Author Archives: Jay Butchko
Florida Prescription Drug Abuse Charges
Florida has an unfortunate negative history as a “pill mill,” with large swaths of south Florida playing host to “pain clinics” that would simply write prescriptions for pain pills without any kind of oversight. While reforms in 2011 effectively curtailed much of this type of trade, many who had become used to abusing these… Read More »
Palm Beach County Cracks Down On Drug-Recovery Industry Fraud
In the 1980s and 1990s, Florida had a notorious reputation as a ‘pill mill’ capital, leading to a major spike in drug addiction, especially opiates. As time has moved on, Florida has reinvented itself again, becoming a capital of the drug recovery industry, with countless treatment facilities opening up and down the coasts in… Read More »
Woman Burned In Apparent Random Attack
A woman unloading boxes on the street in West Palm Beach during work was injured when another woman threw hot water at her, perpetrating an allegedly random attack. The injured woman suffered first and second-degree burns on her back, and the perpetrator, Andrea Clarke, a Jamaican national, was taken into custody and charged with… Read More »
Before Grand Jury Testimony
Florida prosecutors have wide autonomy to charge a suspect with a crime – unless they are suspected of first degree murder or another capital crime. Then, the charge must be presented to a grand jury, which then will either vote to indict the person, or they will vote “no true bill,” meaning that there… Read More »
Have You Violated Your Florida Probation?
When you are convicted of a crime in Florida, you may be eligible for probation, especially if you have not previously been in trouble with the law. However, probation is not a free pass; there are rules that must be obeyed, and if you violate them, you will face serious consequences. If you have… Read More »
Stranded Driver On I-95 Shoots & Kills Trooper
On the afternoon of February 5, Trooper Joseph Bullock stopped on I-95 to help a driver whose car had stalled, leaving him stranded. The driver, Franklin Reed III, “became irate” at having to pay for a tow and pulled a gun. Reports are confused as to how the trooper became involved, but after six… Read More »
Teen’s Snapchat ‘Threat’ Creates Legal Challenge
In early February, 19-year old David Puy was on his way to dinner with friends, and he posted on Snapchat, “On my way! School shooter” – which Puy readily admits was poor judgment. However, after the tragic mass shooting at Margery Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland in 2018, Florida made changes to its… Read More »
“Cry For Help” Bank Robber Reaches Plea Deal
In November 2019, 74-year old Sandy Hawkins robbed a Wells Fargo bank branch near Boca Raton, taking just $1,100 after declining more from the teller, saying she’d “given him too much.” He was charged with a second-degree felony, characterizing his crime as a “cry for help,” but on Friday, February 14, the court in… Read More »
Can I Get My Property Back After Forfeiture?
Civil asset forfeiture is a policy where assets can be seized from people suspected of committing crimes, if the property is believed to have played a role in the crime. However, the key word is suspected; no conviction is necessary for law enforcement to take your property, and the odds of getting it back… Read More »
“Mrs. Florida” Sentenced To Prison For Social Security Fraud
On January 9, a former beauty queen was sentenced to a month in federal prison after a judge told her that “choices in life have consequences.” Karyn Turk, the former Mrs. Florida 2016, pled guilty to one count of misdemeanor Social Security fraud, receiving a sentence of 1 month in federal prison and 5… Read More »