By Nicholas Dorsten, esq.
A recent article in the St. Pete Times has some interesting tidbits about a controversial reggae star and his trial on Tampa drug charges.
TAMPA — Stephen Marley, son of reggae legend Bob Marley, took the stand as a character witness for Buju Banton on Wednesday, calling the acclaimed singer "the voice of the people'' who never talked about drugs.
Banton, whose real name is Mark Myrie, is on trial in federal court in Tampa on drug conspiracy charges. Both grew up in Jamaica and have collaborated on music. Marley said he has known Banton for 20 years.
The Tampa Bay area criminal defense attorney asked Marley whether he ever heard Banton discuss illegal drugs.
"No, no," Marley said. "Never."
Marley called Banton "the voice of Jamaica," noting that his music is ingrained in the nation's culture.
"That sums it up," he said. "What Banton means to us. He is the voice of the people."
Banton has earned four Grammy nominations since his debut album in 1992. He is considered one of reggae's elite stars, with his 1995 album Til Shiloe garnering a spot among Rolling Stone's "Essential Recordings of the '90s." In later years, the singer became involved in controversy when critics accused him of anti-gay lyrics. Critics have accused him of encouraging murder or violent crimes against homosexuals.
Prosecutors say they have video and audio of the musician discussing the ins and outs of drug smuggling with an informer and asking the informer to help him in other illegal endeavors.
Banton's trial started Monday after months of delays. The informer, Alexander Johnson, is expected to testify. Prosecutors said they also have video of Banton tasting cocaine during a drug deal.
The criminal defense lawyer said Banton plans to testify
Have you or a loved one been arrested for a drug charge, drug trafficking 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.
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.
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
Thursday, September 16, 2010
Clearwater Defense Lawyer : Prescription drug sting arrests
By Nicholas Dorsten, Esq.
A recent article in the St. Pete Times shows how the police are cracking down on prescription drugs. Unlike previous posts discussing marijuana or cocaine these drugs, while legal if you have a prescription, are still highly addictive but not considered in the same category as "bad drugs" by much of the general public.
"CLEARWATER — On a grassy field in Clearwater, in a courtroom in Tampa and under a bridge in Indian Shores, the Tampa Bay community's battle against prescription drug crime abuse is playing out.
One by one Wednesday morning, a stream of suspected drug dealers and abusers were brought to an athletic field populated by police vans, an RV and officers coming and going. The police roundup, part of Operation Pill Popper, produced 38 people who were charged with illegally obtaining or selling oxycodone and carted off to the Pinellas County Jail.
Across the bay in Tampa, in a rare trial of a doctor on Tampa drug trafficking accusations, the physician took the stand to refute testimony from undercover detectives that he never examined them or asked for medical histories before prescribing Vicodin and Xanax.
And in Indian Shores, a suspected drug trafficker was in jail after authorities found him hiding under a bridge. The arrest came after a doctor called authorities to let them know the man was back in town.
The juggernaut of prescription drug abuse, which now kills more people annually in the Tampa Bay area than car accidents, has enlisted an impressive set of combatants, from the U.S. Attorney's Office to local police agencies and elective boards and commissions.
But the battle continues to reveal the insidious depth of the problem and the challenge of overcoming it.
"It's definitely growing," said a Pinellas sheriff's Capt. "I wouldn't be surprised if in the next investigation, we double these latest numbers. It's not an unimaginable thing."
Law enforcement officials and lawmakers alike have highlighted these kinds of cases to argue that Florida needs a prescription monitoring program that would used a centralized computer database to help doctors determine if a patient has been doctor-shopping. State lawmakers have passed a monitoring program law, but several hurdles have delayed the program's launch until next year.
Efforts to crack down on prescription drug abuse have become more prominent recently with high-profile police raids on pain clinics. The state Legislature passed new laws aiming to curb doctor-shopping and crack down on physicians who overprescribe. Law enforcement agencies have been pouring more resources into nabbing painkiller abusers and Tampa Bay drug traffickers.
