Author Archives: Jay Butchko
How Bad Is It to Possess Gabapentin?
Your generation has never had it easy, but when old people tell you to be grateful for your youth, perhaps you should take heed. You might have aches and pains as the result of constant work and chronic sleep deprivation, but at least you are not feeling the effects of a lifetime of wear… Read More »
Does the Fourth Amendment Protect Your Smartphone From Warrantless Searches?
You might think that you know your family and friends well, but Google knows them much better than you do. Most smartphones reveal evidence of people’s thoughts and feelings that they do not tell even to the closest people in their lives. When your spouse or partner looks at information on your phone that… Read More »
What Happens If You Fail to Appear in Court After Getting Drug Charges?
Getting arrested on suspicion of drug crimes is an unpleasant experience even when it does not lead to incarceration, and most people who have experienced a drug-related arrest are eager to put the experience behind them as quickly as possible. If the police release you after arresting you or detaining you, it is not… Read More »
A Drug Possession Conviction Can Lead to Unlawful Carry Charges
Pursuant to a recent change to Florida’s laws, it is now legal for most people to carry concealed handguns in most places. The new permitless carry laws make it legal for you to carry a concealed weapon in places that allow concealed weapons, as long as you are eligible for a concealed weapons permit,… Read More »
Can You Be Extradited to or From Florida on Drug Charges?
No one is relieved to find out that the state is charging them with possession of illegal drugs unless the alternative is being charged with a more serious crime, such as drug trafficking. Drug trafficking charges are serious business, because it is rare that the problem begins and ends in Florida. A more likely… Read More »
How Quickly Can You Get Out of Jail After Getting Arrested for Drug Crimes?
Sometimes cruise ships that depart from Florida seem like a magnet for trouble. If the norovirus doesn’t get you, medical errors by the infirmary staff will. The cruise that led to a zoo in Colombia where an anteater scratched a boy with its sharp claws started in Florida. Earlier this year, a passenger fell… Read More »
Habeas Corpus and Florida Drug Cases
If you have ever heard of habeas corpus before, it was probably in a history class in high school or college, perhaps by a teacher who had once dreamed of going to law school and, in either case, overestimated how much students knew about legal concepts. When your teacher said that “habeas corpus” means,… Read More »
What’s With All the Fuss About Chroming?
If you are the parent of a teenager, it is likely that someone has recently shared content with you online about the dangers of chroming, a supposedly new trend. Just like those songs from the vinyl record era that play in the background of widely publicized Tik Tok videos, chroming is not new. When… Read More »
There Are Worse Opioids Than Fentanyl, and One of Them Is Here in Florida
Lots of things are terrifying, but they are so far away that thinking about them is more interesting than scary. Sure, all the rivers and lakes in Florida are full of alligators, but they do not go out of their way to attack humans; if you see one in the distance, you can calmly… Read More »
Prosecutorial Misconduct in Florida Drug Cases
You do not have to prove that you are innocent to avoid a criminal conviction. In some cases, police confiscate pills from a defendant during a traffic stop or search of the defendant’s residence, the crime lab determines that the pills contain controlled substances, and the defendant gets acquitted or the court drops the… Read More »