By Nicholas Dorsten, Esq.
Another marijuana bust, article from the St. Pete Times website...
ST. PETERSBURG, FLORIDA — Police have arrested three men on charges of possession of more than 9 pounds of marijuana.
The three men, 29,31, and 30, are accused of possessing marijuana with intent to distribute.
Police said they watched the men leave one of the men's home, located in St. Petersburg, in a 2000 Chevy Impala and a rented 2011 Ford Fusion. At about 2 p.m., the men were arrested during traffic stops at 16th Street and 21st Avenue S in St. Petersburg and at 7348 U.S. 19 N in Pinellas Park.
In the Ford Fusion, police found a backpack with seven of nine gallon-size zip-close bags holding marijuana. The rest of the marijuana was in the Impala with the other man.
The street value of the marijuana found in the cars is $10,000, police said. Police also seized $4,488 in cash, which they may try to show as evidence that the men were possessing marijuana with the intent to sell.
Have you or a loved one been arrested for a marijuana charge or drug trafficking? Then contact the St. Petersburg criminal defense attorneys of Blake & Dorsten, P.A. for a free consultation!
For more information, or to speak directly with experienced St. Petersburg criminal defense lawyers please contact BLAKE & DORSTEN, P.A. at 727.286.6141 or email the lawyers your questions at: info@blakedorstenlaw.com. We are located at 4707 140th Ave N, Suite 104 in Clearwater, across from the criminal courthouse in the airport business center, minutes from Tampa and St. Petersburg.
Welcome to the blog of a Clearwater-based Tampa bay area criminal defense attorney. Visit our website at www.BlakeDorstenLaw.com or call us at 727-286-6141 for all your legal needs. Our office is located across from the 49th street criminal courthouse, minutes from Tampa and St. Petersburg at 4707 140th Ave N, Suite 104, Clearwater 33762.
Thursday, December 30, 2010
Tampa Bay Criminal Defense Lawyer - stalked
By Nicholas Dorsten, Esq
St. Pete Times...
ST. PETERSBURG, FLORIDA — A 62-year-old man has been arrested on charges that he stalked and harassed a 15-year-old boy, Pinellas Sheriff's deputies said.
Deputies said the suspect, of 4600 67th St. N, first approached the teenager on Dec. 13 as the boy rode his bike through a parking lot at 4380 66th St. N. From the drivers' seat of his 1998 dark green Kia Sportage, he offered the boy $100 in exchange for a sex, deputies said. The boy was frightened and fled, but the man continued to trail him, circling the area and eventually following him to a friends' house, deputies said.
The next day, the suspect was walking in the same area and again followed the boy, deputies said. The teenager ran to a business and told the security guard, who called deputies.
Detectives from the sheriff's crimes against children unit were able to identify the man based on information they received about his car. On Tuesday, after he voluntarily came to the sheriff's office in Largo, Price was arrested on one count of lewd and lascivious conduct and one-count of aggravated stalking, deputies said.
The man was being held at the Pinellas County Jail Tuesday night on $30,000 bail.
Have you or someone you love been arrested for violation of an injunction, domestic violence or battery? Then call the criminal defense attorneys today for a free consultation!
For more information, or to speak directly with experienced criminal defense lawyers please contact BLAKE & DORSTEN, P.A. at 727.286.6141 or email the lawyers your questions at: info@blakedorstenlaw.com. We are located at 4707 140th Ave N, Suite 104 in Clearwater, across from the criminal courthouse in the airport business center, minutes from Tampa and St. Petersburg.
St. Pete Times...
ST. PETERSBURG, FLORIDA — A 62-year-old man has been arrested on charges that he stalked and harassed a 15-year-old boy, Pinellas Sheriff's deputies said.
Deputies said the suspect, of 4600 67th St. N, first approached the teenager on Dec. 13 as the boy rode his bike through a parking lot at 4380 66th St. N. From the drivers' seat of his 1998 dark green Kia Sportage, he offered the boy $100 in exchange for a sex, deputies said. The boy was frightened and fled, but the man continued to trail him, circling the area and eventually following him to a friends' house, deputies said.
The next day, the suspect was walking in the same area and again followed the boy, deputies said. The teenager ran to a business and told the security guard, who called deputies.
Detectives from the sheriff's crimes against children unit were able to identify the man based on information they received about his car. On Tuesday, after he voluntarily came to the sheriff's office in Largo, Price was arrested on one count of lewd and lascivious conduct and one-count of aggravated stalking, deputies said.
The man was being held at the Pinellas County Jail Tuesday night on $30,000 bail.
Have you or someone you love been arrested for violation of an injunction, domestic violence or battery? Then call the criminal defense attorneys today for a free consultation!
For more information, or to speak directly with experienced criminal defense lawyers please contact BLAKE & DORSTEN, P.A. at 727.286.6141 or email the lawyers your questions at: info@blakedorstenlaw.com. We are located at 4707 140th Ave N, Suite 104 in Clearwater, across from the criminal courthouse in the airport business center, minutes from Tampa and St. Petersburg.
Tampa Bay Criminal Defense Lawyer - DUI stops
By Nicholas Dorsten, Esq.
Unlike previous posts regarding dwi or dui, I found this article on the Drudge Report, an interesting debate on freedoms vs. security. Article courtesy of 10 news...
Tampa, Florida-- With New Year's Eve only days away, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration expects this to be one of the deadliest weeks of the year on the roads.
But now a new weapon is being used in the fight against drunk driving.
It's a change that could make you more likely to be convicted.
"I think it's a great deterrent for people," said a spokesperson from Mother's Against Drunk Driving in Hillsborough County.
Florida is among several states now holding what are called "no refusal" checkpoints.
It means if you refuse a breath test during a traffic stop, a judge is on site, and issues a warrant that allows police to perform a mandatory blood test.
It's already being done in several counties, and now M.A.D.D. is working to bring it to the Tampa Bay area.
"I think you'll see the difference because people will not drink and drive. I truly believe that," she said.
Not everyone is on board, though.
A DUI defense attorney sees the mandatory blood test as a violation of constitutional rights.
"It's a slippery slope and it's got to stop somewhere," the man explained, "what other misdemeanor offense do we have in the United States where the government can forcefully put a needle into your arm?"
The federal government says Florida has among the highest rates of breathalyzer refusal.
"Now you've got attorneys telling their clients, don't blow, don't blow! Because we know from the results from these machines that they're not operating as the state or the government says they're supposed to operate," said another man, a DUI consultant and expert witness.
Supporters, though, say you could see the "no refusal" checkpoints in the Bay area by October.
"We don't want to violate people's civil rights. That's the last thing we want to do, but we're here to save lives," M.A.D.D. said.
She adds that this type of checkpoint would be heavily advertised, with the goal of deterring any drunk driving.
U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood has recently said he wants to see more states hold similar programs.
Come October, we may be seeing such sheckpoints in St. Petersburg, Clearwater and Tampa. Is this legitimate or is this unconstituional?
Have you or someone you loved been charged with a DUI? Do you need the help of a St. Petersburg Criminal Defense lawyer or Clearwater DUI attorney? Then Call Blake & Dorsten, P.A. today!
For more information, or to speak directly with experienced criminal defense attorneys, please contact the law firm of BLAKE & DORSTEN, P.A. at 727.286.6141 or email your questions to: info@blakedorstenlaw.com
Tuesday, December 28, 2010
Tampa Bay Criminal Defense Lawyer - oops
By Nicholas Dorsten, Esq.
Talk about a mistake, this has been all over the local news...
ST. PETERSBURG, FL — The defendant is a 75-year-old Tierra Verde retiree who used to consider himself very good friends with a 40-year-old woman who dances at local bars.
But the relationship has deteriorated to the point where he has been arrested four times, accused of violating an injunction ordering him to stay away from her.
It doesn't sound all that unusual, except for one thing: The judge actually had denied the request for an injunction against Almond. But through some kind of court mixup, Almond ended up getting arrested four times for violating an injunction that shouldn't officially exist.
The mixup began at a December 2009 hearing, when a lady asked for the court order to keep the man away. Pinellas Judge Lorraine M. Kelly clearly stated, "I'm denying the request for an injunction." But somehow, an order signed by her was entered into the court file saying it was granted.
And then, the Defendant started getting arrested.
Four times in nine months, police said he violated the injunction — by driving past her home, by calling her cell phone, by approaching her at work.
By his fourth arrest in August, the Defendant was in serious trouble — facing a felony charge of aggravated stalking and a possible two-year prison sentence.
But then a criminal defense attorney, obtained a transcript of the original hearing, and discovered what the judge had ruled.
"I went through a year of hell," the Defendant said. "I was going to leave the state and go up north."
After a reporter contacted Chief Assistant State Attorney Bruce Bartlett, he said the aggravated stalking charge would be dropped, now that it's clear the injunction is not valid.
"Something extraordinary happened in this case," Kelly said. Asked exactly how it happened, she said "I'm flummoxed. I have no idea."
In the four-page injunction order, a case number has been handwritten on the top of each page. But on two of those pages, including the one signed by Kelly, the wrong case number was entered — suggesting different court orders might have gotten mixed together during the hearings, which typically are busy affairs involving as many as a couple of dozen cases.
Chief Pinellas-Pasco Judge Thomas McGrady wants to look into the circumstances surrounding the case, to see if it points to any procedures that need to be revised, court spokesman Ron Stuart said.
During these hearings, Kelly sits alongside an employee of the Pinellas County Clerk's Office and one from the office of the Courts Administrator. She signs a form granting an injunction, or a different form denying an injunction, depending on her ruling. Generally speaking, the Courts Administrator employee fills out details of the judge's ruling, and the clerk's employee assembles the different pages of the order and obtains signatures from the parties in the courtroom.
Kelly said she does not routinely read all the orders at the end of the day. She said that's something that could be done, although even that step might not catch one error contained in dozens of files.
Courts administrator Gay Inskeep said she wanted to review all the circumstances surrounding the incident and "do everything we can to make sure it never happens again."
"I am taking it very seriously," she added.
County Clerk Ken Burke said his office also intended to study the matter.
Inskeep said she has not heard of any similar mistakes, and Kelly said she had not heard of one in the more than two years that she has been handling such cases.
As to the two people involved in the dispute, the mandenies that he tried to contact the victim as much as she claimed. He says in one case, he misdialed her telephone number, and she didn't pick up anyway (and prosecutors eventually dropped the charge). He denies driving by her house.
The two appear to have a stormy relationship — at one point she was arrested and accused of grand theft against the man, but that charge was dropped, too.
The lady was in the court hearing when the judge denied the injunction. But she said it still seemed justified that the defendant was later arrested. She had repeatedly contacted police to try to get him to stop contacting her, she said in her injunction request. She says police kept urging her to get an injunction, so she tried.
The man was also in the courtroom for Kelly's ruling.
But, he said, "I couldn't hear the judge. She was way up in front."
He realizes now that he should have piped up. But he didn't.
"I thought she granted the injunction."
Have you or someone you love been arrested for burglary, a violation of an injunction, domestic violence or battery? Then call Blake & Dorsten, P.A. today for a free consultation!
For more information, or to speak directly with experienced criminal defense lawyers please contact BLAKE & DORSTEN, P.A. at 727.286.6141 or email the lawyers your questions at: info@blakedorstenlaw.com. We are located at 4707 140th Ave N, Suite 104 in Clearwater, across from the criminal courthouse in the airport business center, minutes from Tampa and St. Petersburg.
Talk about a mistake, this has been all over the local news...
ST. PETERSBURG, FL — The defendant is a 75-year-old Tierra Verde retiree who used to consider himself very good friends with a 40-year-old woman who dances at local bars.
But the relationship has deteriorated to the point where he has been arrested four times, accused of violating an injunction ordering him to stay away from her.
It doesn't sound all that unusual, except for one thing: The judge actually had denied the request for an injunction against Almond. But through some kind of court mixup, Almond ended up getting arrested four times for violating an injunction that shouldn't officially exist.
The mixup began at a December 2009 hearing, when a lady asked for the court order to keep the man away. Pinellas Judge Lorraine M. Kelly clearly stated, "I'm denying the request for an injunction." But somehow, an order signed by her was entered into the court file saying it was granted.
And then, the Defendant started getting arrested.
Four times in nine months, police said he violated the injunction — by driving past her home, by calling her cell phone, by approaching her at work.
By his fourth arrest in August, the Defendant was in serious trouble — facing a felony charge of aggravated stalking and a possible two-year prison sentence.
But then a criminal defense attorney, obtained a transcript of the original hearing, and discovered what the judge had ruled.
"I went through a year of hell," the Defendant said. "I was going to leave the state and go up north."
After a reporter contacted Chief Assistant State Attorney Bruce Bartlett, he said the aggravated stalking charge would be dropped, now that it's clear the injunction is not valid.
"Something extraordinary happened in this case," Kelly said. Asked exactly how it happened, she said "I'm flummoxed. I have no idea."
In the four-page injunction order, a case number has been handwritten on the top of each page. But on two of those pages, including the one signed by Kelly, the wrong case number was entered — suggesting different court orders might have gotten mixed together during the hearings, which typically are busy affairs involving as many as a couple of dozen cases.
Chief Pinellas-Pasco Judge Thomas McGrady wants to look into the circumstances surrounding the case, to see if it points to any procedures that need to be revised, court spokesman Ron Stuart said.
