Author Archives: Jay Butchko
Is Self-Defense A Defense To Domestic Violence Charges?
Florida’s law on domestic violence is expansive, encompassing many different potential crimes against many different people. However, it does allow for what are known as affirmative defenses, which a defendant can use in court to try and argue in favor of their innocence. Self-defense is arguably the most commonly used among them, though there… Read More »
Inverness Man Sentenced To Prison After Selling Counterfeit Drugs
In late August 2021, a man from Inverness, in Citrus County, was sentenced by a federal judge to 3 years in prison after being caught selling significant quantities of counterfeit Xanax on the internet. The man had purchased a pill press to “manufacture” fake Xanax pills, selling almost 250,000 before his arrest. While the… Read More »
Orlando Man Shoots Dog Protecting His Girlfriend During Domestic Dispute
On the night of September 10, 2021, an Orlando man and his girlfriend were having a domestic dispute when he came home intoxicated and she hid his weapons, fearful he would use them. The man became aggressive, and when she left to get away from him, he searched for and located a weapon, with… Read More »
Explaining Florida’s Drug Courts
If you have been charged with a drug offense in Florida, it is easy to be terrified, particularly if it is your first encounter with the law. However, depending on your specific situation, it may be possible for you to avoid jail time. Florida has what are known as drug courts, which are a… Read More »
Arrested For Domestic Violence With No Prior Criminal Record?
Domestic violence as defined in Florida is very often a crime of passion, so to speak; it is not out of the realm of possibility that someone who has never been in trouble with the law before may simply see red. If you have acted in this way and now face charges, know that… Read More »
Fort Walton Beach Woman Charged In ‘Domestic’ Shooting
On the night of June 23, 2021, a 25-year old man died at Fort Walton Beach Medical Center after his girlfriend shot him in a domestic dispute. The girlfriend was charged with “domestic violence-related negligent homicide” in the death, but it remains to be seen what that will translate to in terms of sentencing… Read More »
Prescription Drug Fraud In Florida
In the 1990s and 2000s, Florida was notorious for its spread of “pill mills,” where people could obtain opioids like oxycodone via illicit or fake prescriptions. As a result, the reaction was severe; by the 2010s, Florida tightened its laws relating to opioids and prescription pills in general. Instead of eliminating the problem, however,… Read More »
Dealer Sentenced To Life For Ordering Overdose Victim’s Body Dumped
On June 25, 2021, a federal judge in Tampa sentenced a drug dealer to life in prison after ordering the body of a deceased overdose victim to be dumped in a vacant lot. The dealer and his girlfriend were charged with and found guilty of several drug distribution offenses, including conspiracy to distribute both… Read More »
Stalking & Florida Domestic Violence
Florida’s domestic violence law specifies certain crimes that automatically qualify as domestic violence if perpetrated by one “family or household member” against another. Stalking and aggravated stalking are on that list, which means in the long run that if someone is convicted of stalking a family or household member, the offense will be treated… Read More »
Are There Any Defenses To Drug Possession Charges?
Florida law treats even simple drug possession, without any intent to sell, as a serious crime. If you are charged and convicted, the prison sentence is relatively minor, but the consequences can be wide-ranging. Because of this, some drug possession defendants choose to assert what are known as affirmative defenses. While some cases are… Read More »