Clearwater Defense Lawyer : Fruit flavored alcohol is still alcohol!!

By Nicholas Dorsten, Esq.

A recent article on Tampa Bay online, while sad, sheds some more light on the dangers of drinking and driving, not with beer or liquor, but sugary alcoholic beverages.

The malt beverage Four Loko, which a St. Petersburg man accused of DUI manslaughter, 20, has told officers he drank in addition to consuming liquor and smoking marijuana prior to Sunday's fatal crash that killed four people, is popular with younger people because it combines 12 percent alcohol mixed with caffeine.

The beverage comes in a variety of flavors and has been the subject of controversy because some believe its makers are targeting teens. It is said Four Loko looks like Monster energy drinks,but unlike Monster, it does contain alcohol.

When shown a can of Four Loko in its grape flavor, a St. Petersburg registered dietitian and nutritionist called it "scary stuff." The dietician said the can looks like it appeals to kids.

"It's definitely going to put you on a total high. I mean, we already know what caffeine does to people," the St. Petersburg dietician said. "And so it's going to keep you awake and allow you to keep drinking alcohol because alcohol is a depressant and now it's giving you the caffeine so you can drink more alcohol."

The crash at Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Street and 22nd Avenue North in St. Petersburg killed a man and his three adult sons. All four victims were listed as being from Orlando.

Besides being charged with DUI manslaughter, the St. Petersburg, Florida defendant was also charged with DUI, possession of marijuana and several traffic citations.

Have you or someone you love been arrested for driving under the influence (dui)? The Clearwater criminal defense firm of Blake & Dorsten, P.A. is hear to fight for you! The Lawyers at Blake & Dorsten, P.A. have handled thousands of criminal cases including DUI, DUI manslaughter and all drug charges including possession of marijuana.

For more information, or to speak directly with experienced Clearwater 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

Clearwater Defense lawyer : DUI...it can happen to anyone!

By Nicholas J. Dorsten, Esq.

According to an article in The St. Petersburg Times,in CLEARWATER — A nurse at the Pinellas County Jail was arrested late Saturday after an accident and charged with driving under the influence, Police officers said.

The accused, a licensed practical nurse, was also charged with resisting arrest after, police say, she punched an officer and then refused to get out of her vehicle.

According to arrest reports, the Defendant was driving a late model car when she got into an accident with another vehicle around 10:30 p.m. near Countryside Boulevard and Enterprise Road in Clearwater, Florida.

When Clearwater police arrived, the Defendant "reeked of liquor and could barely stand up," an arrest report claims.

The Defendant got back into her car, the report says, then refused to get out or hand over her car keys.

When the officer tried to take the keys from the ignition, the Defendant punched and pushed him in the arms and upper body, then threw the keys at him, according to the report.

The driver of the other vehicle, who was not identified, perhaps suffered "minor injuries," according to the arrest report.

The Defendant of Clearwater, refused to do field sobriety tests or take a Breathalyzer, Clearwater police said.

She has worked for the Pinellas County Sheriff's Office since June 2001.

Investigators from the agency's administrative investigations division were notified of the arrest, per standard procedure. The Defendant was released from the jail after posting bail Sunday morning.

This story goes to show you that Driving Under the Influence or DUI can happen to ANYONE! In the State of Florida, a driver is considered to be "under the influence" if he/she has a breath alcohol level of 0.08 or above or if his normal reactions are impaired. This nurse, a pillar of the Pinellas community, now is facing battery of a law enforcement officer, a DUI charge and now may be facing a Personal Injury lawsuit, all because she made a simple mistake. When you choose to Drink and Drive, even if you only had a few, you must be prepared for the worse case scenarios. You put you job, life, freedom and the life of others at risk!

For more information, or to speak directly with experienced criminal defense attorneys, contact the law firm of BLAKE & DORSTEN, P.A. at 727.286.6141 or email the attorneys at: info@blakedorstenlaw.com

Clearwater Defense Lawyer : Operation "Heatwave" = more drug arrests...

By Nicholas J. Dorsten, Esq.

From Baynews9.com comes late word out of Tarpon Springs TARPON SPRINGS that police officers continued a drug sweep overnight aimed at street-level drug dealing.

Named Operation Heat Wave, the sweep targeted dozens known drug dealers in the Tarpon Springs area. Working with Pinellas County Sheriff's deputies, Tarpon Springs officers began rounding up suspects Thursday afternoon and all through the night.

Officials said at least 11 suspects were taken into custody. Those suspects, called street-level drug dealers, are facing charges of selling and possession of crack cocaine and prescription pills.

Authorities are searching for the remaining suspects.

Tarpon Springs officers made illegal drug purchases for months, both before and during the operation.

During last Thursday's sweep, officials obtained a search warrant for a home on South Grosse Ave., where illegal drugs and weapons were discovered.

This story goes to show that with Florida continuing to crack down on both drug possession and drug trafficking. With this tough "war on drugs" approach our state has been following for the past several decades, more of these kind of drug busts are sure to follow.

