Sentinel 7:31 pm, January 5, 2015 The owner of a Deerfield Beach reptile store used a large lizard to hit employees, Broward Sheriff's deputies said. Benjamin Siegel, 40, of Coconut Creek, was taken into custody Friday and charged with battery and animal cruelty, jail records show. Siegel is accused of placing a bearded dragon lizard in his mouth, throwing it, swinging it in the air and using it to strike the victims, according to the arrest report. Siegel is [...]