During these hearings, Kelly sits alongside an employee of the Pinellas County Clerk's Office and one from the office of the Courts Administrator. She signs a form granting an injunction, or a different form denying an injunction, depending on her ruling. Generally speaking, the Courts Administrator employee fills out details of the judge's ruling, and the clerk's employee assembles the different pages of the order and obtains signatures from the parties in the courtroom.
Kelly said she does not routinely read all the orders at the end of the day. She said that's something that could be done, although even that step might not catch one error contained in dozens of files.
Courts administrator Gay Inskeep said she wanted to review all the circumstances surrounding the incident and "do everything we can to make sure it never happens again."
"I am taking it very seriously," she added.
County Clerk Ken Burke said his office also intended to study the matter.
Inskeep said she has not heard of any similar mistakes, and Kelly said she had not heard of one in the more than two years that she has been handling such cases.
As to the two people involved in the dispute, the mandenies that he tried to contact the victim as much as she claimed. He says in one case, he misdialed her telephone number, and she didn't pick up anyway (and prosecutors eventually dropped the charge). He denies driving by her house.
The two appear to have a stormy relationship — at one point she was arrested and accused of grand theft against the man, but that charge was dropped, too.
The lady was in the court hearing when the judge denied the injunction. But she said it still seemed justified that the defendant was later arrested. She had repeatedly contacted police to try to get him to stop contacting her, she said in her injunction request. She says police kept urging her to get an injunction, so she tried.
The man was also in the courtroom for Kelly's ruling.
But, he said, "I couldn't hear the judge. She was way up in front."
He realizes now that he should have piped up. But he didn't.
"I thought she granted the injunction."
Have you or someone you love been arrested for burglary, a violation of an injunction, domestic violence or battery? Then call Blake & Dorsten, P.A. today for a free consultation!
For more information, or to speak directly with experienced criminal defense lawyers please contact BLAKE & DORSTEN, P.A. at 727.286.6141 or email the lawyers your questions at: info@blakedorstenlaw.com. We are located at 4707 140th Ave N, Suite 104 in Clearwater, across from the criminal courthouse in the airport business center, minutes from Tampa and St. Petersburg.
Monday, December 27, 2010
Tampa Bay Criminal Defense Lawyer - stolen car
By Nicholas J. Dorsten, Esq.
Courtsey of the St. Pete Times website, an interesting article about a chase gone bad...
CLEARWATER — Deputies arrested three people Sunday after a pursuit on U.S. 19.
A Toyota Tundra pickup, which had been reported stolen, was initially spotted about 4:30 p.m. Sunday heading north on 66th Street near Ulmerton Road, authorities said.
Here's how the resulting pursuit played out, according to the Pinellas County Sheriff's Office.
When the driver failed to stop, deputies tried to box the truck in with several cars. But the suspect, identified as Robert Milam, 27, of Tennessee continued east on Ulmerton and then north on U.S. 19. Just south of Gulf-to-Bay Boulevard, he bailed out of the vehicle and ran across southbound lanes of traffic. Deputies pursued him on foot and when they caught up with him, he resisted arrest and fought with deputies, who used a stun gun to subdue him.
Milam was transported to Mease Countryside Hospital for treatment of non-life-threatening injuries sustained during the fight. Three deputies suffered minor cuts and scrapes.
Milam was arrested on charges of grand theft auto, aggravated assault on a law enforcement officer with a motor vehicle, fleeing and eluding, resisting arrest with violence, resisting arrest without violence and possession of marijuana.
Tiffany Pennock, 27 of Clearwater and a juvenile, whose hometown was not released, remained in the stolen vehicle. Both were arrested on charges of grand theft auto.
According to the Sheriff's Office, the 2005 truck was reported stolen Christmas Day and was located Sunday by an electronic tracking service.
Have you been arrested on marijuana or theft charges? Then the Clearwater, Florida based Blake & Dorsten, P.A. criminal defense lawyers are at your service.
For more information, or to speak directly with experienced Clearwater criminal defense attorneys, please contact the law firm of BLAKE AND DORSTEN, P.A. at 727.286.6141 or email the defense lawyers at: info@blakedorstenlaw.com
Courtsey of the St. Pete Times website, an interesting article about a chase gone bad...
CLEARWATER — Deputies arrested three people Sunday after a pursuit on U.S. 19.
A Toyota Tundra pickup, which had been reported stolen, was initially spotted about 4:30 p.m. Sunday heading north on 66th Street near Ulmerton Road, authorities said.
Here's how the resulting pursuit played out, according to the Pinellas County Sheriff's Office.
When the driver failed to stop, deputies tried to box the truck in with several cars. But the suspect, identified as Robert Milam, 27, of Tennessee continued east on Ulmerton and then north on U.S. 19. Just south of Gulf-to-Bay Boulevard, he bailed out of the vehicle and ran across southbound lanes of traffic. Deputies pursued him on foot and when they caught up with him, he resisted arrest and fought with deputies, who used a stun gun to subdue him.
Milam was transported to Mease Countryside Hospital for treatment of non-life-threatening injuries sustained during the fight. Three deputies suffered minor cuts and scrapes.
Milam was arrested on charges of grand theft auto, aggravated assault on a law enforcement officer with a motor vehicle, fleeing and eluding, resisting arrest with violence, resisting arrest without violence and possession of marijuana.
Tiffany Pennock, 27 of Clearwater and a juvenile, whose hometown was not released, remained in the stolen vehicle. Both were arrested on charges of grand theft auto.
According to the Sheriff's Office, the 2005 truck was reported stolen Christmas Day and was located Sunday by an electronic tracking service.
Have you been arrested on marijuana or theft charges? Then the Clearwater, Florida based Blake & Dorsten, P.A. criminal defense lawyers are at your service.
For more information, or to speak directly with experienced Clearwater criminal defense attorneys, please contact the law firm of BLAKE AND DORSTEN, P.A. at 727.286.6141 or email the defense lawyers at: info@blakedorstenlaw.com
Wednesday, December 22, 2010
Tampa Bay Criminal Defense Lawyer - What?
By Nicholas Dorsten, Esq.
Sometimes when you come across an article like this, you NEED to blog on it! Courtesy of the smoking gun website...
BRADENTON- A Florida man arrested Wednesday on drug charges told cops that a bag of cocaine found hidden inside his buttocks did not belong to him. Though the suspect did cop to ownership of a bag of marijuana hidden alongside the coke.
The narcotics were discovered by Manatee County Sheriff’s Office deputies after Raymond Roberts’s Hyundai was pulled over on a Bradenton street for speeding Wednesday morning. Investigators, who reported smelling a strong odor of marijuana emanating from the vehicle, subsequently searched the 25-year-old Roberts and discovered his hidden stash.
During the search, when Deputy Sean Cappiello "felt a soft object in the crack of his buttocks," the suspect "began to tense up." Roberts volunteered to remove the item. “Let me get it, hold on” he said, and proceeded to place a "clear plastic baggie with a green leafy substance" on the car's hood. A subsequent test showed the substance to be marijuana, 4.5 grams worth, according to an amusing sheriff’s report.
"I then asked him if that was it," wrote Cappiello, "and he stated 'yes.'"
But, as the deputy reported, "I then searched his shorts again and felt another object that was in the crack of his buttocks. I pulled the object out from the exterior of his shorts and a clear plastic baggie with a white rock substance fell to the ground." This plastic bag, a test would later determine, contained 27 pieces of crack cocaine.
Roberts quickly disavowed ownership of the cocaine. “The white stuff is not mine, but the weed is,” he claimed, adding that the crack in his crack was the property of a friend who had previously borrowed the car and left the drug on the passenger seat. Roberts explained that when he was pulled over for speeding, he concealed the second bag of narcotics.
Pictured in the above mug shot, Roberts was charged with pot and cocaine possession. He was freed after posting $1120bond.
So you think the jury will buy his explanation?
Have you or a loved one been arrested for a drug charge? Then contact the Clearwater criminal defense attorneys of Blake & Dorsten, P.A. for a free consultation.
For more information, or to speak directly with experienced Clearwater criminal defense lawyers please contact BLAKE & DORSTEN, P.A. at 727.286.6141 or email the lawyers your questions at: info@blakedorstenlaw.com. We are located at 4707 140th Ave N, Suite 104 in Clearwater, across from the criminal courthouse in the airport business center, minutes from Tampa and St. Petersburg.
Wednesday, December 15, 2010
Tampa Bay Criminal Defense Lawyer - more Bucs Part 2
By Nicholas Dorsten, Esq.
Here we go again...For those that missed it, here is Part One in the ongoing saga of the hometown football team that is making the Oakland Raiders look like choir boys. The story comes from the St. Petersburg Times...
TAMPA — Tampa Bay Buccaneers linebacker Geno Hayes was arrested early Monday morning on charges of disorderly conduct and trespassing, according to jail records.
Hayes, 23, was jailed shortly after the 2 a.m. arrest at the Blue Martini, 2223 N Westshore Blvd. in International Plaza. The alleged incident happened hours after the Bucs defeated the Washington Redskins on the road Sunday.
Police used a Taser on Hayes after he became aggressive with police during an incident that started with another man, according to police. Hayes overheard a security guard wouldn't let his friend into the lounge for being underdressed. Police said Hayes pushed a police officer (but was not charged with battery of a law enforcement officer) out of the way to stand between her and two disruptive men.
Police said the man denied entry was verbally abusive, and police directed Hayes back into the lounge and forced the other men to leave.
Instead, police said Hayes stayed at the lounge entrance, "menacingly staring" at the officers and guards who made his friends leave. Police eventually led him to the parking lot and told him not to return or he could be arrested for continuing disorderly conduct.
Hayes was back 10 minutes later. He said he'd left his credit card, and police told him to sit at a nearby store while a friend looked for the card.
Bar employees told police they overheard Hayes saying, "B-tch a-- cop. You ain't gonna do nothing. I ain't leaving. I don't have to leave."
An officer ended up using a Taser on Hayes because he continued to be combative and refused to leave, police said. His thick clothing made the device ineffective, and an officer tackled and handcuffed Hayes.
He was booked at 3:35 a.m. and released on bond at 5:12 a.m., according to records.
Hayes, a 6-foot-1, 226-pound former Florida State University standout, was drafted by the Bucs in 2008 and became a starter in 2009, replacing Derrick Brooks. He has started all 13 games this season, amassing 61 tackles, one sack, one forced fumble and an interception.
Bucs general manager Mark Dominik said: "We're disappointed Geno put himself in this situation, are currently reviewing it and will handle the matter accordingly.''
In a news conference on Monday, Bucs coach Raheem Morris said: ""You talk to your team about making good decisions all the time, you're frustrated with anything that diverts attention from your team. So obviously you're frustrated with that and diverting away from us being positive and 8-5."
"The frustration is that we're not talking about the plays Geno made yesterday," Morris said. "We're talking about the incident after the game."
Morris said the Bucs will handle Hayes' discipline internally and there are no plans to suspend the linebacker.
"Geno will be here Sunday," Morris said. "We'll handle our discipline in house like we always do."
Have you or a loved one been arrested and are in need of a criminal defense lawyer? Then call the law office of Blake & Dorsten, P.A. for a free consultation with a criminal defense attorney.
Here we go again...For those that missed it, here is Part One in the ongoing saga of the hometown football team that is making the Oakland Raiders look like choir boys. The story comes from the St. Petersburg Times...
TAMPA — Tampa Bay Buccaneers linebacker Geno Hayes was arrested early Monday morning on charges of disorderly conduct and trespassing, according to jail records.
Hayes, 23, was jailed shortly after the 2 a.m. arrest at the Blue Martini, 2223 N Westshore Blvd. in International Plaza. The alleged incident happened hours after the Bucs defeated the Washington Redskins on the road Sunday.
Police used a Taser on Hayes after he became aggressive with police during an incident that started with another man, according to police. Hayes overheard a security guard wouldn't let his friend into the lounge for being underdressed. Police said Hayes pushed a police officer (but was not charged with battery of a law enforcement officer) out of the way to stand between her and two disruptive men.
Police said the man denied entry was verbally abusive, and police directed Hayes back into the lounge and forced the other men to leave.
Instead, police said Hayes stayed at the lounge entrance, "menacingly staring" at the officers and guards who made his friends leave. Police eventually led him to the parking lot and told him not to return or he could be arrested for continuing disorderly conduct.
Hayes was back 10 minutes later. He said he'd left his credit card, and police told him to sit at a nearby store while a friend looked for the card.
Bar employees told police they overheard Hayes saying, "B-tch a-- cop. You ain't gonna do nothing. I ain't leaving. I don't have to leave."
An officer ended up using a Taser on Hayes because he continued to be combative and refused to leave, police said. His thick clothing made the device ineffective, and an officer tackled and handcuffed Hayes.
He was booked at 3:35 a.m. and released on bond at 5:12 a.m., according to records.
Hayes, a 6-foot-1, 226-pound former Florida State University standout, was drafted by the Bucs in 2008 and became a starter in 2009, replacing Derrick Brooks. He has started all 13 games this season, amassing 61 tackles, one sack, one forced fumble and an interception.
Bucs general manager Mark Dominik said: "We're disappointed Geno put himself in this situation, are currently reviewing it and will handle the matter accordingly.''
In a news conference on Monday, Bucs coach Raheem Morris said: ""You talk to your team about making good decisions all the time, you're frustrated with anything that diverts attention from your team. So obviously you're frustrated with that and diverting away from us being positive and 8-5."
