Author Archives: Jay Butchko
A Fentanyl Incident In A Publix Parking Lot
By the time the federal government removed cannabis from the list of Schedule I controlled substances earlier this year, the writing had been on the wall for years. The state laws decriminalizing cannabis for medical use, and later for recreational use, were only echoing a widespread public sentiment. Lawmakers and journalists began to say… Read More »
Criminal Cases Against Drivers Who Caused Fatal Accidents While Drunk
Drunk driving is one of the most common reasons that people get arrested at traffic stops. As upsetting as it is to go from having a normal day to debating whether to take a plea deal or to make a desperate effort to persuade the jury that the breathalyzer was wrong, you eventually feel… Read More »
The Rights Of Defendants Who Stay Broke
The rights of defendants in criminal cases apply to everyone accused of a crime. Your immigration status, criminal history or lack thereof, or financial resources or lack thereof should have no effect on the fairness of your trial, the events leading up to your guilty plea, or your sentence if you are convicted or… Read More »
Does Probation Take Away Your Fourth Amendment Rights?
In April 2026, police in Sarasota executed a search warrant at a house just down the street from Truvine Missionary Baptist Church. They found 90.2 grams of fentanyl, plus marijuana, cocaine, stimulant pills, opioid pills, a firearm, a scale, and thousands of dollars in cash, and now the resident of the house is facing… Read More »
Criminal Charges For Misusing Privileges Of Employment
It is not hard to find people who tell you that work stinks and that whatever money you earn from employment is not enough to justify the annoyances and indignities that you suffer during every shift. If you are enough of an optimist, though, you can see that the rewards you get from your… Read More »
A Mind-Altering Road Trip
Most of the time, crossing state lines does not feel like a big deal. When you drive across the border into Florida, you rejoice at the sight of the “Welcome to Florida” sign., but at least in the beginning, the terrain looks much like it did in Georgia or Alabama. The retail options you… Read More »
Three Family Members Arrested After Drug Bust
In some drug possession cases, judges sentence defendants to probation and order them to live with their parents or other older family members while they complete their probation sentences. When they do this, the judges assume that young adults are less likely to be exposed to drugs when they live with their families than… Read More »
Beware Of Carfentanil In Florida’s Drug Supply
Drug use trends change over time, and a substantial increase in overdose deaths or criminal cases associated with one drug will attract years of media attention to that drug. In the 1970s, everyone feared heroin, and in the 1980s, it was crack cocaine. Then came methamphetamine and prescription opioid abuse. Today, in the age… Read More »
Court Dismisses Drug Trafficking Case Because Of Lack Of Evidence
The court can declare you innocent in a criminal case if the jury acquits you. This happens when the jurors vote, and they agree that the prosecution has not proven your guilt beyond a reasonable doubt; in other words, they are either sure that the criminal charges do not apply, or they are not… Read More »
Community Service As A Criminal Penalty
When you were a child, you probably sometimes saw men in orange jumpsuits picking up trash by the side of the road in the Florida heat as you drove down a decidedly pedestrian-unfriendly road, such as the Florida Turnpike. Your parents might have tried to turn it into a cautionary tale about why you… Read More »