Author Archives: Jay Butchko
Misconceptions About Florida Domestic Violence
Statistics from the Florida Department of Law Enforcement show that in 2019, approximately 105,000 domestic violence-related offenses were reported in the state, with countless more almost certainly going unreported. Yet despite its prevalence, there are many misconceptions about how domestic violence crimes are treated under Florida law. If you have been charged with a… Read More »
Kodak Black Arrested For Drug Trafficking
Being famous does not, unfortunately, give a person the right to break the law with impunity. Florida rapper Kodak Black has had legal trouble in the past, being sentenced to more than 3 years in prison in 2019 on weapons charges before being pardoned by the former president. Now, he faces charges of possession… Read More »
Domestic Violence Case Against Former WWE NXT Wrestler Dropped
In May 2022, All Elite Wrestling’s Jake Atlas was arrested and charged with domestic violence in Florida after attacking his long-term partner during an argument. While the partner suffered only minor injuries, Atlas was charged with misdemeanor (domestic) battery after allegedly refusing to tell his side of the story. In late June, the charges… Read More »
Florida Grandmother Brings “Heroin, Cocaine, And A Baby” To Prison
In late June 2022, a Florida grandmother brought her infant grandchild to DeSoto Correctional Institution to visit an inmate with her. However, she also allegedly brought contraband: approximately “100 grams of cocaine and heroin.” The drugs were found during a standard search, after which the woman’s car was searched, netting almost 700 more grams… Read More »
What Is A Domestic Violence Injunction?
If someone has become a victim of domestic violence, or they fear that they may become a victim of domestic violence, they may be able to obtain what is known as a domestic violence injunction (DVI). An injunction is a legal order that either prevents a person from doing something, or compels them to… Read More »
Mandatory Minimum Sentences Do Not Curb Drug Crime
Back in the 1980s and 1990s, Florida began to institute what are known as mandatory minimum sentences, in order to crack down on the epidemic of drug trafficking sweeping the state. However, over time, the sentences have, more often than not, been applied to the average person on the street rather than to well-connected… Read More »
What Can Victims Of False Domestic Violence Allegations Do?
False allegations of crimes like domestic violence and child abuse are, in reality, much less common than popular culture might show them to be. However, they do happen, and can cause very real suffering to the accused person and their loved ones. Adding insult to injury is the fact that very few who make… Read More »
What Constitutes Possession Of Drug Paraphernalia?
When someone uses drugs, they often require what is known as drug paraphernalia in order to do it properly. For example, if someone smokes marijuana, the paper they use to roll the drug into a cigarette counts as drug paraphernalia – any item used to “conceal, store, cultivate [ … ] or process” a… Read More »
Does Domestic Violence Have To Be Physical?
The stereotypical case of domestic violence in Florida is one that involves one spouse allegedly physically harming the other, but in reality, there are several different types of offenses that may qualify as domestic violence, and countless different ways that those offenses can play out. If you have been arrested and charged with domestic… Read More »
Alternative Forms Of Marijuana Are Still Illegal In Florida
As of this writing, it is legal in 19 states (plus Washington D.C.) to smoke marijuana recreationally, and in 38 states to use marijuana for a medical purpose. Florida has only recently made medical marijuana legal, while still prohibiting its recreational usage. This goes not only for possession of the cannabis plant, but also… Read More »