"The frustration is that we're not talking about the plays Geno made yesterday," Morris said. "We're talking about the incident after the game."
Morris said the Bucs will handle Hayes' discipline internally and there are no plans to suspend the linebacker.
"Geno will be here Sunday," Morris said. "We'll handle our discipline in house like we always do."
Have you or a loved one been arrested and are in need of a criminal defense lawyer? Then call the law office of Blake & Dorsten, P.A. for a free consultation with a criminal defense attorney.
Tuesday, December 14, 2010
Tampa Bay Criminal Defense Lawyer - more Bucs Part 1
By Nicholas Dorsten, Esq.
Fresh off the heels of other Tampa Bay Buccaneers who got in trouble with the law (see here, here and here)comes one more, this a former player and one of the bigger NFL draft busts in history!
St Pete Times:
ST. PETERSBURG, FL — Former Tampa Bay Buccaneers first-round draft pick Keith McCants was arrested on a possession of cocaine charge early Wednesday as he was driving out of a strip club parking lot, police said.
McCants was pulling out of Tina's House of Angels, 3080 34th Street N., about 12:15 a.m. because he failed to stop while leaving a private drive, said police spokesman Mike Puetz. They also noticed that McCants and a passenger, Christina Shamika Campbell, 28, were not wearing their seat belts.
After they stopped the car, police saw a crack pipe in the center console of McCant's 1999 Chevy Tahoe. After searching the vehicle, police found one piece of crack in Campbell's purse.
Police arrested McCants and Campbell and seized the vehicle.
The 42-year-old former linebacker and defensive end's address was listed as 6291 Bahia Del Mar Circle in St. Petersburg, Florida, though he has had a string of arrests in Alabama over the past few years.
McCants, who was the fourth overall pick in the 1990 NFL draft but was cut after three seasons, has a history of legal troubles. Most recently, McCants was arrested on a charge of attempting to purchase drugs at a hotel in Mobile, Ala., in April. Mobile police also arrested him on use and possession of drug paraphernalia charges in June, according to the Mobile Press-Register.
In 2008, police in Alabama used a Taser on McCants after he threw a pair of pliers, a screwdriver, and a crack pipe at an officer, nearly hitting the officer in the head, according to reports. He was not charged with battery of a law enforcement officer.
McCants, who was one of the nation's top college defensive players when he attended the University of Alabama, was considered one of the biggest draft busts in Bucs history. He started in 25 of the 47 games he played with Tampa Bay, then went on to play a couple more years with the Houston Oilers and Arizona Cardinals.
St. Petersburg Police arrested McCants and booked him into the Pinellas County Jail at 2:12 a.m., according to records. He remained in jail Wednesday morning.
Have you or a loved one been arrested for a drug charge or a DUI? Then contact the Clearwater criminal defense attorneys of Blake & Dorsten, P.A. for a free consultation!
For more information, or to speak directly with experienced Clearwater criminal defense lawyers please contact BLAKE & DORSTEN, P.A. at 727.286.6141 or email the lawyers your questions at: info@blakedorstenlaw.com. We are located at 4707 140th Ave N, Suite 104 in Clearwater, across from the criminal courthouse in the airport business center, minutes from Tampa and St. Petersburg.
Tampa Bay Criminal Defense Lawyer - another sting operation
By Nicholas Dorsten, Esq.
It has been awhile since Clearwater had a sting operation, but they decided to do it again as seen in the St. Pete Times...
CLEARWATER — Police made 13 arrests, seized $500 in cash and impounded three cars in a sting operation, authorities said Monday.
The operation took place Friday night as Clearwater police officers posed as drug dealers in response to complaints of ongoing illegal drug sales along the 1200 block of Cleveland Street and near the 1400 block of Gulf-to-Bay Boulevard.
The charges range from attempted purchase of cocaine to the arrest of a lady, 28, who was charged with possession of a controlled substance and also was wanted on two felony warrants.
Others arrested and charges:
• A man, 46, attempted purchase of cocaine, possession of drug paraphernalia.
• A man, 36, attempted purchase of cocaine.
• A man, 39, attempted purchase of cocaine.
• A man, 43, attempted purchase of cocaine.
• A man, 45, attempted purchase of cocaine.
• A man, 30, attempted purchase of cocaine.
• A man, 43, attempted purchase of cocaine.
• A man, 42, possession of controlled substance.
• A woman, 23, sale and possession of cocaine.
• A man, 27, manufacture/possession of crack cocaine, possession of marijuana.
• A man, 31, manufacture/possession of crack cocaine, possession of marijuana.
• A man, 32, manufacture/possession of crack cocaine, possession of marijuana.
It was unclear as to the amounts of marijuana or cocaine that was found in each defendants possession. The amount is important as the larger the amount, the more severe the punishment...
Have you been arrested on marijuana or cocaine charges? Then the Clearwater, Florida based Blake & Dorsten, P.A. criminal defense lawyers are at your service.
For more information, or to speak directly with experienced Clearwater criminal defense attorneys, please contact the law firm of BLAKE AND DORSTEN, P.A. at 727.286.6141 or email the defense lawyers at: info@blakedorstenlaw.com
It has been awhile since Clearwater had a sting operation, but they decided to do it again as seen in the St. Pete Times...
CLEARWATER — Police made 13 arrests, seized $500 in cash and impounded three cars in a sting operation, authorities said Monday.
The operation took place Friday night as Clearwater police officers posed as drug dealers in response to complaints of ongoing illegal drug sales along the 1200 block of Cleveland Street and near the 1400 block of Gulf-to-Bay Boulevard.
The charges range from attempted purchase of cocaine to the arrest of a lady, 28, who was charged with possession of a controlled substance and also was wanted on two felony warrants.
Others arrested and charges:
• A man, 46, attempted purchase of cocaine, possession of drug paraphernalia.
• A man, 36, attempted purchase of cocaine.
• A man, 39, attempted purchase of cocaine.
• A man, 43, attempted purchase of cocaine.
• A man, 45, attempted purchase of cocaine.
• A man, 30, attempted purchase of cocaine.
• A man, 43, attempted purchase of cocaine.
• A man, 42, possession of controlled substance.
• A woman, 23, sale and possession of cocaine.
• A man, 27, manufacture/possession of crack cocaine, possession of marijuana.
• A man, 31, manufacture/possession of crack cocaine, possession of marijuana.
• A man, 32, manufacture/possession of crack cocaine, possession of marijuana.
It was unclear as to the amounts of marijuana or cocaine that was found in each defendants possession. The amount is important as the larger the amount, the more severe the punishment...
Have you been arrested on marijuana or cocaine charges? Then the Clearwater, Florida based Blake & Dorsten, P.A. criminal defense lawyers are at your service.
For more information, or to speak directly with experienced Clearwater criminal defense attorneys, please contact the law firm of BLAKE AND DORSTEN, P.A. at 727.286.6141 or email the defense lawyers at: info@blakedorstenlaw.com
Monday, December 13, 2010
Tampa Bay Criminal Defense Lawyer - another DUI
By Nicholas Dorsten, Esq.
Another day, another St. Petersburg DUI to report. While these types of stories aren't new (See here and here for instance, when is enough enough? Courtesy of Tampa Bay online
ST. PETERSBURG, FL - A 22-year-old woman was driving drunk when she set in motion a three-car automobile crash that left an 81-year-old motorist with a broken neck and back, authorities said.
The drunk driver also had her 2-year-old daughter with her in the 2003 Mercury Marquis.
The defendant was charged with drunken driving-serious bodily injury, child abuse, driving with a suspended or revoked license in a wreck causing injury, and refusing to submit to a breath test. She was being held today at the Pinellas County Jail on $15,150 bail.
It's the fourth time the St. Petersburg, Florida woman has faced DUI charges, authorities said.
In Thursday's wreck, she also was cited with careless driving and for not wearing a seatbelt, said St. Petersburg police spokesman Mike Puetz.
The defendant was driving west on 22nd Avenue about 3:20 p.m. when her car struck a curb before hitting a Nissan that was stopped at 42nd Street and then striking a Honda on 22nd Avenue, Puetz said.
The Honda's driver, Hyacinth Capehart of St. Petersburg, suffered a broken neck and back.
Two people in the Nissan were treated at Bayfront Medical Center and released, Puetz said.
Neither the defendant nor her daughter was injured. The child was released to her grandmother.
Authorities found a half bottle of Skol vodka and two empty Budweiser beer bottles in her car, Puetz said.
According to court records, the defendant was charged with drunken driving in June 2006. Puetz said the charge was reduced to reckless driving before she pleaded no contest and was found guilty.
Puetz said the defendant was found guilty of drunken driving in a November 2006 wreck and also in a January 2007 case.
The three cases were bundled together and in April 2008 she was ordered into an alcohol treatment center for 30 days. She was also sentenced to a work release program and her license was revoked for five years, according to state records
Have you or someone you loved been charged with a DUI? Do you need the help of a St. Petersburg Criminal Defense lawyer or Clearwater DUI attorney? Then Call Blake & Dorsten, P.A. today!
For more information, or to speak directly with experienced criminal defense attorneys, please contact the law firm of BLAKE & DORSTEN, P.A. at 727.286.6141 or email your questions to: info@blakedorstenlaw.com
Another day, another St. Petersburg DUI to report. While these types of stories aren't new (See here and here for instance, when is enough enough? Courtesy of Tampa Bay online
ST. PETERSBURG, FL - A 22-year-old woman was driving drunk when she set in motion a three-car automobile crash that left an 81-year-old motorist with a broken neck and back, authorities said.
The drunk driver also had her 2-year-old daughter with her in the 2003 Mercury Marquis.
The defendant was charged with drunken driving-serious bodily injury, child abuse, driving with a suspended or revoked license in a wreck causing injury, and refusing to submit to a breath test. She was being held today at the Pinellas County Jail on $15,150 bail.
It's the fourth time the St. Petersburg, Florida woman has faced DUI charges, authorities said.
In Thursday's wreck, she also was cited with careless driving and for not wearing a seatbelt, said St. Petersburg police spokesman Mike Puetz.
The defendant was driving west on 22nd Avenue about 3:20 p.m. when her car struck a curb before hitting a Nissan that was stopped at 42nd Street and then striking a Honda on 22nd Avenue, Puetz said.
The Honda's driver, Hyacinth Capehart of St. Petersburg, suffered a broken neck and back.
Two people in the Nissan were treated at Bayfront Medical Center and released, Puetz said.
Neither the defendant nor her daughter was injured. The child was released to her grandmother.
Authorities found a half bottle of Skol vodka and two empty Budweiser beer bottles in her car, Puetz said.
According to court records, the defendant was charged with drunken driving in June 2006. Puetz said the charge was reduced to reckless driving before she pleaded no contest and was found guilty.
Puetz said the defendant was found guilty of drunken driving in a November 2006 wreck and also in a January 2007 case.
The three cases were bundled together and in April 2008 she was ordered into an alcohol treatment center for 30 days. She was also sentenced to a work release program and her license was revoked for five years, according to state records
Have you or someone you loved been charged with a DUI? Do you need the help of a St. Petersburg Criminal Defense lawyer or Clearwater DUI attorney? Then Call Blake & Dorsten, P.A. today!
For more information, or to speak directly with experienced criminal defense attorneys, please contact the law firm of BLAKE & DORSTEN, P.A. at 727.286.6141 or email your questions to: info@blakedorstenlaw.com
Sunday, December 5, 2010
Tampa Bay Criminal Defense Lawyer - The Ice (cream) man cometh...Part 2
By Nicholas Dorsten, Esq.
The second part of a bizzare murder, taking place near Tampa Bay, click here for part one...
St. Pete Times:
TAMPA — The tip came quickly, leading deputies to arrest an ice cream vendor in a Thanksgiving Day murder spree that left two dead and four wounded.
Michael Keetley, deputies said, was a victim turned killer, out to avenge his own shooting in January, which the Hillsborough Sheriff's Office hasn't yet solved.
Why was one case cracked in a week while the other went stale?
Sheriff David Gee points to a phenomenon that investigators call "the first 48."
Multiple factors go into solving a case, Gee said, but the first 48 hours after a crime are the most important. It's a fact so well known that it's the name of a television show.
"A lot of that is really true," Gee said.
Within 24 hours after the Thanksgiving shooting, deputies had a solid tip that led them to Keetley.
After Keetley was wounded Jan. 23, none of the tips panned out.
"The difficulty was that we had nothing really to go on," Gee said. "We had masked suspects and a vague description."
It wasn't for lack of effort, he said. The attack on Keetley, 49, was serious, so the Sheriff's Office put a lot of resources into its early investigation.
Detectives followed tips as they trickled in, and undercover officers worked their sources in southern Hillsborough County. But nothing was solid enough to make an arrest.
The opposite was true in the latest case.
On Nov. 27, two days after the shootings, undercover detectives staked out Keetley's father's house. It wasn't long before a minivan matching the description of the one at the scene backed out of the long dirt driveway, said sheriff's spokesman Larry McKinnon.
Detectives followed the van. A couple of traffic violations later, they pulled it over. Keetley was inside, McKinnon said.
A search of his van revealed a gun, and though it wasn't the one used in the shooting, it gave deputies reason to arrest Keetley and search his father's house, McKinnon said.
Keetley wasn't allowed to own guns because of a restraining order filed by former neighbors.
Deputies didn't have enough evidence to charge Keetley with murder, McKinnon said, so Keetley was simply charged with violating an injunction. He bonded out the same day.
And detectives continued to follow him.