But statistics increasingly show that the problem has become deeply entrenched in society.
Last year in Florida, 2,488 people fatally overdosed on prescription drugs, with 681 deaths occurring in the Tampa Bay area.
While local law enforcement agencies await tougher legislation on prescription drug monitoring, they have launched their own ground-level attacks.
A Pinellas task force carried out the first Operation Pill Popper in February, focusing on 74 suspects, 150 counts of doctor-shopping and about 55,000 pills with an estimated $750,000 street value.
Wednesday's Operation Pill Popper II targeted 175 people on 375 charges, including Clearwater doctor-shopping, obtaining a controlled substance by fraud and conspiracy to sell and traffic various pain medication, the sheriff's office said. They are suspected of illegally obtaining or selling more than 100,000 oxycodone pills since January.
A multiagency law enforcement task force set up a staging area early Wednesday at a Clearwater field.
Deputies brought suspects to the field, where they were loaded into vans and taken to jail in front of reporters and TV cameras.
"We're trying to bring this effort out into the streets," said the sheriff's captain.
By the end of Wednesday's staged bust, deputies had arrested 38 people, adding to the 52 people arrested from the start of the investigation July 1. The captain said deputies would continue seeking arrests related to the investigation.
Deputies said 68 of the 175 targeted in the investigation have been operating as an organized group that involves using homeless people or addicts to take their own ID cards and fake prescriptions to pharmacies. The recruits then give the pills back to the recruiters for either money or a portion of the pills.
"It's not all about money," the captain said. "It's not all about greed. Some of these people have serious problems and need help."
Law enforcement officials from St. Petersburg, Clearwater and Largo worked with the Tampa office of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration on the case, deputies said.
Wednesday's arrests came as the trial of a doctor accused of prescribing undercover detectives enough addictive medication to be considered drug trafficking is wrapping up. A verdict on the doctor, who runs a Seffner clinic and is still licensed, could come today.
A day earlier, another man was arrested on charges of doctor-shopping and trafficking in oxycodone. Pinellas deputies said the defendant visited three Florida doctors a month, including one in Winter Park, to get thousands of OxyContin and oxycodone pills. Several of the doctors alerted authorities.
On Tuesday morning, an Indian Shores doctor called deputies to tell them the man was back. When deputies arrived, he ran toward a condo complex. After a 45-minute search, he was found hiding under a bridge, deputies said".
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.
A recent article in the St. Pete Times shows how the police are cracking down on prescription drugs. Unlike previous posts discussing marijuana or cocaine these drugs, while legal if you have a prescription, are still highly addictive but not considered in the same category as "bad drugs" by much of the general public.
"CLEARWATER — On a grassy field in Clearwater, in a courtroom in Tampa and under a bridge in Indian Shores, the Tampa Bay community's battle against prescription drug crime abuse is playing out.
One by one Wednesday morning, a stream of suspected drug dealers and abusers were brought to an athletic field populated by police vans, an RV and officers coming and going. The police roundup, part of Operation Pill Popper, produced 38 people who were charged with illegally obtaining or selling oxycodone and carted off to the Pinellas County Jail.
Across the bay in Tampa, in a rare trial of a doctor on Tampa drug trafficking accusations, the physician took the stand to refute testimony from undercover detectives that he never examined them or asked for medical histories before prescribing Vicodin and Xanax.
And in Indian Shores, a suspected drug trafficker was in jail after authorities found him hiding under a bridge. The arrest came after a doctor called authorities to let them know the man was back in town.
The juggernaut of prescription drug abuse, which now kills more people annually in the Tampa Bay area than car accidents, has enlisted an impressive set of combatants, from the U.S. Attorney's Office to local police agencies and elective boards and commissions.
But the battle continues to reveal the insidious depth of the problem and the challenge of overcoming it.
"It's definitely growing," said a Pinellas sheriff's Capt. "I wouldn't be surprised if in the next investigation, we double these latest numbers. It's not an unimaginable thing."
