Why Florida's Bitcoin Ruling Could Lead to Legislative Action
Michell Espinoza had a good Monday. On that day last week, the South Florida bitcoin exchanger saw money transmission and money laundering charges against him dismissed. Espinoza was arrested in 2014 for selling bitcoins to an undercover law enforcement agent, and he has again been thrust into the spotlight due to the potential impact of the case. The court's eight-page opinion, discussing the application of Florida money transmission and money laundering statutes to sales of bitcoin, was the first of its kind, and it suggested that certain notions of how the law views transactions made in....
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A Miami judge has dismissed charges against a Florida-based bitcoin seller after he was indicted in 2014 on illegal money transmission and money laundering charges. Judge Teresa Mary Pooler sided with the defense's argument that bitcoin doesn't constitute a form of money within the confines of Florida’s legal system, stating in a ruling issued today that Michell Espinoza doesn't qualify as a money transmitter as argued by the prosecution. The case was tried in the Eleventh Judicial Circuit of Florida. Observers say that the ruling exposes how state statutes don’t account for bitcoin and....
Bitcoin experts gave different reactions to the Florida court ruling last week that bitcoin is not currency, according to CNBC, including the view that the ruling doesn’t have much impact on the cryptocurrency’s future. Florida judge Teresa Pooler dismissed felony charges against Michell Espinoza who sold bitcoins to an undercover detective. Pooler ruled that bitcoins are not tangible wealth. She noted that the cryptocurrency cannot be hidden under a mattress like gold bars and cash. The prosecution charged Espinoza with violating an anti-money laundering statute. Judge: Bitcoin Not There....
Bitcoin experts gave different reactions to the Florida court ruling last week that bitcoin is not currency, according to CNBC, including the view that the ruling doesn’t have much impact on the cryptocurrency’s future. Florida judge Teresa Pooler dismissed felony charges against Michell Espinoza who sold bitcoins to an undercover detective. Pooler ruled that bitcoins are not tangible wealth. She noted bitcoins cannot be hidden under a mattress like gold bars and cash. The prosecution charged Espinoza with violating an anti-money laundering statute. Judge: Bitcoin Not There Yet. Pooler....
A Miami, Florida, trial court recently dismissed a criminal case against a defendant who had sold bitcoin to a police detective as part of an undercover investigation. The case, Florida v Espinosa, has been already been cited by some potentially important precedent for future cases, particularly those where bitcoin's status as "money" or "currency" is at issue. Bitcoin industry advocates will also cite the case when arguing for legislative reform and greater regulatory clarity. But, as legal precedent, Espinosa's value may be limited. It’s a single decision from a....
The state of Florida has appealed a recent court decision that saw a judge dismiss charges against a local bitcoin seller. The news marks the latest twist in Florida v Michell Espinoza, a case filed in 2014 in which a Florida-based bitcoin seller was brought up on charges for unlicensed money transmission and money laundering. The case is best known for a decision by Judge Teresa Mary Pooler in which she sided with Espinoza's attorneys when they argued that bitcoin doesn't qualify as money. She wrote in her decision at the time that she believes it remains difficult to "accurately....