As everybody knows, where there is illegal drugs,there is usually guns.

Have you been arrested on weapons or prescription drug charges? Then the Clearwater, Florida based Blake & Dorsten, P.A. criminal defense lawyers are at your service. We offer free consultations combined with reasonable fees and sound legal advice.

For more information, or to speak directly with experienced 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

Clearwater Defense Lawyer : Facebook Request= Jail!?

By Nicholas J. Dorsten, Esq.

According to The Smoking Gun, A Florida man was arrested last night after he allegedly violated a protective order by sending his estranged wife requests to “friend” him on Facebook.

According to a Pasco County Sheriff’s Office report, the Defendant, admitted contacting his wife twice last last month via the social networking site. Investigators claim that his Facebook requests violated a domestic violence injunction obtained by his wife, from whom he has been separated for two years.

“Yeah, I did it,” the man said when confronted by cops. He remarked that the friend requests were “stupid” and knew that he should not have sent them. The Defendant, who also copped to changing the password to his wife’s Yahoo e-mail account, said that he was upset that he had to attend court-ordered counseling sessions as a result of the injunction (which bars him from any contact with his wife).

The Defendant was jailed in lieu of $5,000 bail. The sheriff’s report lists his employer as a local plumber in Pasco.

In an apparent reference to the filing of the restraining order, the Defendant wrote in a July 27 post to his Facebook wall that, “today my future x wife thinks she won but the real winner is me for i know the truth she is nothing but a lying emotionally disturbed woman who needs help to handle previous abusive relationship."

This story both highlights both the emotional impact of a divorce as well as the need to be careful when dealing with anu sort of injunction or domestic violence claim.

Have you been accused of battery or domestic violence? Then Blake & Dorsten, P.A. is here for you! If you have been arrested or accused of a violent crime, you need to know that the police and prosecutors are already working against you. You need attorneys who know the system and can give you the best possible result.

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 the attorneys at: info@blakedorstenlaw.com

Clearwater Defense lawyer : Another DUI tragedy

By Nick Dorsten, Esq.

According to an August 13 article in the St. Petersburg Times, A 28-year-old Clearwater woman is accused of driving drunk when she turned in front of a motorcyclist, causing an accident that killed a man this past July. The driver was arrested and charged with DUI manslaughter. Toxicology tests revealed she had a blood alcohol level of 0.15, nearly twice the limit (.08) at which a driver is presumed impaired in Florida, according to the Clearwater police.

The victim, who resided in Pinellas Park, was pronounced dead at the scene of the July 10 accident on Missouri Avenue.

According to the police, the victim was headed south on Missouri when the suspect, who was northbound, turned in front of him.

She turned herself in at the Pinellas County Jail on Thursday. She was released Thursday night after posting bail. In addition to the DUI manslaughter charge, she was cited for failure to yield to oncoming traffic when making a left turn.

Blake and Dorsten Law handles all criminal cases throughout the Tampa Bay area and select cases statewide. If you or someone you care about has been charged with either a DUI, DUI manslaughter or even a traffic citation, the Tampa Bay area Lawyers at Blake and Dorsten are ready and able to fight for you!

For more information, or to speak directly with experienced criminal defense attorneys, please contact the law firm of BLAKE AND DORSTEN at 727.286.6141 or email your question to: info@blakedorstenlaw.com

Clearwater Defense Lawyer : Tampa Bay Criminal Defense Lawyer - news

According to an article published last week in the St.Petersburg Times , Ralph Decker, a local Pinellas County resident who achieved notoriety by commiting a Battery on a vacationing college football player.

According to reports, Mr. Decker punched Tyler Moeller, an Ohio State linebacker at Gator's Cafe and Saloon in Treasure Island, knocking him unconscious and causing him to hit the back of his head. He suffered stroke-like symptoms and had trouble speaking. "He went from top shape to being unable to walk reasonable distances," Amy Moeller said in her statement. To relieve the pressure in his brain, two dime-size holes were drilled into his skull. While he could have faced up to five years in prison for BATTERY, he instead received two years of probation. Mr. Decker was warned that should he violate his probation by drinking alcohol, not going to anger management classes or not paying the victim's medical bills, he could be going to state prison.
For his part, victim Tyler Moeller, after receiving emergency brain surgery after the BATTERY took a year off of football and is back fighting for a position. Tyler's mother was present for most of the Court hearings and appeared to have approved of the disposition. According to the newspaper, she had the prosecutor read a prepared statement regarding the attack.



If you or a loved one has been charged with a Battery or a Violation of Probation, BLAKE AND DORSTEN P.A., based in Clearwater, is here to help.

Former State of Florida Prosecutors Rex Blake and Nicholas Dorsten handles criminal cases such as these throughout the Tampa Bay area and beyond.

For more information, or to speak directly with experienced St. Petersburg criminal defense lawyers, please contact the law firm of BLAKE AND DORSTEN at 727.286.6141 or email us at: info@blakedorstenlaw.com