By Nick Dorsten, Esq
Sometimes when you make an arrest, not everyone appreciates it (from the Tampa website)
CLEARWATER — Police arrested two men on weapons charges and a third man on a warrant Wednesday night after receiving a report about men carrying guns on a residential street, authorities said.
Two men, both 19, were each charged with carrying a concealed firearm and being a felon in possession of a firearm.
Another man, 26, was arrested on a warrant for failure to appear in court on a drug possession charge.
Clearwater police were called to the neighborhood in North Greenwood around 4:20 p.m. by a person who said three men were standing near a porch with handguns tucked in their waistbands.
As police arrived, the men went into a unit at the Palmetto Park Apartments on Palm Bluff Street.
Police contacted the person renting the apartment and brought her to the scene. She told officers that no one should be in her apartment and gave them permission to go inside, police said.
More than a dozen units responded, and more than a hundred onlookers gathered along the street to watch as the drama unfolded. Around 5:20 p.m., a canine team arrived and joined officers lining the doorway of the home. Some officers carried assault rifles.
The incident ended around 5:30 p.m., when several men came out of the home, were ordered to the ground and were handcuffed as some bystanders jeered police.
"Shoot them Crackers," one classy woman yelled.
Police found two semiautomatic handguns and a revolver inside the apartment. One of the guns was stolen, police said.
A witness identified the first two suspects as two of the people seen with guns.
Pinellas Court records show one was charged with grand theft auto and cocaine possession in 2010, but both were reduced to misdemeanor charges. An arrest affidavit says he has three prior felony convictions as a juvenile.
The second man was convicted of cocaine and marijuana possession in January, according to court records.
The third man was charged with possession of a controlled substance in September. A warrant for his arrest was issued March 1 when he failed to show up at a pretrial hearing, court records show.
On Thursday afternoon the first two men were both being held in the Pinellas County Jail in lieu of $30,000 bail. The last man was released on his own recognizance late Thursday morning.
Have you or someone you love been arrested on cocaine, marijuana or gun 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
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.
Sunday, March 27, 2011
Tampa Bay Criminal Defense Lawyer - murder
By Nicholas Dorsten, Esq.
From the St. Petersburg Times website, a story about a disturbing trend in a Pinellas city...
PINELLAS — A young man police say fatally shot his elderly grandparents in January told investigators he thought it would be "cool" to kill someone.
A month later, a 20-year-old with a history of drug abuse and criminal behavior allegedly forced his friend to kneel down, then pumped rounds from a semiautomatic weapon into the man in his driveway, killing him.
The following month, a 21-year-old man shot to death his uncle, his grandmother and his uncle's girlfriend before shooting himself.
The toll in Tarpon Springs so far this year: six killings in a city that averaged about one murder per year for the last decade.
In each case, police said, the accused perpetrator was a man between the ages of 20 and 22. In two of them, the suspect targeted family members, and in the other case, the suspect who allegedly wielded the gun took aim at a man who was his coach and mentor.
"Most of these individuals have grown up in other places, but it shows that Tarpon is not exempt from these types of issues," said the Mayor. "It's a sad situation. It's troubling. It's not the norm for a city our size."
But the spate of violence has left some trying to grasp the elusive answer to a perplexing question: What's going on this year in Tarpon Springs?
• • •
In a small, tightly knit place like Tarpon Springs, news and theories spread quickly. In the last three months, Tarpon dwellers have had a lot to buzz about.
Local business owners, were found shot dead in their home in January. This week their grandson, a 22-year-old, was charged with the crime. Local residents said the grandson seemed fascinated with guns and often wore camouflage clothing on walks around the neighborhood.
For weeks, people have speculated about what motivated another February killing of a 33 year old man. The martial arts instructor was gunned down at his Tarpon townhome by a suspect, police said. The suspect's mother told the St. Petersburg Times that the two were friends and that the victim had offered to help the suspect turn his life around.
This week, minutes after firefighters were called to a raging fire in a local gun shop, police responded to a security alarm at a home a couple of miles away and found four bodies, one of them the gun shop owner. Police said his nephew, a 21-year-old, set the fire and killed his uncle, his uncle's girlfriend and his own grandmother in various rooms of the house before sitting down on a couch and killing himself.
But some say the spate of high-profile, violent crimes began last March, when a woman then 41, laid in wait for her coworker at a Tarpon Springs Publix supermarket, then allegedly shot him to death in the parking lot. The woman, wounded in a shootout with Tarpon police, is in jail awaiting trial.
• • •
While the frequency of homicides is uncharacteristic for Tarpon, statistics show the accused in the cases since January fall into an established category.
Historically, men have always been more likely to commit murder. The U.S. Bureau of Justice Statistics, using nationwide data from 1976 to 2005, found that nearly 90 percent of homicides are committed by males.