Law enforcement officials and lawmakers alike have highlighted these kinds of cases to argue that Florida needs a prescription monitoring program that would used a centralized computer database to help doctors determine if a patient has been doctor-shopping. State lawmakers have passed a monitoring program law, but several hurdles have delayed the program's launch until next year.
Efforts to crack down on prescription drug abuse have become more prominent recently with high-profile police raids on pain clinics. The state Legislature passed new laws aiming to curb doctor-shopping and crack down on physicians who overprescribe. Law enforcement agencies have been pouring more resources into nabbing painkiller abusers and Tampa Bay drug traffickers.
But statistics increasingly show that the problem has become deeply entrenched in society.
Last year in Florida, 2,488 people fatally overdosed on prescription drugs, with 681 deaths occurring in the Tampa Bay area.
While local law enforcement agencies await tougher legislation on prescription drug monitoring, they have launched their own ground-level attacks.
A Pinellas task force carried out the first Operation Pill Popper in February, focusing on 74 suspects, 150 counts of doctor-shopping and about 55,000 pills with an estimated $750,000 street value.
Wednesday's Operation Pill Popper II targeted 175 people on 375 charges, including Clearwater doctor-shopping, obtaining a controlled substance by fraud and conspiracy to sell and traffic various pain medication, the sheriff's office said. They are suspected of illegally obtaining or selling more than 100,000 oxycodone pills since January.
A multiagency law enforcement task force set up a staging area early Wednesday at a Clearwater field.
Deputies brought suspects to the field, where they were loaded into vans and taken to jail in front of reporters and TV cameras.
"We're trying to bring this effort out into the streets," said the sheriff's captain.
By the end of Wednesday's staged bust, deputies had arrested 38 people, adding to the 52 people arrested from the start of the investigation July 1. The captain said deputies would continue seeking arrests related to the investigation.
Deputies said 68 of the 175 targeted in the investigation have been operating as an organized group that involves using homeless people or addicts to take their own ID cards and fake prescriptions to pharmacies. The recruits then give the pills back to the recruiters for either money or a portion of the pills.
"It's not all about money," the captain said. "It's not all about greed. Some of these people have serious problems and need help."
Law enforcement officials from St. Petersburg, Clearwater and Largo worked with the Tampa office of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration on the case, deputies said.
Wednesday's arrests came as the trial of a doctor accused of prescribing undercover detectives enough addictive medication to be considered drug trafficking is wrapping up. A verdict on the doctor, who runs a Seffner clinic and is still licensed, could come today.
A day earlier, another man was arrested on charges of doctor-shopping and trafficking in oxycodone. Pinellas deputies said the defendant visited three Florida doctors a month, including one in Winter Park, to get thousands of OxyContin and oxycodone pills. Several of the doctors alerted authorities.
On Tuesday morning, an Indian Shores doctor called deputies to tell them the man was back. When deputies arrived, he ran toward a condo complex. After a 45-minute search, he was found hiding under a bridge, deputies said".
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.
Monday, September 13, 2010
Clearwater Defense Lawyer : Busted!
By Nicholas Dorsten
An article in the St. Pete times highlighted a local police sweep of wanted felons in Pinellas County
CLEARWATER — Operation Fall Sweep, a police operation that was supposed to get wanted Clearwater criminals, was off to a slow start.
An hour and a half into the roundup of people wanted on felony charges Friday, and Clearwater police hadn't found any of the 25 men and women they were looking for.
"We've got to get someone," said a Clearwater Srgt. "It's killing me."
The longer the sweep went on, the greater the chance that word would start to spread.
"When the word gets out — poof," another officer said.
But persistence was about to pay off.
As if on cue, the officers got the news he was waiting for. Two officers had picked up a man wanted on drug charges.
"Finally got one," the srgt said.
"We just happened to stumble onto him," Officer Kevin Boyle said.
He and another Officer were actually looking for another person on their list when they found the 27-year-old man outside a neighborhood barbershop at Springdale Street and N Betty Lane.
