Author Archives: Jay Butchko
Domestic Violence & False Imprisonment In Florida
Florida’s definition of domestic violence includes any criminal offense that results in “physical injury or death” to a victim that shares a certain relationship with the alleged perpetrator. The statute lists specific offenses as examples, and one of those listed is the crime of false imprisonment. Too often, this occurs in volatile domestic situations,… Read More »
Drug Trafficking Charges In Florida
When people think of drug trafficking, they tend to think of drug cartels and briefcases full of money. In reality, the average person is capable of trafficking in drugs under Florida law – and in some cases, they may not even realize they are doing so. If a person is caught with a large… Read More »
Former Detroit Lion Enters Pretrial Diversion Program After Domestic Battery
In mid-April 2024, former NFL player Cameron Sutton was accepted into a batterers’ intervention program in Hillsborough County with the intent of resolving the misdemeanor battery case against him. Sutton had been wanted in Florida after allegedly battering a woman in early March. Domestic battery is a serious offense in Florida, but in some… Read More »
Selling Drugs In School Zones Means Additional Penalties
Florida takes drug offenses extremely seriously, and nowhere is this more evident than when minor children are involved in an alleged drug crime. The watchword of sorts for the state’s body of law is to always act in the best interests of children involved in the legal system – what this means is that… Read More »
Gun Rights For Alleged Abusers At Issue
If you have been charged with domestic violence in Florida, it goes without saying that you want to avoid a conviction, because you do not want to spend time in jail. However, it is also possible to lose other rights both upon conviction and, in some cases, if you have a domestic violence injunction… Read More »
Myths About Fentanyl Can Lead To Legal Issues
In early April 2024, Florida’s governor signed Senate Bill 718, which provides criminal penalties for anyone who exposes first responders (such as police, firefighters, and EMTs) to fentanyl. If “overdose or serious bodily injury” results, the person can be charged with a second-degree felony. However, toxicologists have reported multiple times that injury due to… Read More »
Can A Crime Of Domestic Violence Be A Misdemeanor?
Domestic violence, also called intimate partner violence, is justifiably seen as a serious offense in Florida. However, the seriousness of such a crime does not always translate into felony convictions for those found guilty of this type of offense. If you have been charged with a domestic violence offense, it is possible that even… Read More »
Nitazenes: The “New” Drugs On The Block
The federal Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) oversees the classification of newly discovered or developed drugs, assigning each one a category based on its medical use potential and capacity for addiction. While it can take some time to classify a substance, this does not mean that the substance is not already available on the street… Read More »
How Can I Prove Self-Defense After Being Charged With Domestic Violence?
Florida courts take charges of domestic violence extremely seriously, and are justifiably predisposed to believe alleged victims. However, not every case should result in a conviction. There are cases in which a person charged with a crime of domestic violence is innocent, and there are some in which the defendant acted in self-defense. While… Read More »
“Prescription” Drugs Without A Prescription Are Still Unlawful
Drugs are classified into ‘schedules’ at both state and federal levels, categorized by their potential for addiction and their accepted medical usage (or lack thereof). This includes controlled substances that are sometimes prescribed for certain health conditions – but just because they have medical uses does not mean they are legal to possess without… Read More »