After being in vogue for over 25 years, cocaine use in Florida is declining. According to a report by James N. Hall, Director of the Center for the Study and Prevention of Substance Abuse at Nova Southeastern University, the number of cocaine-related overdoses and deaths in Florida has declined. Likewise, fewer people are seeking treatment for cocaine and crack...
Continue ReadingThe State of Florida prescription drug database launches today. This database is intened to combat the increase in prescription drug crimes such as prescription fraud or doctor shopping. In a nutshell the law now requires pharmacies and dispensing physicians to upload information into the database within seven days of filling the prescription. The database will allow doctors and pharmacists...
Continue ReadingA three-judge panel in the First District Court of Appeal has ruled that one single spank does not qualify as domestic violence, and unanimously quashed an injunction for protection against domestic violence issued against a man identified only as G.C. Injunction for Protection Against Domestic Violence The injunction for protection was issued by a lower court based upon accusations...
Continue ReadingToday Florida will begin monitoring your prescriptions in an effort to deterdoctor shopping and physicians from overprescribing medication. The legislation that led to the data base has been mired in controversy. Advocates contend that it gives law enforcement the ability to monitor “pill mills” and is necessary to combat Florida’s growing prescription pill epidemic. Those in opposition, including Gov....
Continue ReadingFlorida’s “war on drugs” is something of a “cat and mouse” game. Law enforcement uncovers a new method of drug smuggling and uses its new-found knowledge to make as many busts as possible. However, the police are usually playing a game of “catch up,” as drug distributors find clever new ways to keep distribution channels open. The newest trend...
Continue ReadingAnyone arrested for domestic violence already knows the weight that such accusations carry. Even when the charges are baseless, the arrestee is already convicted in the court of public opinion. However, a recent domestic violence arrest appearing in national headlines could help to prevent some from jumping to conclusions when accusations of domestic violence are made. A few weeks...
Continue ReadingSome Question the Legality of Aggressive Law Enforcement Tactics A recent internet child predator sting created by Polk County’s Sheriff’s Department resulted in the arrest of 22 men. Authorities created advertisements on websites such as Craigslist, Backpage, MyYearbook and OKCupid, pretending that they were a concerned parent or relative who wanted someone to provide guidance to their young girl. Some...
Continue ReadingGov. Rick Scott just distributed a press release noting that Florida’s crime rate is the lowest it has been in 40 years. Scott proudly delivered the news, but it comes at a time when Florida’s prisons are incredibly overcrowded, with 104,000 inmates in the state. If crime is the lowest it has been since the 1960s, then why is...
Continue Reading