Author Archives: Jay Butchko
Will The District Attorney Decline To Prosecute Your Case?
In some cases, an arrest at a traffic stop changes your life forever. You could be detained until your plea hearing, unable to produce the thousands of dollars in bail money that the state is requesting in exchange for your freedom. Then you plead guilty, because it means that you will spend only a… Read More »
“Possession Is Nine Tenths Of The Law” Doesn’t Mean What You Think It Means
Some legal phrases have become part of the popular lexicon, and it is a good thing that they pop into people’s heads when they are facing criminal charges or are at risk of being charged. You have the right to remain silent. Innocent until proven guilty. Reasonable doubt. Due process of law. You may… Read More »
Florida Courts Can Suspend Your Driver’s License At The Drop Of A Hat
The weather and scenery in Florida are so beautiful that few things can spoil your good mood. Trying to get through a day in Florida without your car is a major annoyance, though. Think about the last time you had to go without a car for a few days, either because it was in… Read More »
Employees Of Research Lab Convicted For The Role In Fraudulent Clinical Trials
Clinical trials are important to the practice of medicine, but they are also important to the practice of law. Every time you have taken a prescription drug, it had to go through clinical trials before getting FDA approval so that your doctor could legally prescribe it. Likewise, the recommendation your doctor follows about the… Read More »
Three Florida Men Arrested For Real Estate Theft Conspiracy
So much of what happens in Florida is the stuff of nightmares, and that is why we Floridians love it. Anyone else would be scared of the alligators, iguanas, and Nile monitor lizards that saunter down the perfectly paved sidewalks, but Floridians welcome our reptilian neighbors. Anyone except a Floridian would be terrified of… Read More »
Florida Woman Pleads Guilty To Wire Fraud After Romance Scam On Elderly Victim
Wire fraud is a federal crime punishable by up to 20 years in prison. The crime occurs when a defendant knowingly makes false statements using a communication device such as a telephone, tablet, or computer, with the intention of getting the victim to pay money to the defendant or a conspirator. Fraud accomplished through… Read More »
Man Charged With Making Written Threats After Harassing University Employees By Email
If the worst part of your workday is email, you have a pretty cushy job. Being a university faculty member is one of the most fun jobs imaginable; if you doubt this, think of how many of your professors continued teaching beyond their 70th birthdays even though you know they can afford to retire… Read More »
Criminal Defense Lawyers Care More About Your Case Than You Realize
Members of many professions can cite a least favorite comment that they hear too often during cocktail party small talk. Doctors don’t like being asked to look at a stranger’s possibly worrisome rash or mole in the middle of a cocktail party. Translators and foreign language teachers are tired of hearing, “I can barely… Read More »
Sarasota County Defendants Face Drug Trafficking Charges After Drug Bust At Home
All over Central Florida, people have illegal drugs in their houses; police do not know where these drugs are and in what quantities, and they have little way of finding out. This is because the Fourth Amendment to the United States Constitution prohibits unlawful search and seizure of private property. Many arrests for drug… Read More »
Is Ketamine The Next Great Hope For Addiction Treatment?
Ketamine is a Schedule III controlled substance, but the schedule number of a drug does not tell you much about it. Except for Schedule I drugs, all controlled substances are legal for medical use at least sometimes, and the law considers all controlled substances dangerous enough that it does not allow manufacturers to offer… Read More »