On Monday, deputies got a search warrant and scoured the Wimauma house. That's when they found a car in the back yard riddled with bullets, McKinnon said.
Deputies collected a couple of bullets from the car and sent them to state analysts to be compared with a bullet found under a victim at the scene.
They matched, a Sheriff's Office report states.
About the same time, one of the victims came out of an induced coma and picked Keetley out of a photo pack.
He said he was "2,000 percent" sure.
Within several hours, a detective had typed a report detailing why the Sheriff's Office believes Keetley is the killer.
A judge signed the warrant. By midnight, deputies were back at the Keetley house.
Keetley's attackers might still be caught, Gee said. Deputies haven't stopped following tips.
"We even had some leads tricking in over the last several weeks," he said.
The first 48 hours have long past. But even cold cases get solved.
Have you or a loved one been arrested for a violent crime? Then contact the Tampa Bay area criminal defense attorneys of Blake & Dorsten, P.A. for a free consultation!
For more information, or to speak directly with experienced Tampa Bay area criminal defense lawyers please contact BLAKE & DORSTEN, P.A. at 727.286.6141 or email the lawyers your questions at: info@blakedorstenlaw.com. We are located at 4707 140th Ave N, Suite 104 in Clearwater, across from the criminal courthouse in the airport business center, minutes from Tampa and St. Petersburg.
The second part of a bizzare murder, taking place near Tampa Bay, click here for part one...
St. Pete Times:
TAMPA — The tip came quickly, leading deputies to arrest an ice cream vendor in a Thanksgiving Day murder spree that left two dead and four wounded.
Michael Keetley, deputies said, was a victim turned killer, out to avenge his own shooting in January, which the Hillsborough Sheriff's Office hasn't yet solved.
Why was one case cracked in a week while the other went stale?
Sheriff David Gee points to a phenomenon that investigators call "the first 48."
Multiple factors go into solving a case, Gee said, but the first 48 hours after a crime are the most important. It's a fact so well known that it's the name of a television show.
"A lot of that is really true," Gee said.
Within 24 hours after the Thanksgiving shooting, deputies had a solid tip that led them to Keetley.
After Keetley was wounded Jan. 23, none of the tips panned out.
"The difficulty was that we had nothing really to go on," Gee said. "We had masked suspects and a vague description."
It wasn't for lack of effort, he said. The attack on Keetley, 49, was serious, so the Sheriff's Office put a lot of resources into its early investigation.
Detectives followed tips as they trickled in, and undercover officers worked their sources in southern Hillsborough County. But nothing was solid enough to make an arrest.
The opposite was true in the latest case.
On Nov. 27, two days after the shootings, undercover detectives staked out Keetley's father's house. It wasn't long before a minivan matching the description of the one at the scene backed out of the long dirt driveway, said sheriff's spokesman Larry McKinnon.
Detectives followed the van. A couple of traffic violations later, they pulled it over. Keetley was inside, McKinnon said.
A search of his van revealed a gun, and though it wasn't the one used in the shooting, it gave deputies reason to arrest Keetley and search his father's house, McKinnon said.
Keetley wasn't allowed to own guns because of a restraining order filed by former neighbors.
Deputies didn't have enough evidence to charge Keetley with murder, McKinnon said, so Keetley was simply charged with violating an injunction. He bonded out the same day.
And detectives continued to follow him.
On Monday, deputies got a search warrant and scoured the Wimauma house. That's when they found a car in the back yard riddled with bullets, McKinnon said.
Deputies collected a couple of bullets from the car and sent them to state analysts to be compared with a bullet found under a victim at the scene.
They matched, a Sheriff's Office report states.
About the same time, one of the victims came out of an induced coma and picked Keetley out of a photo pack.
He said he was "2,000 percent" sure.
Within several hours, a detective had typed a report detailing why the Sheriff's Office believes Keetley is the killer.
A judge signed the warrant. By midnight, deputies were back at the Keetley house.
Keetley's attackers might still be caught, Gee said. Deputies haven't stopped following tips.
"We even had some leads tricking in over the last several weeks," he said.
The first 48 hours have long past. But even cold cases get solved.
Have you or a loved one been arrested for a violent crime? Then contact the Tampa Bay area criminal defense attorneys of Blake & Dorsten, P.A. for a free consultation!
For more information, or to speak directly with experienced Tampa Bay area criminal defense lawyers please contact BLAKE & DORSTEN, P.A. at 727.286.6141 or email the lawyers your questions at: info@blakedorstenlaw.com. We are located at 4707 140th Ave N, Suite 104 in Clearwater, across from the criminal courthouse in the airport business center, minutes from Tampa and St. Petersburg.
Tampa Bay Criminal Defense Lawyer - The Ice (cream) man cometh Part 1
By Nicholas Dorsten, Esq.
Part one of an unusual story, as seen on the St. Pete Times website...
Tampa Bay — For 10 months, the ice cream man waited for justice.
Michael Edward Keetley, 39, had been shot in the chest, leg and hand for a mere $12, a victim of a robbery.
The thugs who did it were never caught. So Keetley began asking questions of his own.
On Thanksgiving, deputies say, he was ready for revenge. They say he pulled up to a Ruskin home with a gun and fake cop gear, ordered seven men to lie down on a porch and opened fire from right to left, hitting six, murdering two.
All were innocent, deputies say.
Those who had attacked Keetley in January remain at large.
But on Thursday, the ice cream man went to jail.
• • •
On Ocean Mist Court, where Hillsborough County sheriff's deputies say Keetley sprayed the bullets, people loved the sight of his purple ice cream truck, which sometimes brought free treats. After he was robbed, people gave him money for medical bills. Even the mother of two men he is accused of killing once thought of him as a good guy.
Others saw a different side. Their stories fill court files in petitions for repeat violence injunctions.
Last year, Susan Camp says she got a call from a man who identified himself as a Ruskin sheriff and said he'd gotten complaints about someone driving drunk in her ice cream truck.
She recognized the voice of Keetley, who was new to the business and had previously talked to her about ice cream sales. She told him she was onto him, and they laughed, she said.
But then he got serious. He told her that if she didn't keep her truck out of his territory, he would burn it. In court documents, she said he called her repeatedly and put 10 signs on the road that said, Don't buy ice cream from the blue truck. She sells drugs from her truck and is a very bad, nasty person.
She said two similar signs advertised his own purple truck.
Camp filed an injunction petition and got in touch with two neighborhood families named in repeat violence cases connected to Keetley. They met at a Village Inn to trade tales of foul-mouthed, front-yard threats.
Like the time they said Keetley called a woman a "filthy whore" over his ice cream truck speakers.
And the time, a few days later, that Keetley accused that woman's teenage son of threatening his dog with a baseball bat.
Camp's attorney, Ron Young, contacted Tel Tech Systems with a subpoena for any calls made by Keetley through their "SpoofCard" product, which allows callers to disguise their identities. The company returned a recording of a man telling the teenage neighbor he was with the State Attorney's Office and wanted his mother's number.
One year later came a third allegation that Keetley posed as an official to do harm. It came from Sheriff David Gee, after a double murder.
• • •
In January, as Keetley underwent surgeries to repair his gunshot wounds, his father told the St. Petersburg Times he might never use his hands again.
He recovered to an extent, but became obsessed with finding his shooter, deputies said.
He was looking for a Hispanic man named "Creeper," he told people who spoke to deputies. He offered a $1,500 reward if someone would bring the man to him.
He told one person he had police badges and uniforms and wanted to kill the people who shot him, deputies said. He told another he met someone in a Publix parking lot to buy a gun.
He approached a suspected house after 2 a.m. Thanksgiving morning, as people played cards on a porch, deputies said.
He wore something that said "Sheriff" — a shirt or a bullet-proof vest — and asked for ID. He asked for "Creeper." The men said they didn't know him.
He ordered the seven men to the ground and opened fire.
The first man, 28, stood up to look for his brother before he died, his mother said. His brother, 22, also died.
Wounded were four men, ramging in age from 24 to 31. A seventh man survived unscathed, because one of the others fell over him like a shield.
Investigators later heard from the people they said Keetley spoke with about vigilante justice. Deputies watched him from afar and eventually stopped the van they said was at the scene.
Inside it, they say, they found a gun, which Keetley wasn't allowed to have after his neighbor troubles. They arrested him for violation of an injunction. He posted bail but wasn't free long.
Investigators executed a search warrant on his home and found a notebook on his kitchen counter. Inside, deputies said, he wrote the address where he thought he'd find "Creeper."
Outside, deputies said they found a target he used for shooting practice — a car, riddled with bullet holes. One of the .45 caliber rounds matched one found under a dead man, a Florida Department of Law Enforcement analyst concluded.
A deputy visited a hospital where a victim nursed a punctured lung Wednesday and presented a photo lineup.
A victim didn't hesitate when he saw the face he had seen as he laid on his stomach. He was "2,000 percent sure.''
"I will never forget that face."
• • •
The man Keetley sought actually calls himself "Creep." He lives a few houses from the murder scene and his real name is left hidden. HCSO doesn't know how or why Keetley became fixated on him. He, too, is innocent in the January robbery.
Friends with the brothers since he was 5 or 6, they didn't give him up to the gunman. A man later learned he was why Keetley came.
"He was a mess," a man said said of his friend.
So are the other mourners, who have paused atop the porch to light candles to saints. Some want the death penalty. Others, life in prison.
"The truth is," said a grieving mother, "I would just like to have him in front of me. I'd like to be alone with him."
Have you or a loved one been arrested for a violent crime? Then contact the Tampa Bay area criminal defense attorneys of Blake & Dorsten, P.A. for a free consultation!
For more information, or to speak directly with experienced Tampa Bay area criminal defense lawyers please contact BLAKE & DORSTEN, P.A. at 727.286.6141 or email the lawyers your questions at: info@blakedorstenlaw.com. We are located at 4707 140th Ave N, Suite 104 in Clearwater, across from the criminal courthouse in the airport business center, minutes from Tampa and St. Petersburg.
Part one of an unusual story, as seen on the St. Pete Times website...
Tampa Bay — For 10 months, the ice cream man waited for justice.
Michael Edward Keetley, 39, had been shot in the chest, leg and hand for a mere $12, a victim of a robbery.
The thugs who did it were never caught. So Keetley began asking questions of his own.
On Thanksgiving, deputies say, he was ready for revenge. They say he pulled up to a Ruskin home with a gun and fake cop gear, ordered seven men to lie down on a porch and opened fire from right to left, hitting six, murdering two.
All were innocent, deputies say.
Those who had attacked Keetley in January remain at large.
But on Thursday, the ice cream man went to jail.
• • •
On Ocean Mist Court, where Hillsborough County sheriff's deputies say Keetley sprayed the bullets, people loved the sight of his purple ice cream truck, which sometimes brought free treats. After he was robbed, people gave him money for medical bills. Even the mother of two men he is accused of killing once thought of him as a good guy.
Others saw a different side. Their stories fill court files in petitions for repeat violence injunctions.
Last year, Susan Camp says she got a call from a man who identified himself as a Ruskin sheriff and said he'd gotten complaints about someone driving drunk in her ice cream truck.
She recognized the voice of Keetley, who was new to the business and had previously talked to her about ice cream sales. She told him she was onto him, and they laughed, she said.
But then he got serious. He told her that if she didn't keep her truck out of his territory, he would burn it. In court documents, she said he called her repeatedly and put 10 signs on the road that said, Don't buy ice cream from the blue truck. She sells drugs from her truck and is a very bad, nasty person.
She said two similar signs advertised his own purple truck.
Camp filed an injunction petition and got in touch with two neighborhood families named in repeat violence cases connected to Keetley. They met at a Village Inn to trade tales of foul-mouthed, front-yard threats.
Like the time they said Keetley called a woman a "filthy whore" over his ice cream truck speakers.
And the time, a few days later, that Keetley accused that woman's teenage son of threatening his dog with a baseball bat.
Camp's attorney, Ron Young, contacted Tel Tech Systems with a subpoena for any calls made by Keetley through their "SpoofCard" product, which allows callers to disguise their identities. The company returned a recording of a man telling the teenage neighbor he was with the State Attorney's Office and wanted his mother's number.
One year later came a third allegation that Keetley posed as an official to do harm. It came from Sheriff David Gee, after a double murder.
• • •
In January, as Keetley underwent surgeries to repair his gunshot wounds, his father told the St. Petersburg Times he might never use his hands again.
He recovered to an extent, but became obsessed with finding his shooter, deputies said.
He was looking for a Hispanic man named "Creeper," he told people who spoke to deputies. He offered a $1,500 reward if someone would bring the man to him.
He told one person he had police badges and uniforms and wanted to kill the people who shot him, deputies said. He told another he met someone in a Publix parking lot to buy a gun.
He approached a suspected house after 2 a.m. Thanksgiving morning, as people played cards on a porch, deputies said.
He wore something that said "Sheriff" — a shirt or a bullet-proof vest — and asked for ID. He asked for "Creeper." The men said they didn't know him.
He ordered the seven men to the ground and opened fire.
The first man, 28, stood up to look for his brother before he died, his mother said. His brother, 22, also died.
Wounded were four men, ramging in age from 24 to 31. A seventh man survived unscathed, because one of the others fell over him like a shield.
Investigators later heard from the people they said Keetley spoke with about vigilante justice. Deputies watched him from afar and eventually stopped the van they said was at the scene.
