Author Archives: Jay Butchko
FSU Professor Sentenced In Domestic Violence Case
In February 2022, a professor from Florida State University (FSU) was sentenced to 90 days in Leon County’s jail, plus three years’ probation, after a 2020 incident in which he chased his wife with a butcher’s knife and threatened her. He pleaded no contest to the charges, which also included violating his pretrial release… Read More »
Busting Myths About Drug Trafficking In Florida
Drug trafficking is an offense that carries potentially severe sentences as well as social stigma. However, the crime itself is not well understood, at least not in Florida; too much misinformation is out there, and it can lead someone to make potentially poor decisions if they are charged with trafficking themselves. It is crucial… Read More »
Breaking Down Florida’s Domestic Violence Definition
When asked to define domestic violence, the average person usually thinks of a husband who initiates a violent altercation with his wife, and is later arrested and charged (or ignored, depending on the severity of the incident). In Florida and many other states, however, the law defines crimes of domestic violence in a much… Read More »
Palm Beach Man Pleads Guilty To Prescription Drug-Related Fraud
In late January 2022, a Palm Beach man pleaded guilty to one count of healthcare fraud for fraudulently billing Tricare and other Veterans’ Affairs healthcare programs, charging for compound medications that were not “medically necessary.” His is only one sentence in a far-reaching conspiracy that eventually saw several people charged with fraud. While it… Read More »
Legislature Considering Bill To Speed Up Processing Of Protective Orders
In early February 2022, the Florida legislature began considering a bill that would greatly increase the processing speed for domestic violence injunctions and other types of protective orders, potentially allowing them to go into effect faster and protect victims still at risk. The bill has bipartisan support, and is fairly comprehensive in terms of… Read More »
Key Largo Woman Accused Of Drug Offenses Involving Minor Children
In late January 2022, a Key Largo woman and her friend were arrested on multiple drug charges, including possession of a controlled substance without a prescription and possession of drug paraphernalia. Only the woman, however, was charged with child abuse and contributing to the delinquency of a minor, after allegations that she not only… Read More »
Why Do People Make False Domestic Violence Allegations?
Statistics from the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), along with scientific studies, estimate that the total number of false allegations of crimes like domestic violence and sexual assault to be somewhere between 2 and 10 percent. The myth that a large portion of reported accusations are false is simply that – but at… Read More »
Boynton Beach Man Napping In Car Charged With 24 Counts Of Drug Possession
Sometimes, life just catches up with a person. In February 2022, the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office (PBCSO) got a call about a suspicious vehicle, and upon checking it out, found a young Boynton Beach man asleep in the car, with “pills … in plastic baggies” and other drug paraphernalia in plain view. Upon… Read More »
What Is Domestic Strangulation?
There are quite a few ways that a person can commit domestic violence, but Florida state law recognizes a specific crime of domestic battery by strangulation, because it is seen as such a potentially dangerous offense. If you have been accused of this offense, know that while there are defenses, it will generally take… Read More »
Mitigating Circumstances In Florida Drug Cases
When someone is arrested and charged with a drug offense in Florida, the charge is serious even if it is a misdemeanor. The state has some of the harshest drug laws in the country, and state’s attorneys prosecute most crimes involving drugs particularly harshly (these offenses are seen as damaging society as a whole,… Read More »