Operation Fall Sweep was a joint effort between the Clearwater Police Department's community liaison officers, its brand-new anti-crime units and probation officers from the state Department of Corrections, who were checking up on parolees and probationers.
Scott Sandmeyer, Department of Corrections probation supervisor in Clearwater, said the partnership would "benefit the public because it creates an environment where we exchange information with each other."
Before officers went out, they were briefed by Lt. David Dalton and Chief Tony Holloway.
Most of the suspects are accused of nonviolent offenses such as DUI,possession of cocaine , or burglary a detective said.
"Make sure we all go home tonight," he said. "There's no one on this list that's worth your life."
The operation highlighted two areas Holloway has vowed to focus on since he took over as chief in February: proactive enforcement and intelligence-led policing.
The latter is a model that uses accrued data to target enforcement to specific areas or crimes and relies on sharing information among different divisions or agencies.
For instance, Holloway said, the operation would familiarize community officers with probationers who live in the areas they cover.
After officers made their first arrest, things started to pick up: a juvenile wanted on drug charges, a woman accused of prostitution, a man who had sold narcotics to undercover detectives.
As of 6:30 p.m. Friday, several people had been arrested. Police planned to keep searching into the night.
The goal was to get wanted felons off the street, Holloway said.
It looked like it worked. By the end of the night several people were back in custody with charges ranging from violation of probation to worthless check to a trafficking in cocaine charge.
Have you or someone you loved been arrested for a violation of probation or a drug charge? Then contact the Clearwater based firm of Blake & Dorsten, P.A. today for a free consultation or visit our website at www.BlakeDorstenLaw.com
For more information, or to speak directly with experienced Clearwater criminal defense lawyers, please contact the law firm of BLAKE & DORSTEN, P.A. at 727.286.6141 or email the lawyers at: info@blakedorstenlaw.com
An article in the St. Pete times highlighted a local police sweep of wanted felons in Pinellas County
CLEARWATER — Operation Fall Sweep, a police operation that was supposed to get wanted Clearwater criminals, was off to a slow start.
An hour and a half into the roundup of people wanted on felony charges Friday, and Clearwater police hadn't found any of the 25 men and women they were looking for.
"We've got to get someone," said a Clearwater Srgt. "It's killing me."
The longer the sweep went on, the greater the chance that word would start to spread.
"When the word gets out — poof," another officer said.
But persistence was about to pay off.
As if on cue, the officers got the news he was waiting for. Two officers had picked up a man wanted on drug charges.
"Finally got one," the srgt said.
"We just happened to stumble onto him," Officer Kevin Boyle said.
He and another Officer were actually looking for another person on their list when they found the 27-year-old man outside a neighborhood barbershop at Springdale Street and N Betty Lane.
Operation Fall Sweep was a joint effort between the Clearwater Police Department's community liaison officers, its brand-new anti-crime units and probation officers from the state Department of Corrections, who were checking up on parolees and probationers.
Scott Sandmeyer, Department of Corrections probation supervisor in Clearwater, said the partnership would "benefit the public because it creates an environment where we exchange information with each other."
Before officers went out, they were briefed by Lt. David Dalton and Chief Tony Holloway.
Most of the suspects are accused of nonviolent offenses such as DUI,possession of cocaine , or burglary a detective said.
"Make sure we all go home tonight," he said. "There's no one on this list that's worth your life."
The operation highlighted two areas Holloway has vowed to focus on since he took over as chief in February: proactive enforcement and intelligence-led policing.
The latter is a model that uses accrued data to target enforcement to specific areas or crimes and relies on sharing information among different divisions or agencies.
For instance, Holloway said, the operation would familiarize community officers with probationers who live in the areas they cover.
After officers made their first arrest, things started to pick up: a juvenile wanted on drug charges, a woman accused of prostitution, a man who had sold narcotics to undercover detectives.
As of 6:30 p.m. Friday, several people had been arrested. Police planned to keep searching into the night.
The goal was to get wanted felons off the street, Holloway said.
It looked like it worked. By the end of the night several people were back in custody with charges ranging from violation of probation to worthless check to a trafficking in cocaine charge.