Inside it, they say, they found a gun, which Keetley wasn't allowed to have after his neighbor troubles. They arrested him for violation of an injunction. He posted bail but wasn't free long.
Investigators executed a search warrant on his home and found a notebook on his kitchen counter. Inside, deputies said, he wrote the address where he thought he'd find "Creeper."
Outside, deputies said they found a target he used for shooting practice — a car, riddled with bullet holes. One of the .45 caliber rounds matched one found under a dead man, a Florida Department of Law Enforcement analyst concluded.
A deputy visited a hospital where a victim nursed a punctured lung Wednesday and presented a photo lineup.
A victim didn't hesitate when he saw the face he had seen as he laid on his stomach. He was "2,000 percent sure.''
"I will never forget that face."
• • •
The man Keetley sought actually calls himself "Creep." He lives a few houses from the murder scene and his real name is left hidden. HCSO doesn't know how or why Keetley became fixated on him. He, too, is innocent in the January robbery.
Friends with the brothers since he was 5 or 6, they didn't give him up to the gunman. A man later learned he was why Keetley came.
"He was a mess," a man said said of his friend.
So are the other mourners, who have paused atop the porch to light candles to saints. Some want the death penalty. Others, life in prison.
"The truth is," said a grieving mother, "I would just like to have him in front of me. I'd like to be alone with him."
Have you or a loved one been arrested for a violent crime? Then contact the Tampa Bay area criminal defense attorneys of Blake & Dorsten, P.A. for a free consultation!
For more information, or to speak directly with experienced Tampa Bay area criminal defense lawyers please contact BLAKE & DORSTEN, P.A. at 727.286.6141 or email the lawyers your questions at: info@blakedorstenlaw.com. We are located at 4707 140th Ave N, Suite 104 in Clearwater, across from the criminal courthouse in the airport business center, minutes from Tampa and St. Petersburg.
Thursday, December 2, 2010
Tampa Bay Criminal Defense Lawyer - bank robbery
By Nicholas Dorsten, Esq.
A bank robbery with a twist...courtesu of the st. pete times.
ST. PETERSBURG, FLORIDA — A man who police say robbed a bank then got in a car crash as he was fleeing nearly two weeks ago is now behind bars, authorities said.
The St. Petersburg, Florida bank robbery suspect, 52, of Quincy, was transferred to the Pinellas County Jail on Tuesday, after he was arrested on a warrant Nov. 24 by the Tallahassee Police Department.
The St. Petersburg, Florida bank robbery suspect police say, is the man who robbed a Regions Bank at 2751 54th Ave. S at about 10:30 a.m. Nov. 19.
The suspect was armed with a small handgun and got an undisclosed about of cash along with a dye pack.
About 15 minutes later, authorities said, the man was involved in a traffic crash at First Avenue South and 20th Street South. He ran away from the scene but he was not charged with fleeing and eluding or leaving the scene of an accident.
Officers responding to the crash scene found residue from the dye pack inside of the suspect's vehicle.
St. Petersburg police spokesman Mike Puetz said investigators developed the man as a suspect, who they believe was in the St. Petersburg area visiting relatives at the time he committed the robbery.
An arrest warrant was issued, and local detectives got word this week that authorities in Leon County had found the bank robbery suspect.
He remained in the Pinellas County Jail on Thursday in lieu of $50,000 bail. He faces a robbery charge
Have you or someone you love been arrested for burglary, robbery or battery? Then call Blake & Dorsten, P.A. today for a free consultation!
For more information, or to speak directly with experienced criminal defense lawyers please contact BLAKE & DORSTEN, P.A. at 727.286.6141 or email the lawyers your questions at: info@blakedorstenlaw.com. We are located at 4707 140th Ave N, Suite 104 in Clearwater, across from the criminal courthouse in the airport business center, minutes from Tampa and St. Petersburg.
A bank robbery with a twist...courtesu of the st. pete times.
ST. PETERSBURG, FLORIDA — A man who police say robbed a bank then got in a car crash as he was fleeing nearly two weeks ago is now behind bars, authorities said.
The St. Petersburg, Florida bank robbery suspect, 52, of Quincy, was transferred to the Pinellas County Jail on Tuesday, after he was arrested on a warrant Nov. 24 by the Tallahassee Police Department.
The St. Petersburg, Florida bank robbery suspect police say, is the man who robbed a Regions Bank at 2751 54th Ave. S at about 10:30 a.m. Nov. 19.
The suspect was armed with a small handgun and got an undisclosed about of cash along with a dye pack.
About 15 minutes later, authorities said, the man was involved in a traffic crash at First Avenue South and 20th Street South. He ran away from the scene but he was not charged with fleeing and eluding or leaving the scene of an accident.
Officers responding to the crash scene found residue from the dye pack inside of the suspect's vehicle.
St. Petersburg police spokesman Mike Puetz said investigators developed the man as a suspect, who they believe was in the St. Petersburg area visiting relatives at the time he committed the robbery.
An arrest warrant was issued, and local detectives got word this week that authorities in Leon County had found the bank robbery suspect.
He remained in the Pinellas County Jail on Thursday in lieu of $50,000 bail. He faces a robbery charge
Have you or someone you love been arrested for burglary, robbery or battery? Then call Blake & Dorsten, P.A. today for a free consultation!
For more information, or to speak directly with experienced criminal defense lawyers please contact BLAKE & DORSTEN, P.A. at 727.286.6141 or email the lawyers your questions at: info@blakedorstenlaw.com. We are located at 4707 140th Ave N, Suite 104 in Clearwater, across from the criminal courthouse in the airport business center, minutes from Tampa and St. Petersburg.
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
Tampa Bay Criminal Defense Lawyer - senseless
By Nicholas Dorsten, Esq.
A really sad story in the St. Pete Times website that shows how a few minutes of not paying attention can add up to a lifetime of pain, regret and punishment...
CLEARWATER — Nobody knows for sure how long the woman left her 10-month-old grandson unattended in the bathtub.
She told police it could've been anywhere from 30 minutes to two hours. She put him in the bathtub for "some alone time" and forgot about him after snorting Alprazolam and possibly oxycdone, she later told a Clearwater police detective.
By the time she pulled the baby from the water Sept. 4, he was not breathing. An autopsy said that he drowned.
Now the woman, 42, of St. Petersburg, Florida has been charged with aggravated manslaughter. Police say she was high on prescription medication when the baby drowned.
According to a court document released Monday, the woman was watching the child for her daughter that afternoon in a Clearwater apartment.
About 4:30 p.m., the woman's boyfriend came to the apartment on N Saturn Avenue. He told police that Wooten answered the door, then promptly disappeared into the bathroom. She emerged holding the limp body.
Police did not identify the boyfriend. The man said he called 911 and started CPR. The baby was taken to Morton Plant Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
Police said the woman appeared intoxicated when detectives interviewed her right after the incident. Her urine tested positive for benzodiazepines, oxycodone and THC. A blood test confirmed the presence of Alprazolam.
After the results came in, detectives obtained an arrest warrant Nov. 22. Early Thursday, St. Petersburg, Florida police came into contact with her regarding an unrelated matter and arrested her for the warrant, Clearwater police said. On Monday, she was being held in the Pinellas County Jail in lieu of $100,000 bail.
The lady was found guilty in July of leaving the scene of an accident with property damage and has previous convictions for obtaining property with a worthless check, grand theft and possession of cocaine, according to Pinellas County court records.
On her Facebook page bio, the boy's mother, says she just lost her baby and all she has left is her 2-year-old daughter. She posted this Sept. 28 as is: "That was my heart soul and mind. Twan iam so sorry for what grandma did to you.i will always love you."
Two weeks earlier, the suspect posted this on her own Facebook page as is: "To all who feel im guilty. I sware it was an accident i would never do anything to hurt my grandbabies they are my life they are who i live for."
Interestingly, the police did not charge her with a possession of controlled substance as a result of her urine test. That is because the law is clear...you need to be in ACTUAL possession of the drug (such as cocaine or (marijuana) to be charged...it is not enough to have used the drug at some point.
Have you or a loved one been arrested for a drug charge or violent crime? Then contact the Clearwater criminal defense attorneys of Blake & Dorsten, P.A. for a free consultation!
For more information, or to speak directly with experienced Clearwater criminal defense lawyers contact BLAKE & DORSTEN, P.A. at 727.286.6141 or email the lawyers your questions at: info@blakedorstenlaw.com. We are located at 4707 140th Ave N, Suite 104 in Clearwater, across from the criminal courthouse in the airport business center, minutes from Tampa and St. Petersburg.
A really sad story in the St. Pete Times website that shows how a few minutes of not paying attention can add up to a lifetime of pain, regret and punishment...
CLEARWATER — Nobody knows for sure how long the woman left her 10-month-old grandson unattended in the bathtub.
She told police it could've been anywhere from 30 minutes to two hours. She put him in the bathtub for "some alone time" and forgot about him after snorting Alprazolam and possibly oxycdone, she later told a Clearwater police detective.
By the time she pulled the baby from the water Sept. 4, he was not breathing. An autopsy said that he drowned.
Now the woman, 42, of St. Petersburg, Florida has been charged with aggravated manslaughter. Police say she was high on prescription medication when the baby drowned.
According to a court document released Monday, the woman was watching the child for her daughter that afternoon in a Clearwater apartment.
About 4:30 p.m., the woman's boyfriend came to the apartment on N Saturn Avenue. He told police that Wooten answered the door, then promptly disappeared into the bathroom. She emerged holding the limp body.
Police did not identify the boyfriend. The man said he called 911 and started CPR. The baby was taken to Morton Plant Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
Police said the woman appeared intoxicated when detectives interviewed her right after the incident. Her urine tested positive for benzodiazepines, oxycodone and THC. A blood test confirmed the presence of Alprazolam.
After the results came in, detectives obtained an arrest warrant Nov. 22. Early Thursday, St. Petersburg, Florida police came into contact with her regarding an unrelated matter and arrested her for the warrant, Clearwater police said. On Monday, she was being held in the Pinellas County Jail in lieu of $100,000 bail.
The lady was found guilty in July of leaving the scene of an accident with property damage and has previous convictions for obtaining property with a worthless check, grand theft and possession of cocaine, according to Pinellas County court records.
On her Facebook page bio, the boy's mother, says she just lost her baby and all she has left is her 2-year-old daughter. She posted this Sept. 28 as is: "That was my heart soul and mind. Twan iam so sorry for what grandma did to you.i will always love you."
Two weeks earlier, the suspect posted this on her own Facebook page as is: "To all who feel im guilty. I sware it was an accident i would never do anything to hurt my grandbabies they are my life they are who i live for."
Interestingly, the police did not charge her with a possession of controlled substance as a result of her urine test. That is because the law is clear...you need to be in ACTUAL possession of the drug (such as cocaine or (marijuana) to be charged...it is not enough to have used the drug at some point.
Have you or a loved one been arrested for a drug charge or violent crime? Then contact the Clearwater criminal defense attorneys of Blake & Dorsten, P.A. for a free consultation!
For more information, or to speak directly with experienced Clearwater criminal defense lawyers contact BLAKE & DORSTEN, P.A. at 727.286.6141 or email the lawyers your questions at: info@blakedorstenlaw.com. We are located at 4707 140th Ave N, Suite 104 in Clearwater, across from the criminal courthouse in the airport business center, minutes from Tampa and St. Petersburg.
Friday, November 26, 2010
Tampa Bay Criminal Defense Lawyer - drugs
By Nicholas Dorsten, Esq.
Another day, another article on prescription drugs and the potential for abuse (see here for more). This article courtesy of the St. Pete Times...
ST. PETERSBURG, FLORIDA — While working with federal investigators Tuesday afternoon, Pinellas County sheriff's deputies arrested two Tennessee residents on charges of trafficking in oxycodone, authorities said.
Narcotics detectives with the Sheriff's Office were assisting the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Internal Revenue Service in an investigation at a home in St. Petersburg when they found a man and woman with at least 0.98 ounces of the prescription pain killer oxycodone, said a Sheriff's Office Sgt.
Arrested were Kevin Bussell, 35, of Tazewell, Tenn., and Amanda Bible, 25, of Harrogate, Tenn.
Bussell and Bible were found at the home at 6065 38th Ave. N at 1 p.m.
According to property appraiser records, the two don't own the home, which has a market value of $125,000.
The Sheriff's Office declined to release any other information.
A spokeswoman for IRS criminal investigations out of the Nashville field office, confirmed the agency was working with the Drug Enforcement Administration and local authorities but said she could not comment on the ongoing investigation."
Many people don't realize that a charge like trafficking in prescription drugs or possession of oxycodone carries the same punishment as a posession of cocaine or trafficking in heroin charge! In the state of Florida, the law does not distinguish between prescription and non-prescription "recreational" drugs.
Have you or a loved one been arrested for a drug charge or drug trafficking? Then contact the Clearwater criminal defense attorneys of Blake & Dorsten, P.A. for a free consultation!
For more information, or to speak directly with experienced St. Petersburg criminal defense lawyers, please contact BLAKE & DORSTEN, P.A. at 727.286.6141 or email the lawyers your questions at: info@blakedorstenlaw.com. We are located at 4707 140th Ave N, Suite 104 in Clearwater, across from the criminal courthouse in the airport business center, minutes from Tampa and St. Petersburg.
Another day, another article on prescription drugs and the potential for abuse (see here for more). This article courtesy of the St. Pete Times...
