The United States has waged a “War on Drugs” for more than five decades. By most measures, it isn’t going very well. In states like Florida, the sale and use of illegal drugs remain prevalent. And now there is a new crisis in the form of prescription opioid abuse. Given the increasing financial, political, and human cost of treating...
Continue ReadingEveryone has a “youthful indiscretion” they would like to forget. Unfortunately, if that indiscretion left you with a criminal record, forgetting may not be so easy. There is a good chance a potential employer will inquire about your criminal history. So what do you do if you were convicted of a crime, and maybe even served some jail time?...
Continue ReadingThere’s a school of thought that believes smiling in your mugshot following a criminal arrest is a good idea. Public officials charged with crimes sometimes do this as a way of showing defiance or that they consider the charges politically motivated. But even private citizens are known to smile when the police take a mugshot, perhaps because they do...
Continue ReadingIt is well known that domestic violence is a serious problem in central Florida. Area police frequently cite domestic violence calls as among the most dangerous situations they must respond to. Sadly, recent events have only brought this danger to home for residents of Orlando. On the evening of June 10, police officers responded to a domestic violence call...
Continue ReadingThe Fourth of July is a time for celebration. Of course, the first Independence Day was a tumultuous time for the nation’s founders–they were literally facing treason charges from the British Crown. Fortunately, few Orlando residents will find themselves in that kind of legal trouble today. But there are other more ordinary crimes that can lead to your arrest...
Continue ReadingFor Orlando-area police officers, domestic violence calls are among the most dangerous situations they face. What starts out as a verbal argument between two people quickly escalates into threats of physical violence. And when one of the parties has a gun, these threats may turn into deadly action–exposing not only the other person but any law enforcement first responders...
Continue ReadingAlthough marijuana has gained greater social acceptance in recent years–particularly as a medicinal drug–it remains a dangerous controlled substance under federal and state law. And while Florida voters approved the limited manufacture and use of medicinal cannabis as part of a statewide constitutional amendment, that does not mean you can simply smoke a joint in public whenever you feel...
Continue ReadingOur society has been conditioned to think of drug addiction as a legal problem. Every year thousands of people in Florida and throughout the United States are charged with drug crimes ranging from possession of banned substances to prescription drug fraud. But in our political rush to judge and condemn drug users, we often forget they are suffering from...
Continue ReadingIf you ask the typical Orlando-area police officer what scenario they fear most while on-duty, their answer probably will not be “taking down a drug dealer” or responding to a mass shooting. Instead, the officer may tell you their greatest fear is responding to a domestic violence call. And with good reason: According to the FBI, 136 police officers...
Continue ReadingDrunk driving has been around as long as there have been cars. In the early morning hours of September 10, 1897, a 25-year-old London taxi cab driver named George Smith was charged by local police with “being drunk when in charge of a motor car.” A constable observed Smith operating a “four-wheeled electric cab,” when he suddenly “swerved from...
Continue Reading