Author Archives: Jay Butchko
Quaaludes
A plot point in The Wolf of Wall Street centers around the rarity of Quaaludes, a prized but highly illegal drug with the power to make you feel both chill and invincible at the same time. After taking Quaaludes, Leonardo DiCaprio’s character spends what seems like a lovely night out and arrives home safely,… Read More »
Should You Testify at Trial in Your Drug Case?
Defendants in criminal cases have the right to face their accusers in court. This means that you have the right to a fair trial, and you have the right to testify on the witness stand at your trial. Not all defendants do this, though. Fewer than ten percent of defendants who enter a plea… Read More »
Federal Target Letters and Florida Drug Cases
Criminal cases involving simple possession of illegal drugs or controlled substances usually go through the state courts. If you do not have any prior criminal convictions, you might even be eligible for a pretrial diversion drug court program, where, if you complete the court-ordered substance abuse treatment and other requirements of the program successfully,… Read More »
MDPV Takes Your Favorite Drugs and Makes Them Druggier
Designer drugs. Bath salts. Research chemicals. Synthetic cathinones go by many names, but, with a few variations in the details, they can all get you into major legal trouble if police find them in your possession. Synthetic cathinones are so called because their chemical structure resembles cathinone, the stimulant chemical found in the leaves… Read More »
Undercover Detective Buys Drugs From Manager of Pizzeria
Pizza is always a treat, but especially if you have the munchies, and Pizzano’s Pizzeria in Lake Wales delivers the goods. Lots of people go there to satisfy their pizza cravings after smoking weed, and cannabis sale and possession has been decriminalized in so many contexts in Florida that if you have a bag… Read More »
EMS Employee Charged With Stealing Controlled Substances From Employer
Stressful jobs and the easy availability of addictive substances are a dangerous combination. Go to any Alcoholics Anonymous meeting, and you will meet people who tell you that, for them, the trouble started when they were working in a restaurant kitchen where the alcohol flowed freely. In healthcare jobs, where you are surrounded by… Read More »
At Long Last, Federal Agency Recommends Rescheduling Cannabis
A few decades ago, radio stations used to bleep out the word “weed” when Nate Dogg sang, “smoke weed every day” at the end of Dr. Dre’s “The Next Episode.” In those days, “I Got 5 on It” by Luniz only ever played on the radio in the middle night, despite being on every… Read More »
Do the Drugs Belong to You, Your Roomie, or Your Landlord?
Central Florida is not as expensive a place to live as New York City or San Francisco, but given the rising prices of consumer goods and the difficulty of finding jobs that are more permanent than freelance gigs, hardly anyone can afford to rent a house or apartment all by themselves, even in a… Read More »
Can Where You Live Affect the Drug Charges You Get?
All over Florida, people are using illegal drugs in the privacy of their homes, and the police will probably never find out. Police cannot enter your house and search for drugs unless they have a search warrant, and the court will only issue a warrant if police officers submit a statement to the court… Read More »
Important Dates in Your Criminal Case
Drugs can really mess with your perception of time. Remember when you sat on the couch and lit up a joint sometime in late 2016, and the next thing you knew, it was 2018 and the movement to decriminalize weed was in full swing? Time never moves more slowly than when you are sitting… Read More »