Have you or someone you loved been arrested for a violation of probation or a drug charge? Then contact the Clearwater based firm of Blake & Dorsten, P.A. today for a free consultation or visit our website at www.BlakeDorstenLaw.com
For more information, or to speak directly with experienced Clearwater criminal defense lawyers, please contact the law firm of BLAKE & DORSTEN, P.A. at 727.286.6141 or email the lawyers at: info@blakedorstenlaw.com
Friday, September 10, 2010
Clearwater Defense Lawyer : Only in Florida
By Nicholas Dorsten, Esq.
I often get asked as a Clearwater criminal defense lawyer about some of the more unusual criminal cases. Well this recent story I found on the bay news nine website may just take the cake for September.
OLDSMAR --
A woman woke up to a strange man rubbing her neck after he broke into her Oldsmar home on Wednesday.
Pinellas County deputies say the Defendant, 22, broke into the apartment on Loblolly Court.
The woman, her boyfriend, and two young children were all inside and asleep at the time.
Officials say the woman's boyfriend chased the man outside where deputies and a K-9 police dog rushed to help.
Deputies say they cornered the Defendant near a lake. He is now facing burglary charges.
No one inside of the apartment was hurt according to the report.
So this criminal is now facing at least one burglary charge (enhanced because people were inside the home when he broke in) but depending on what the prosecutor does, he may be facing additional charges including battery, and assault. Due to the nature of the crime, he may also need to undergo a sex offender type screening. One weird night can now mean years in prison for this Oldsmar criminal defendant.
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.
I often get asked as a Clearwater criminal defense lawyer about some of the more unusual criminal cases. Well this recent story I found on the bay news nine website may just take the cake for September.
OLDSMAR --
A woman woke up to a strange man rubbing her neck after he broke into her Oldsmar home on Wednesday.
Pinellas County deputies say the Defendant, 22, broke into the apartment on Loblolly Court.
The woman, her boyfriend, and two young children were all inside and asleep at the time.
Officials say the woman's boyfriend chased the man outside where deputies and a K-9 police dog rushed to help.
Deputies say they cornered the Defendant near a lake. He is now facing burglary charges.
No one inside of the apartment was hurt according to the report.
So this criminal is now facing at least one burglary charge (enhanced because people were inside the home when he broke in) but depending on what the prosecutor does, he may be facing additional charges including battery, and assault. Due to the nature of the crime, he may also need to undergo a sex offender type screening. One weird night can now mean years in prison for this Oldsmar criminal defendant.
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.
Sunday, September 5, 2010
Clearwater Defense Lawyer: A senseless DUI in St. Petersburg, Florida
By Nicholas Dorsten, esq.
An article in todays St. Petersburg Times is another reminder of how common St. Petersburg drunk driving is....
ST. PETERSBURG, Fl — The driver of a sport utility vehicle is charged with DUI manslaughter after running a stop sign and colliding with a motorcyclist early Sunday morning, police said.
The victim, who was 24 and lived in St. Petersburg, Fl was declared dead at the scene, the intersection of 34th Avenue and 34th Street N.
Police said the driver of the Mercedes SUV, the defendant, charged with a DUI of St. Petersburg was driving east on 34th Avenue when he ran the stop sign at 34th Street around 2:30 a.m. Cecez is in the Pinellas County Jail with no bond.
He ran into the victim's Kawasaki, which was going south on 34th Street. The victim of the DUI manslaughter, who police said was not wearing a helmet, was thrown from the bike.
The defendant was transported to Bayfront Hospital where he was treated for minor injuries.
Police said he was impaired, although did not provide details, and charged him with DUI manslaughter.
I have mentioned the dangers and risks of Driving under the Influence or DUI several times before on this site. Yet this is one crime that people just continue to do...
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 to: 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.
An article in todays St. Petersburg Times is another reminder of how common St. Petersburg drunk driving is....
ST. PETERSBURG, Fl — The driver of a sport utility vehicle is charged with DUI manslaughter after running a stop sign and colliding with a motorcyclist early Sunday morning, police said.