ST. PETERSBURG, FLORIDA — While working with federal investigators Tuesday afternoon, Pinellas County sheriff's deputies arrested two Tennessee residents on charges of trafficking in oxycodone, authorities said.
Narcotics detectives with the Sheriff's Office were assisting the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Internal Revenue Service in an investigation at a home in St. Petersburg when they found a man and woman with at least 0.98 ounces of the prescription pain killer oxycodone, said a Sheriff's Office Sgt.
Arrested were Kevin Bussell, 35, of Tazewell, Tenn., and Amanda Bible, 25, of Harrogate, Tenn.
Bussell and Bible were found at the home at 6065 38th Ave. N at 1 p.m.
According to property appraiser records, the two don't own the home, which has a market value of $125,000.
The Sheriff's Office declined to release any other information.
A spokeswoman for IRS criminal investigations out of the Nashville field office, confirmed the agency was working with the Drug Enforcement Administration and local authorities but said she could not comment on the ongoing investigation."
Many people don't realize that a charge like trafficking in prescription drugs or possession of oxycodone carries the same punishment as a posession of cocaine or trafficking in heroin charge! In the state of Florida, the law does not distinguish between prescription and non-prescription "recreational" drugs.
Have you or a loved one been arrested for a drug charge or drug trafficking? Then contact the Clearwater criminal defense attorneys of Blake & Dorsten, P.A. for a free consultation!
For more information, or to speak directly with experienced St. Petersburg criminal defense lawyers, please contact BLAKE & DORSTEN, P.A. at 727.286.6141 or email the lawyers your questions at: info@blakedorstenlaw.com. We are located at 4707 140th Ave N, Suite 104 in Clearwater, across from the criminal courthouse in the airport business center, minutes from Tampa and St. Petersburg.
Friday, November 19, 2010
Tampa Bay Criminal Defense Lawyer - another celebrity DUI
By Nicholas Dorsten, Esq.
Hopefully this won't become a pattern but not even a month after a Tampa Bay Buccaneer was arrested for drug possession, another player got arrested for drinking and driving according to an article in the St. Pete Times website.
TAMPA — Tampa Bay Buccaneers standout rookie wide receiver Mike Williams was arrested on a DUI charge early Friday.
Williams, 23, was arrested about 2:48 a.m. near U.S. 301 and Causeway Boulevard, according to jail records. He was booked at 4:44 a.m. and released at 8:04 a.m. after posting $500 bail.
Williams was driving a black Cadillac 57 mph in a 45 mph zone and weaving between lanes, said the Hillsborough County sheriff's spokesman.
Two Breathalyzer tests found his blood-alcohol level at .065 and .061, records show, below the limit of .08 at which the state presumes impairment.
But Williams failed a field sobriety test, smelled of alcohol and appeared to have glassy eyes per the reports. A urine test was conducted and results are pending, he said. A urine test is done if a deputy suspects a driver is impaired by a substance other than alcohol.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers officials said Williams will travel to San Francisco Friday with the team and play in Sunday's game against the 49ers.
Head coach Raheem Morris said the decision to let Williams play was tough.
"I'm very disappointed about the bad decision that he made to be out late and about the worse decision he made to drink and drive," Morris said Friday. "I was very pleased with his ability to be cooperative and not be disrespectful and make this thing even worse than it could be.
"It happens. It hurts our fans. It hurts our team. It hurts everybody on this football team. But Mike Williams not playing this weekend would hurt the fans more."
Officials aren't saying what impact the charge will have on Williams for the rest of the season.
"Right now we have a young team that's trying to search for the longevity," Morris said. "If he wants to be a part of that longevity, he certainly has to clean up his act."
With blood-alcohol results below .08, a case against Williams could be tough to prosecute, said a Tampa DUI defense attorney who is not connected to the Williams case. Urine test results are typically not a strong indicator of whatis in a driver's system at the time of the arrest. And the test results often take four months or longer to obtain. Often, a DUI defense attorney will ask for a speedy trial within 90 days, which is not enough time for a prosecutor to get the results.
The field sobriety test is a tool for law enforcement to use to determine if someone's normal faculties are impaired, but it's also not a strong enough indicator to prosecute someone, the lawyer said.
"I've never seen anyone pass the field sobriety exercises,".
Williams leads all rookies in receiving yards, ranks second among rookies in receiving touchdowns and has started all nine games this year for the Bucs. He has 40 receptions this season for 627 yards and five touchdowns. He averages 15.7 yards per catch. His longest reception this season was 58 yards.
His best game this season was against the Arizona Cardinals on Oct. 31 when he nabbed four catches for 105 yards and a touchdown.
The Bucs are 6-3 this year and tied for second place in the NFC South, one game behind the Atlanta Falcons.
The Buccaneers picked Williams in the fourth round of the 2010 NFL draft. He missed all of the 2008 season at Syracuse University after he was caught cheating on a test.
He missed part of the 2009 season after he was involved as a passenger in a car crash. Although the driver in the other car was faulted, Williams was suspended for violating curfew. It was the second curfew violation for Williams, and he left the team with five games left. He later said he left because of miscommunication with his coach.
Williams is the second Bucs player to run afoul of the law this season. The Bucs ended TE Jerramy Stevens' controversial tenure with the team Oct. 25, releasing the veteran two days after he was arrested on two felony marijuana possession charges.
Bucs' safety Tanard Jackson was suspended indefinitely by the NFL on Sept. 22 for violating its substance-abuse policy. He is not eligible for reinstatement until Sept. 22, 2011.
Cornerback Aqib Talib was suspended for the season opener for violating the NFL's personal conduct policy, stemming from a 2009 arrest. Talib was arrested in St. Petersburg, Florida in August 2009 and charged with punching a cab driver while en route to the team hotel in Tampa. The case was not adjudicated until April.
A common misconception when dealing with DUI cases is the myth that police will let you go if your breath alcohol level is below a .08. In reality, Florida law presumes you are guilty of DUI if you are .08 or above. If you are in the .061-.065 range like Mike Williams that tends to neither prove or disprove the state of his impairment. Rather, the jury is supposed to take into account ALL the factors such as demeanor, driving pattern, field sobriety results, etc.
This article mentioned that his urine was tested for drugs, such as marijuana, cocaine or prescription medication. If he did have drugs in his system, depending on the amount and type, the state attorney may try and argue that the alcohol combined with the drugs resulted in a synergistic affect. In other words, the alcohol mixed with the drugs made him under the influence due to the two substances combining.
Have you or a loved one been arrested for a drug charge or a DUI? Then contact the Clearwater criminal defense attorneys of Blake & Dorsten, P.A. for a free consultation!
For more information, or to speak directly with experienced Clearwater criminal defense lawyers please contact BLAKE & DORSTEN, P.A. at 727.286.6141 or email the lawyers your questions at: info@blakedorstenlaw.com. We are located at 4707 140th Ave N, Suite 104 in Clearwater, across from the criminal courthouse in the airport business center, minutes from Tampa and St. Petersburg.
Hopefully this won't become a pattern but not even a month after a Tampa Bay Buccaneer was arrested for drug possession, another player got arrested for drinking and driving according to an article in the St. Pete Times website.
TAMPA — Tampa Bay Buccaneers standout rookie wide receiver Mike Williams was arrested on a DUI charge early Friday.
Williams, 23, was arrested about 2:48 a.m. near U.S. 301 and Causeway Boulevard, according to jail records. He was booked at 4:44 a.m. and released at 8:04 a.m. after posting $500 bail.
Williams was driving a black Cadillac 57 mph in a 45 mph zone and weaving between lanes, said the Hillsborough County sheriff's spokesman.
Two Breathalyzer tests found his blood-alcohol level at .065 and .061, records show, below the limit of .08 at which the state presumes impairment.
But Williams failed a field sobriety test, smelled of alcohol and appeared to have glassy eyes per the reports. A urine test was conducted and results are pending, he said. A urine test is done if a deputy suspects a driver is impaired by a substance other than alcohol.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers officials said Williams will travel to San Francisco Friday with the team and play in Sunday's game against the 49ers.
Head coach Raheem Morris said the decision to let Williams play was tough.
"I'm very disappointed about the bad decision that he made to be out late and about the worse decision he made to drink and drive," Morris said Friday. "I was very pleased with his ability to be cooperative and not be disrespectful and make this thing even worse than it could be.
"It happens. It hurts our fans. It hurts our team. It hurts everybody on this football team. But Mike Williams not playing this weekend would hurt the fans more."
Officials aren't saying what impact the charge will have on Williams for the rest of the season.
"Right now we have a young team that's trying to search for the longevity," Morris said. "If he wants to be a part of that longevity, he certainly has to clean up his act."
With blood-alcohol results below .08, a case against Williams could be tough to prosecute, said a Tampa DUI defense attorney who is not connected to the Williams case. Urine test results are typically not a strong indicator of whatis in a driver's system at the time of the arrest. And the test results often take four months or longer to obtain. Often, a DUI defense attorney will ask for a speedy trial within 90 days, which is not enough time for a prosecutor to get the results.
The field sobriety test is a tool for law enforcement to use to determine if someone's normal faculties are impaired, but it's also not a strong enough indicator to prosecute someone, the lawyer said.
"I've never seen anyone pass the field sobriety exercises,".
Williams leads all rookies in receiving yards, ranks second among rookies in receiving touchdowns and has started all nine games this year for the Bucs. He has 40 receptions this season for 627 yards and five touchdowns. He averages 15.7 yards per catch. His longest reception this season was 58 yards.
His best game this season was against the Arizona Cardinals on Oct. 31 when he nabbed four catches for 105 yards and a touchdown.
The Bucs are 6-3 this year and tied for second place in the NFC South, one game behind the Atlanta Falcons.
The Buccaneers picked Williams in the fourth round of the 2010 NFL draft. He missed all of the 2008 season at Syracuse University after he was caught cheating on a test.
He missed part of the 2009 season after he was involved as a passenger in a car crash. Although the driver in the other car was faulted, Williams was suspended for violating curfew. It was the second curfew violation for Williams, and he left the team with five games left. He later said he left because of miscommunication with his coach.
Williams is the second Bucs player to run afoul of the law this season. The Bucs ended TE Jerramy Stevens' controversial tenure with the team Oct. 25, releasing the veteran two days after he was arrested on two felony marijuana possession charges.
Bucs' safety Tanard Jackson was suspended indefinitely by the NFL on Sept. 22 for violating its substance-abuse policy. He is not eligible for reinstatement until Sept. 22, 2011.
Cornerback Aqib Talib was suspended for the season opener for violating the NFL's personal conduct policy, stemming from a 2009 arrest. Talib was arrested in St. Petersburg, Florida in August 2009 and charged with punching a cab driver while en route to the team hotel in Tampa. The case was not adjudicated until April.
A common misconception when dealing with DUI cases is the myth that police will let you go if your breath alcohol level is below a .08. In reality, Florida law presumes you are guilty of DUI if you are .08 or above. If you are in the .061-.065 range like Mike Williams that tends to neither prove or disprove the state of his impairment. Rather, the jury is supposed to take into account ALL the factors such as demeanor, driving pattern, field sobriety results, etc.
This article mentioned that his urine was tested for drugs, such as marijuana, cocaine or prescription medication. If he did have drugs in his system, depending on the amount and type, the state attorney may try and argue that the alcohol combined with the drugs resulted in a synergistic affect. In other words, the alcohol mixed with the drugs made him under the influence due to the two substances combining.
Have you or a loved one been arrested for a drug charge or a DUI? Then contact the Clearwater criminal defense attorneys of Blake & Dorsten, P.A. for a free consultation!
For more information, or to speak directly with experienced Clearwater criminal defense lawyers please contact BLAKE & DORSTEN, P.A. at 727.286.6141 or email the lawyers your questions at: info@blakedorstenlaw.com. We are located at 4707 140th Ave N, Suite 104 in Clearwater, across from the criminal courthouse in the airport business center, minutes from Tampa and St. Petersburg.
Thursday, November 18, 2010
Tampa Bay Criminal Defense Lawyer - Crime Spree
By Nicholas Dorsten, esq.
Courtesy of Bay News 9 website, the police believe they know who did it...
TAMPA: Officials are still searching for two men they say committed a crime spree on Wednesday.
According to the Tampa Police department, two men 30 and 27, are the suspects in the CVS pharmacy robbery and carjacking that followed Wednesday afternoon.
Officials said the duo, who did not have a prescription, stole pain pills (possession of a controlled substance) from the CVS at 6202 Commerce Palms Drive in the Tampa Palms area and fled in a truck stolen from Apopka.
Police began to pursue the suspects on I-75, but lost track of them.
The suspects flipped the stolen pick-up truck on the highway after driving recklessly and then pistol-whipped and carjacked a woman who stopped to help them. After abandoning that vehicle, they carjacked a different woman and stole her Toyota Sequoia, which police believe they're still driving.
Arrest warrants were issued Wednesday night for Torres and Wilkes, who both recently were released from prison.
One man was released in August from two-year prison sentence for felony battery, grand theft auto and robbery. The other man was released in July from three-year prison sentence for aggravated assault.
Have you or a family member been charged with a theft crime or a violent crime? Then contact the Clearwater criminal defense attorneys of Blake & Dorsten, P.A. today. The experienced criminal defense lawyers are available 24/7 and offer free consultations. Email your questions to www.info@blakedorstenlaw.com or contact them at (727)286-6141.
Courtesy of Bay News 9 website, the police believe they know who did it...
