- On behalf of Mike G Law posted in Mental Health & Substance Abuse Issues on Thursday, April 19, 2018
There are many good people in the Tampa area who are struggling under the weight of a drug addiction. Often, their addictive behaviors are simply ways they cope with deep-seated trauma or other issues over which they may have had no control. Still, drug use has a tendency to land even decent people in serious trouble with the criminal justice system. In addition to drug possession being a crime in and of itself, people often do things while high that they would never do were they sober, and many of these behaviors are also against the law and can lead to prison time. Fortunately, Florida authorities have recognized that for these sorts of criminal defendants, harsh consequences and jail time... Read More »
- On behalf of Mike G Law posted in Criminal Defense on Saturday, April 7, 2018
The criminal justice system is surely not one size fits all. This can be especially true when it comes to serving youth. Unfortunately, many kids do not understand their rights when dealing with law enforcement, and their naivety can be used against them in court. Here is how the criminal justice system fails kids during arrests and interrogations. Few kids understand their Miranda rights Suspects who are under arrest and being interrogated by the police must be read their ‘Miranda Warning’ or legal rights. But a University of North Texas study found that the reading of one’s rights is no straightforward matter. In fact, researchers found that there are over 900 different warnings being read by law enforcement officers across... Read More »
- On behalf of Mike G Law posted in Mental Health & Substance Abuse Issues on Thursday, April 5, 2018
Many of us n Tampa have made the less than two-hour drive to visit Disney World. While theme park is known for bringing smiles to the faces of visitors, it was recently the site of the arrest of U.S. Rep. Darren Soto’s wife Amanda on a charge of disorderly intoxication. The congressman later released a statement that his wife has been dealing with mental health issues for years and that she regrets the actions that led to her arrest. The case will, hopefully, serve as reason for people to reflect on the struggles many have with depression, self-medication, addiction and sometimes arrests. Soto is not a dangerous criminal and is not accused of harming anyone. According to a news report,... Read More »
- On behalf of Mike G Law posted in Domestic Violence on Tuesday, March 20, 2018
About 25 percent of divorces involve an allegation of domestic violence. Restraining orders and tales of abuse provide powerful leverage in family court. Research shows that a high percentage of restraining orders are issued for trivial or trumped-up reasons. Half the time, no physical violence is even alleged. Yet judges issue the orders and let the chips fall where they may. The definition of domestic “violence” has been watered down We do not mean in any way to downplay the plight of victims of physical or sexual abuse. Domestic violence is a real problem. However, the threshold for what constitutes domestic violence — especially in the issuance of restraining orders –has become broad and vague. In 32 states, the statutory... Read More »
- On behalf of Mike G Law posted in Sex Offenses on Friday, March 9, 2018
When a person is charged with a sexual offense, it feels like the end of the world. They are overcome with feelings of shame and despair. They feel they have let their families and everyone down. Society holds sex offenses to be the most reprehensible of all criminal types. The news reverberates through the community, affecting relationships, employment and school. Our advice to you if you are in this situation: Pull yourself together. It may feel like the end of the world, but it doesn’t have to be. Good defense can still clear your name, or minimize the harm done to you and your reputation. The most successful approaches include: ‘ I didn’t do it ’ False claims are often... Read More »
- On behalf of Mike G Law posted in Prescription Drug Violations on Wednesday, July 12, 2017
The ordinary drug treatment courts aren’t up to dealing with the opioid addiction crisis. Officials in Buffalo, New York, which has just opened the nation’s first opioid treatment court, say that more drastic measures are needed if the intervention is to be successful at its most basic level: keeping the defendant alive. Most drug courts emerged in the 1980s and early 1990s in response to crack cocaine. The idea is to provide what’s really needed — drug treatment — to people who aren’t career criminals but got involved in drugs. Defendants may be first-time arrestees for drug possession, or they may have been charged for crimes they committed as a result of their drug addiction. Those charges are dropped if... Read More »
- On behalf of Mike G Law posted in Criminal Defense on Friday, June 30, 2017
Should someone with a serious addiction problem be criminally charged for overdosing? She should if she is pregnant and the overdose harms the child, according to prosecutors in another state. Unfortunately, it’s not at all clear the mother was fully responsible for the harm to her child in this case. Emergency medical technicians, police and emergency room personnel all seem to have missed the symptoms of an overdose, causing a potentially major delay in treatment for the overdose. The 30-year-old woman was seven months pregnant when she was released from jail recently. She had been in jail for much of her pregnancy on charges of retail theft. When she was released, however, she was prescribed Narcan, a substance that reverses... Read More »
- On behalf of Mike G Law posted in Prescription Drug Violations on Monday, June 26, 2017
The co-author of a new study in JAMA Pediatrics has a message for parents. "If you have a child struggling with opioid addiction, understand that there are medications that support and sustain recovery." That seems straightforward, but the study found that many people may not realize there are effective treatments available for addiction to opioid medications like OxyContin, Vicodin and Xanax — even methadone, fentanyl and heroin. Unfortunately, it seems that most young addicts aren’t getting that treatment, even when they have good insurance. The study considered the medical records of almost 21,000 opioid addicts between the ages of 13 and 25 who were insured through UnitedHealthcare. Even during the period of 2001 and 2014 when opioid addiction was skyrocketing,... Read More »
- On behalf of Mike G Law posted in Drug Possession on Friday, June 23, 2017
The growing danger of drugged driving leading accidents continues to be a concern for law enforcement agencies across Florida. It is also widely viewed as a reason against the legalization of marijuana for recreational use even though a number of surveys and polls suggest that many more Americans would not oppose its legalization. Despite this sentiment, there is still the looming danger of people being injured and losing their lives in crashes ostensibly caused by drugged driving. In fact, the number of people found to be impaired by prescription or illegal drugs while behind the wheel has increased. A USA Today.com report found that at least two in ten drivers involved in accidents in 2015 were found to have Xanax,... Read More »
- On behalf of Mike G Law posted in Prescription Drug Violations on Thursday, June 15, 2017
The drugs fentanyl and carfentanil have been playing outsized roles in the opioid epidemic, which is already high-profile. Fentanyl is considered to be about 100 times more powerful than morphine, while carfentanil is perhaps 10,000 times more powerful. Yet even though carfentanil is meant to tranquilize large mammals like rhinos and hippopotamuses, the drug is sometimes mixed with heroin or other opiates used by addicts. These potent synthetic opioids pose a real risk to law enforcement, according to Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein. He recently warned officers to avoid any exposure to the drugs, as people are overdosing in record numbers. He warns that America doesn’t have time to debate whether the opioid epidemic is a public health crisis or... Read More »