The victim, who was 24 and lived in St. Petersburg, Fl was declared dead at the scene, the intersection of 34th Avenue and 34th Street N.
Police said the driver of the Mercedes SUV, the defendant, charged with a DUI of St. Petersburg was driving east on 34th Avenue when he ran the stop sign at 34th Street around 2:30 a.m. Cecez is in the Pinellas County Jail with no bond.
He ran into the victim's Kawasaki, which was going south on 34th Street. The victim of the DUI manslaughter, who police said was not wearing a helmet, was thrown from the bike.
The defendant was transported to Bayfront Hospital where he was treated for minor injuries.
Police said he was impaired, although did not provide details, and charged him with DUI manslaughter.
I have mentioned the dangers and risks of Driving under the Influence or DUI several times before on this site. Yet this is one crime that people just continue to do...
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 to: 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, September 1, 2010
Clearwater Defense Lawyer: Not just a Clearwater DUI problem...
By Nicholas Dorsten, Esq.
Bad news in the world of sports, according to an article in the St. Petersburg times....
In Tampa an assistant coach for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers is accused of driving under the influence.
The man, 32, was arrested about 11:40 p.m. Tuesday near S Moody Avenue and W Swann Avenue, police said.
He had a blood-alcohol level ranging from 0.137 to 0.143, police said. The point at which impairment is presumed in Florida is 0.08.
The Tampa DUI suspect is in his second season with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and first as defensive assistant coach, according to the team's website. Previously, he was an assistant offensive line coach last season.
He was released from the Hillsborough County Jail on $500 bail Wednesday morning.
This case is timely because I often have people ask me...what are some differences between a Tampa DUI attorney and a Clearwater DUI lawyer? While there are mostly similarities, there are several differences.
Traditionally, Tampa DUI Lawyers dealing with the Tampa criminal court system, have different challenges. Tampa usually has larger case loads and different organization. As a result a DUI attorney there may have the opportunity to get more dismissals or reductions in the charges.
A Clearwater DUI attorney, has the opposite problem. In Clearwater or St. Petersburg, the case load is just as large but the prosecutors have less discretion in reducing any charges and tend to rely more on guidelines.
While these are basic guidelines and not intended to be specific, know that whether you need a Clearwater DUI Lawyer or a Tampa DUI attorney, you are now hopefully armed with more knowledge.
Have you or someone you loved been charged with a DUI? Do you need the help of a St. Petersburg Criminal Defense lawyer or a 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
Bad news in the world of sports, according to an article in the St. Petersburg times....
In Tampa an assistant coach for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers is accused of driving under the influence.
The man, 32, was arrested about 11:40 p.m. Tuesday near S Moody Avenue and W Swann Avenue, police said.
He had a blood-alcohol level ranging from 0.137 to 0.143, police said. The point at which impairment is presumed in Florida is 0.08.
The Tampa DUI suspect is in his second season with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and first as defensive assistant coach, according to the team's website. Previously, he was an assistant offensive line coach last season.
He was released from the Hillsborough County Jail on $500 bail Wednesday morning.
This case is timely because I often have people ask me...what are some differences between a Tampa DUI attorney and a Clearwater DUI lawyer? While there are mostly similarities, there are several differences.
Traditionally, Tampa DUI Lawyers dealing with the Tampa criminal court system, have different challenges. Tampa usually has larger case loads and different organization. As a result a DUI attorney there may have the opportunity to get more dismissals or reductions in the charges.
A Clearwater DUI attorney, has the opposite problem. In Clearwater or St. Petersburg, the case load is just as large but the prosecutors have less discretion in reducing any charges and tend to rely more on guidelines.
While these are basic guidelines and not intended to be specific, know that whether you need a Clearwater DUI Lawyer or a Tampa DUI attorney, you are now hopefully armed with more knowledge.
Have you or someone you loved been charged with a DUI? Do you need the help of a St. Petersburg Criminal Defense lawyer or a 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
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)