TAMPA: Officials are still searching for two men they say committed a crime spree on Wednesday.
According to the Tampa Police department, two men 30 and 27, are the suspects in the CVS pharmacy robbery and carjacking that followed Wednesday afternoon.
Officials said the duo, who did not have a prescription, stole pain pills (possession of a controlled substance) from the CVS at 6202 Commerce Palms Drive in the Tampa Palms area and fled in a truck stolen from Apopka.
Police began to pursue the suspects on I-75, but lost track of them.
The suspects flipped the stolen pick-up truck on the highway after driving recklessly and then pistol-whipped and carjacked a woman who stopped to help them. After abandoning that vehicle, they carjacked a different woman and stole her Toyota Sequoia, which police believe they're still driving.
Arrest warrants were issued Wednesday night for Torres and Wilkes, who both recently were released from prison.
One man was released in August from two-year prison sentence for felony battery, grand theft auto and robbery. The other man was released in July from three-year prison sentence for aggravated assault.
Have you or a family member been charged with a theft crime or a violent crime? Then contact the Clearwater criminal defense attorneys of Blake & Dorsten, P.A. today. The experienced criminal defense lawyers are available 24/7 and offer free consultations. Email your questions to www.info@blakedorstenlaw.com or contact them at (727)286-6141.
Wednesday, November 17, 2010
Tampa Bay Criminal Defense Lawyer - DUI homicide
By Nicholas Dorsten, esq.
While DUI or "driving under the influence" gets written about quite often (see here or here for instance), this article I found in the St. Pete Times really brings home the human cost that drinking and driving may cause...
LARGO — There will be no trial for the Defendant accused of DUI manslaughter.
The 27-year-old St. Petersburg, Florida man will not get the maximum 50-year sentence for causing a crash that took two young lives. One victim's mother will never get the chance to tell a jury of the pain she's endured.
The judge's decision Monday to accept a plea agreement in the case was too much for the victim's mother, who lost her only son in the June crash the dui driver caused.
"I can't,'' she wailed and rushed from the packed courtroom after Circuit Judge Chris Helinger said she intended to allow the Defendant to plead guilty to two vehicular manslaughter charges.
For several minutes, the mother's agonized cries from the hallway accompanied the hearing that continued in a courtroom at the Criminal Justice Center.
She was not in the courtroom when Helinger formally accepted the plea and sentenced the defendant to 20 years in prison. He also pleaded guilty to driving without a valid license, driving under the influence and possession of a controlled substance. His driving privileges will be permanently revoked.
The defendant, who will turn 28 next week, was high on prescription pain medication and was traveling about 70 mph in a 45 mph construction zone when he slammed into several cars on U.S. 19 in Clearwater on June 19.
The eight-car pileup killed two people, a 22-year-old and a 23-year-old both of Odessa. Several other people were injured.
The defendant originally told investigators he was a passenger, and not the driver, of the Chevy Avalanche that caused the crash. He was arrested five days later, after the Chevy's vehicle data recorder indicated that the passenger seat was unoccupied at the time of the wreck.
At Monday's hearing, the defendant told the judge he has been depressed since the accident and has "episodes where I cry uncontrollably."
The victim's mother said the defendant had a chance at a pretrial hearing last week to apologize for killing her son.
"You could have apologized to me last week, but you didn't. You're only looking out for your best interest," she said.
She referred to his record as a habitual traffic offender and urged Helinger to give him more time "so we can have safer streets."
Like the mother, prosecutors wanted the defendant to serve more than 20 years.
But Helinger said she found the plea agreement "reasonable" and said she hoped it would offer "an early resolution" to the case.
Helinger acknowledged that the victims' families were not happy with her verdict.
"There is no amount of years which can bring back your boy," she told amother, who remained in the courtroom.
"My only hope for the families is at least you can start processing your grief."
Have you or someone you loved been charged with a DUI? Do you need the help of a St. Petersburg Criminal Defense lawyer or Clearwater DUI attorney? Then Call Blake & Dorsten, P.A. today!
For more information, or to speak directly with experienced criminal defense attorneys, please contact the law firm of BLAKE & DORSTEN, P.A. at 727.286.6141 or email your questions to: info@blakedorstenlaw.com
While DUI or "driving under the influence" gets written about quite often (see here or here for instance), this article I found in the St. Pete Times really brings home the human cost that drinking and driving may cause...
LARGO — There will be no trial for the Defendant accused of DUI manslaughter.
The 27-year-old St. Petersburg, Florida man will not get the maximum 50-year sentence for causing a crash that took two young lives. One victim's mother will never get the chance to tell a jury of the pain she's endured.
The judge's decision Monday to accept a plea agreement in the case was too much for the victim's mother, who lost her only son in the June crash the dui driver caused.
"I can't,'' she wailed and rushed from the packed courtroom after Circuit Judge Chris Helinger said she intended to allow the Defendant to plead guilty to two vehicular manslaughter charges.
For several minutes, the mother's agonized cries from the hallway accompanied the hearing that continued in a courtroom at the Criminal Justice Center.
She was not in the courtroom when Helinger formally accepted the plea and sentenced the defendant to 20 years in prison. He also pleaded guilty to driving without a valid license, driving under the influence and possession of a controlled substance. His driving privileges will be permanently revoked.
The defendant, who will turn 28 next week, was high on prescription pain medication and was traveling about 70 mph in a 45 mph construction zone when he slammed into several cars on U.S. 19 in Clearwater on June 19.
The eight-car pileup killed two people, a 22-year-old and a 23-year-old both of Odessa. Several other people were injured.
The defendant originally told investigators he was a passenger, and not the driver, of the Chevy Avalanche that caused the crash. He was arrested five days later, after the Chevy's vehicle data recorder indicated that the passenger seat was unoccupied at the time of the wreck.
At Monday's hearing, the defendant told the judge he has been depressed since the accident and has "episodes where I cry uncontrollably."
The victim's mother said the defendant had a chance at a pretrial hearing last week to apologize for killing her son.
"You could have apologized to me last week, but you didn't. You're only looking out for your best interest," she said.
She referred to his record as a habitual traffic offender and urged Helinger to give him more time "so we can have safer streets."
Like the mother, prosecutors wanted the defendant to serve more than 20 years.
But Helinger said she found the plea agreement "reasonable" and said she hoped it would offer "an early resolution" to the case.
Helinger acknowledged that the victims' families were not happy with her verdict.
"There is no amount of years which can bring back your boy," she told amother, who remained in the courtroom.
"My only hope for the families is at least you can start processing your grief."
Have you or someone you loved been charged with a DUI? Do you need the help of a St. Petersburg Criminal Defense lawyer or Clearwater DUI attorney? Then Call Blake & Dorsten, P.A. today!
For more information, or to speak directly with experienced criminal defense attorneys, please contact the law firm of BLAKE & DORSTEN, P.A. at 727.286.6141 or email your questions to: info@blakedorstenlaw.com
Sunday, November 14, 2010
Tampa Bay Criminal Defense Lawyer - domestic bust!
By Nicholas Dorsten, esq.
While this is not the first time I wrote about domestic violence ( see here and here for instance, this article still drew my attention...
CLEARWATER — A man accused of choking his girlfriend was arrested Wednesday morning after, authorities said, he threatened to shoot police officers who responded to the scene.
The defendant, 21, of Clearwater was charged with domestic battery by strangulation, battery, threatening a public official and resisting arrest with violence.
According to Clearwater police, the defendant began choking his 26-year-old girlfriend during an argument just before 8 a.m. at 118 N Hillcrest Ave..
When the couple's roommate tried to intervene, the defendant commited a battery by pushing him into a wall, police said.
Then the victim and the roomate called police.
The defendant fled when officers arrived, but was quickly taken into custody not far from the home.
After the arrest, hethreatened to shoot the officers on scene, police said.
According to an arrest report, hefirst begged to be released. When the officers refused, he vowed to "find and kill" one officer and his family.
Then, he said, "If I had my piece, I'll shoot you n----- cops," according to the report.
Police determined he did not have a gun.
On Wednesday afternoon, he was being held without bail in the Pinellas County Jail.
The defendant has had previous convictions for driving under the influence and marijuana possession, according to Pinellas County court records.
Have you or a loved one been arrested for domestic violence or violent crime? Then contact the Clearwater criminal defense attorneys of Blake & Dorsten, P.A. for a free consultation!
For more information, or to speak directly with experienced Clearwater criminal defense lawyers, please contact BLAKE & DORSTEN, P.A. at 727.286.6141 or email the lawyers your questions at: info@blakedorstenlaw.com. We are located at 4707 140th Ave N, Suite 104 in Clearwater, across from the criminal courthouse in the airport business center, minutes from Tampa and St. Petersburg.
While this is not the first time I wrote about domestic violence ( see here and here for instance, this article still drew my attention...
CLEARWATER — A man accused of choking his girlfriend was arrested Wednesday morning after, authorities said, he threatened to shoot police officers who responded to the scene.
The defendant, 21, of Clearwater was charged with domestic battery by strangulation, battery, threatening a public official and resisting arrest with violence.
According to Clearwater police, the defendant began choking his 26-year-old girlfriend during an argument just before 8 a.m. at 118 N Hillcrest Ave..
When the couple's roommate tried to intervene, the defendant commited a battery by pushing him into a wall, police said.
Then the victim and the roomate called police.
The defendant fled when officers arrived, but was quickly taken into custody not far from the home.
After the arrest, hethreatened to shoot the officers on scene, police said.
According to an arrest report, hefirst begged to be released. When the officers refused, he vowed to "find and kill" one officer and his family.
Then, he said, "If I had my piece, I'll shoot you n----- cops," according to the report.
Police determined he did not have a gun.
On Wednesday afternoon, he was being held without bail in the Pinellas County Jail.
The defendant has had previous convictions for driving under the influence and marijuana possession, according to Pinellas County court records.
Have you or a loved one been arrested for domestic violence or violent crime? Then contact the Clearwater criminal defense attorneys of Blake & Dorsten, P.A. for a free consultation!
For more information, or to speak directly with experienced Clearwater criminal defense lawyers, please contact BLAKE & DORSTEN, P.A. at 727.286.6141 or email the lawyers your questions at: info@blakedorstenlaw.com. We are located at 4707 140th Ave N, Suite 104 in Clearwater, across from the criminal courthouse in the airport business center, minutes from Tampa and St. Petersburg.
Tampa Bay Criminal Defense Lawyer - drug deal gone bad
By Nicholas Dorsten, esq.
A recent online article is a reminder of how dangerous the world of illegal drug buys can still be. While I have blogged about drug deals before, this one is really tragic.
ST. PETERSBURG, FLORIDA — Buyer and seller had made this deal many times before, according to St. Petersburg police. One man was the drug dealer. Another man bought the illegal drugs. They had been at it for months, police said.
But something went wrong during Tuesday night's transaction, when police said one man shot and murdered the other man around 10:22 p.m. at the Peppertree Village Condos, 876 116th Ave. N.
The deceased was taken to Bayfront Medical Center with a gunshot wound to his upper body. The 25-year-old was pronounced dead at 11 p.m. in what police called a drug deal gone awry.
By Wednesday afternoon, undercover detectives tracked down the suspect at his home and took him into custody without incident.
The accused, 26, was arrested on a charge of second-degree murder.
A St. Petersburg Major said his detectives are still piecing together what happened that night but believe that the suspect may have become alarmed during his last deal with the victim.
The victim had arrived with three friends and approached the defendant's sport utility vehicle with a pistol stuck in his waistband, police said. So then he pulled out a revolver, shot the victim in the upper body and drove off, according to police.
Witnesses said the two men didn't even speak to each other before the shooting.
But the defendant left behind the gun, which police said they found.
Both suspect and victim have criminal records. The victim, who lived in St. Petersburg was first arrested at age 14 for burglary, records show.
He was also repeatedly arrested for aggravated assault with a weapon, aggravated battery, driving under the influence, grand theft, larceny, and possession and sale of morphine, according to state records.
The victim, also of St. Petersburg, was repeatedly arrested on charges of sale and possession of drugs from 2005 to 2007, records show
Been arrested on a drug offense? Need experienced drug crime lawyers? Then call Blake & Dorsten, P.A. for a free initial consultation. We handle all drug offenses including possession of marijuana, possession of cocaine, drug trafficking and many more.
For more information, or to speak directly with experienced criminal defense attorneys, please contact the law firm of BLAKE & DORSTEN, P.A. at 727.286.6141 or email your questions: info@blakedorstenlaw.com. We are located across from the 49th street Courthouse in Clearwater, at 4707 140th Ave N, Suite 104, Clearwater, 33762, minutes from St. Petersburg, Fl and Tampa.
A recent online article is a reminder of how dangerous the world of illegal drug buys can still be. While I have blogged about drug deals before, this one is really tragic.
ST. PETERSBURG, FLORIDA — Buyer and seller had made this deal many times before, according to St. Petersburg police. One man was the drug dealer. Another man bought the illegal drugs. They had been at it for months, police said.
But something went wrong during Tuesday night's transaction, when police said one man shot and murdered the other man around 10:22 p.m. at the Peppertree Village Condos, 876 116th Ave. N.
The deceased was taken to Bayfront Medical Center with a gunshot wound to his upper body. The 25-year-old was pronounced dead at 11 p.m. in what police called a drug deal gone awry.
By Wednesday afternoon, undercover detectives tracked down the suspect at his home and took him into custody without incident.
The accused, 26, was arrested on a charge of second-degree murder.
A St. Petersburg Major said his detectives are still piecing together what happened that night but believe that the suspect may have become alarmed during his last deal with the victim.
The victim had arrived with three friends and approached the defendant's sport utility vehicle with a pistol stuck in his waistband, police said. So then he pulled out a revolver, shot the victim in the upper body and drove off, according to police.
Witnesses said the two men didn't even speak to each other before the shooting.
But the defendant left behind the gun, which police said they found.
Both suspect and victim have criminal records. The victim, who lived in St. Petersburg was first arrested at age 14 for burglary, records show.
He was also repeatedly arrested for aggravated assault with a weapon, aggravated battery, driving under the influence, grand theft, larceny, and possession and sale of morphine, according to state records.
The victim, also of St. Petersburg, was repeatedly arrested on charges of sale and possession of drugs from 2005 to 2007, records show
Been arrested on a drug offense? Need experienced drug crime lawyers? Then call Blake & Dorsten, P.A. for a free initial consultation. We handle all drug offenses including possession of marijuana, possession of cocaine, drug trafficking and many more.
For more information, or to speak directly with experienced criminal defense attorneys, please contact the law firm of BLAKE & DORSTEN, P.A. at 727.286.6141 or email your questions: info@blakedorstenlaw.com. We are located across from the 49th street Courthouse in Clearwater, at 4707 140th Ave N, Suite 104, Clearwater, 33762, minutes from St. Petersburg, Fl and Tampa.
Tampa Bay Criminal Defense Lawyer : DUI no laughing matter
By Nicholas Dorsten, Esq.
A humorous article in the St. Petersburg Times that shows while honesty is a virtue, it may not get you out of a drunk driving charge!
TAMPA — A motorist who told a deputy he shouldn't be driving in his condition — but did anyway — was charged with drunken driving Wednesday, records show.
A sheriff's report shows that blood-alcohol levels of the drunk driver, 49, registered .372 and .382 percent — more than four times the legal limit in Florida of .08.
A deputy saw the DUI driver behind the wheel of a 2010 silver Toyota swerving and braking near Bearrs Avenue and Smitter Road around 8:30 p.m. Wednesday.
The arrest report says the Tampa DUI defendant, after being read his rights, said he had consumed eight 16-ounce cans of beer that day.
The deputy wrote that the Tampa drunk driving defendant, could barely keep his eyes open and had to sit several times during questioning.
Jail records shows he was being held in Hillsborough County jail late Thursday on $500 bail.
What can happen to this defendant if he doesn't get an expereienced DUI defense attorney? Well for starters, he will have only 10 days to apply for a temporary drivers permit, if he doesn't, then he can be arrested for driving while license suspended if he gets behind the wheel. An experienced DWI defense lawyer will be able to help the accused get through the complicated DUI system and navigate through the potential mindfields.
Have you or someone you loved been charged with a DUI? Do you need the help of a St. Petersburg Criminal Defense lawyer or Clearwater DUI attorney? Then Call Blake & Dorsten, P.A. today!
For more information, or to speak directly with experienced criminal defense attorneys, please contact the law firm of BLAKE & DORSTEN, P.A. at 727.286.6141 or email your questions to: info@blakedorstenlaw.com
A humorous article in the St. Petersburg Times that shows while honesty is a virtue, it may not get you out of a drunk driving charge!
TAMPA — A motorist who told a deputy he shouldn't be driving in his condition — but did anyway — was charged with drunken driving Wednesday, records show.
A sheriff's report shows that blood-alcohol levels of the drunk driver, 49, registered .372 and .382 percent — more than four times the legal limit in Florida of .08.
A deputy saw the DUI driver behind the wheel of a 2010 silver Toyota swerving and braking near Bearrs Avenue and Smitter Road around 8:30 p.m. Wednesday.
The arrest report says the Tampa DUI defendant, after being read his rights, said he had consumed eight 16-ounce cans of beer that day.
The deputy wrote that the Tampa drunk driving defendant, could barely keep his eyes open and had to sit several times during questioning.
Jail records shows he was being held in Hillsborough County jail late Thursday on $500 bail.
What can happen to this defendant if he doesn't get an expereienced DUI defense attorney? Well for starters, he will have only 10 days to apply for a temporary drivers permit, if he doesn't, then he can be arrested for driving while license suspended if he gets behind the wheel. An experienced DWI defense lawyer will be able to help the accused get through the complicated DUI system and navigate through the potential mindfields.
Have you or someone you loved been charged with a DUI? Do you need the help of a St. Petersburg Criminal Defense lawyer or Clearwater DUI attorney? Then Call Blake & Dorsten, P.A. today!
For more information, or to speak directly with experienced criminal defense attorneys, please contact the law firm of BLAKE & DORSTEN, P.A. at 727.286.6141 or email your questions to: info@blakedorstenlaw.com
Thursday, November 11, 2010
Tampa Bay Criminal Defense Lawyer - Prescription drug nightmare
By Nicholas Dorsten, esq.
The st. Pete times keeps showing the harm that prescription drug abuse can cause....
ST. PETERSBURG FLORIDA — As a major with the Pinellas County Sheriff's Office in the 1980s, Jim Coats sounded the alarm that the crack cocaine epidemic sweeping the country was responsible for a surge in property crimes.
As chief deputy in the 1990s, he witnessed the surge in heroin deaths and drug trafficking charges in the county.
Still, he said Tuesday, nothing compares to the challenges facing law enforcement in regard to prescription drug abuse in the 21st century.
"I've never seen a drug problem as severe as the one we're facing now," said Coats, who has spent almost 40 years in law enforcement. "It touches all walks of life."
Coats was one of about 100 law enforcement officers from west-central Florida who attended a one-day illegal prescription drug summit Tuesday in St. Petersburg.
The conference was put on by Purdue Pharma, a Stamford, Conn.-based pharmaceutical company that makes powerful pain medications including Dilaudid and OxyContin. A company spokeswoman said Tuesday she could not release annual sales figures for the privately owned company. But a November report by the Gale Group estimated Purdue's sales at $488 million in 2009.
The company was in the Tampa Bay area after identifying it as one of 10 regions throughout the country that has seen a spike in prescription drug abuse and related crimes, said Landon Gibbs, the company's director of corporate security.
"The goals are to share information about the issue and to help law enforcement prevent and solve crimes," Gibbs said.
In the Tampa Bay area, prescription overdose deaths doubled from 339 to 681 from 2005 to 2009, the last year for which statistics are available.
In 2009, 179 people overdosed on illegal prescription drugs in Pinellas County — an average of one person every 49 hours.
In addition to the number of overdose deaths, the number of drug diversion cases and arrests in Pinellas County also have grown over the past two years.
Drug diversion refers to cases where prescription drugs are diverted for recreational or illicit use. In some cases, like one reported in Pinellas on Tuesday, drugs are being stolen from the homes of people with legitimate medical needs. Other cases include people who feign injuries or create fraudulent prescriptions to get medications. Some are doctor shoppers who go to a variety of doctors seeking pill prescriptions.
The Sheriff's Office made 243 drug diversion arrests in 2009, compared to 83 the year before.
Fueling the increase could be the increased resources that the department has put on the problem, said a Sheriff's Office spokeswoman. Over the past two years, the number of detectives assigned to drug diversion cases grew from two to 13. A Sheriff's Office-led task force also includes four members from other agencies.
"Of course if you have more detectives assigned to follow up on these cases, you're going to find more cases and conduct more arrests," Barreda said.
Investigators are seeing small, loosely organized rings of Pinellas drug traffickers who recruit others, sometimes transients, and pay them to get prescriptions, said the head of the Sheriff's Office narcotics division.
The recruit makes a small fee and ring members feed their addictions or sell the drugs for profit. The going rate for a pain pill in Pinellas County can be anywhere from $8 to $15 a pill, though the price is even higher in other parts of the country.
Gibbs also said he planned to share information about RxPatrol, a Purdue-funded database designed to collect and analyze information about pharmacy robberies, with the law enforcement officers.
The database, he said, is credited with facilitating 103 arrests since its inception in 2003.
"We don't want people abusing our products or anyone else's products," he said.
Coats said he supports greater emphasis on treating addicts, some of whom want help but can't find it or afford it.
Alfonso predicts the problem will get worse before it gets better. For each Pinellas doctor shopper taken off the street, another appears: "It's like shooting fish in a barrel."
While I have blogged about prescription drug abuse in the past, it appears that it is becoming even more of an epidemic. What does that mean for a St. Petersburg, Florida criminal defense attorney or his or her clients? While not widly known, in the state of florida, possession of prescription drugs(like oxy or zanax) without a prescription carries the same points and same potential punishment as illegal drugs such as cocaine or meth!
Have you or a loved one been arrested for a drug charge or drug trafficking? Then contact the Clearwater criminal defense attorneys of Blake & Dorsten, P.A. for a free consultation!
For more information, or to speak directly with experienced Clearwater criminal defense lawyers please contact BLAKE & DORSTEN, P.A. at 727.286.6141 or email the lawyers your questions at: info@blakedorstenlaw.com. We are located at 4707 140th Ave N, Suite 104 in Clearwater, across from the criminal courthouse in the airport business center, minutes from Tampa and St. Petersburg.
The st. Pete times keeps showing the harm that prescription drug abuse can cause....
ST. PETERSBURG FLORIDA — As a major with the Pinellas County Sheriff's Office in the 1980s, Jim Coats sounded the alarm that the crack cocaine epidemic sweeping the country was responsible for a surge in property crimes.
As chief deputy in the 1990s, he witnessed the surge in heroin deaths and drug trafficking charges in the county.
Still, he said Tuesday, nothing compares to the challenges facing law enforcement in regard to prescription drug abuse in the 21st century.
"I've never seen a drug problem as severe as the one we're facing now," said Coats, who has spent almost 40 years in law enforcement. "It touches all walks of life."
Coats was one of about 100 law enforcement officers from west-central Florida who attended a one-day illegal prescription drug summit Tuesday in St. Petersburg.
The conference was put on by Purdue Pharma, a Stamford, Conn.-based pharmaceutical company that makes powerful pain medications including Dilaudid and OxyContin. A company spokeswoman said Tuesday she could not release annual sales figures for the privately owned company. But a November report by the Gale Group estimated Purdue's sales at $488 million in 2009.
The company was in the Tampa Bay area after identifying it as one of 10 regions throughout the country that has seen a spike in prescription drug abuse and related crimes, said Landon Gibbs, the company's director of corporate security.
"The goals are to share information about the issue and to help law enforcement prevent and solve crimes," Gibbs said.
In the Tampa Bay area, prescription overdose deaths doubled from 339 to 681 from 2005 to 2009, the last year for which statistics are available.
In 2009, 179 people overdosed on illegal prescription drugs in Pinellas County — an average of one person every 49 hours.
In addition to the number of overdose deaths, the number of drug diversion cases and arrests in Pinellas County also have grown over the past two years.
Drug diversion refers to cases where prescription drugs are diverted for recreational or illicit use. In some cases, like one reported in Pinellas on Tuesday, drugs are being stolen from the homes of people with legitimate medical needs. Other cases include people who feign injuries or create fraudulent prescriptions to get medications. Some are doctor shoppers who go to a variety of doctors seeking pill prescriptions.
The Sheriff's Office made 243 drug diversion arrests in 2009, compared to 83 the year before.
Fueling the increase could be the increased resources that the department has put on the problem, said a Sheriff's Office spokeswoman. Over the past two years, the number of detectives assigned to drug diversion cases grew from two to 13. A Sheriff's Office-led task force also includes four members from other agencies.
"Of course if you have more detectives assigned to follow up on these cases, you're going to find more cases and conduct more arrests," Barreda said.
Investigators are seeing small, loosely organized rings of Pinellas drug traffickers who recruit others, sometimes transients, and pay them to get prescriptions, said the head of the Sheriff's Office narcotics division.
The recruit makes a small fee and ring members feed their addictions or sell the drugs for profit. The going rate for a pain pill in Pinellas County can be anywhere from $8 to $15 a pill, though the price is even higher in other parts of the country.
Gibbs also said he planned to share information about RxPatrol, a Purdue-funded database designed to collect and analyze information about pharmacy robberies, with the law enforcement officers.
The database, he said, is credited with facilitating 103 arrests since its inception in 2003.
"We don't want people abusing our products or anyone else's products," he said.
Coats said he supports greater emphasis on treating addicts, some of whom want help but can't find it or afford it.
Alfonso predicts the problem will get worse before it gets better. For each Pinellas doctor shopper taken off the street, another appears: "It's like shooting fish in a barrel."
While I have blogged about prescription drug abuse in the past, it appears that it is becoming even more of an epidemic. What does that mean for a St. Petersburg, Florida criminal defense attorney or his or her clients? While not widly known, in the state of florida, possession of prescription drugs(like oxy or zanax) without a prescription carries the same points and same potential punishment as illegal drugs such as cocaine or meth!
Have you or a loved one been arrested for a drug charge or drug trafficking? Then contact the Clearwater criminal defense attorneys of Blake & Dorsten, P.A. for a free consultation!
For more information, or to speak directly with experienced Clearwater criminal defense lawyers please contact BLAKE & DORSTEN, P.A. at 727.286.6141 or email the lawyers your questions at: info@blakedorstenlaw.com. We are located at 4707 140th Ave N, Suite 104 in Clearwater, across from the criminal courthouse in the airport business center, minutes from Tampa and St. Petersburg.
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