And young, adult males ages 18 to 24 are more likely to murder someone than any other age group, according to the data.
Men at that age tend to be more immature than their female counterparts, lack coping skills and are socialized to believe that violence is a viable solution to conflict, said a professor of criminology at Northern Arizona University who has studied domestic killings extensively.
"The gender component is very important in that men commit these offenses much more than women, I think because men are much more emotionally isolated than women and women have better coping skills," he said.
Researchers have noticed that multiple family killings or "familicides," like the cases in Tarpon Springs, have increased dramatically during the recession, specifically since the fall of 2008, he said. The suspects in such cases often seem to share a feeling they don't measure up to society's expectations.
"I often explain these cases in terms of men's power and control may be ebbing," he said. "They feel, often, ashamed of who they are … as providers, as young men making their way in the world. They perceive themselves as failures and they have poor emotional skills around handling anger.
"Rather than handle this through various emotional skills the way most people handle it, like seeking support from others … they discharge that shame and dissipate it through rage,".
Ideas about masculinity are perpetuated in movies, television shows, video games, sports contests, even military conflicts, where "we send men off to war to solve problems, so we model it nationally,"
The mayor, executive director of the Citizens Alliance for Progress, a Tarpon Springs nonprofit, has spent his adult life working with youths. He suspects several factors may be at play in the outbreak of violence, including the instability of some individuals.
Additionally, he fears that today's youth have become increasingly desensitized to violence, especially with the popularity of realistic-looking video games that have killing as the main objective. Children need to learn early that conflicts are best solved through discussion, not violence, he said.
In the Tarpon incidents, "more than likely something happened in their lives that they feel like they need to resort to violence," he said. "It's not normal to resolve a situation with a gun."
• • •
Untimely deaths and homicides, particularly those involving family members, can shatter a community's sense of security, he said.
"People are shocked and disturbed," he said. "We expect families to be crucibles of love, affection and caring. People have disputes and conflicts in families — this is life. But we don't expect it to go to this extreme. It challenges people's beliefs in the efficacy of family relations."
But despite the unusual rash of violence, there is no sense of panic in Tarpon Springs, said a City Commissioner.
"I think most of the people I talk to recognize these are tragic but isolated events," he said. "I don't think people feel Tarpon Springs is unsafe. I think people are upset, almost hurt — that's what's happening in our community right now."
Have you or a loved one been arrested on a murder or violent crime charge? Then the Pinellas, Florida based Blake & Dorsten, P.A. Pinellas criminal defense lawyers are at your service.
For more information, or to speak directly with experienced Pinellas 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
From the St. Petersburg Times website, a story about a disturbing trend in a Pinellas city...
PINELLAS — A young man police say fatally shot his elderly grandparents in January told investigators he thought it would be "cool" to kill someone.
A month later, a 20-year-old with a history of drug abuse and criminal behavior allegedly forced his friend to kneel down, then pumped rounds from a semiautomatic weapon into the man in his driveway, killing him.
The following month, a 21-year-old man shot to death his uncle, his grandmother and his uncle's girlfriend before shooting himself.
The toll in Tarpon Springs so far this year: six killings in a city that averaged about one murder per year for the last decade.
In each case, police said, the accused perpetrator was a man between the ages of 20 and 22. In two of them, the suspect targeted family members, and in the other case, the suspect who allegedly wielded the gun took aim at a man who was his coach and mentor.
"Most of these individuals have grown up in other places, but it shows that Tarpon is not exempt from these types of issues," said the Mayor. "It's a sad situation. It's troubling. It's not the norm for a city our size."
But the spate of violence has left some trying to grasp the elusive answer to a perplexing question: What's going on this year in Tarpon Springs?
• • •
In a small, tightly knit place like Tarpon Springs, news and theories spread quickly. In the last three months, Tarpon dwellers have had a lot to buzz about.
Local business owners, were found shot dead in their home in January. This week their grandson, a 22-year-old, was charged with the crime. Local residents said the grandson seemed fascinated with guns and often wore camouflage clothing on walks around the neighborhood.
For weeks, people have speculated about what motivated another February killing of a 33 year old man. The martial arts instructor was gunned down at his Tarpon townhome by a suspect, police said. The suspect's mother told the St. Petersburg Times that the two were friends and that the victim had offered to help the suspect turn his life around.
This week, minutes after firefighters were called to a raging fire in a local gun shop, police responded to a security alarm at a home a couple of miles away and found four bodies, one of them the gun shop owner. Police said his nephew, a 21-year-old, set the fire and killed his uncle, his uncle's girlfriend and his own grandmother in various rooms of the house before sitting down on a couch and killing himself.
But some say the spate of high-profile, violent crimes began last March, when a woman then 41, laid in wait for her coworker at a Tarpon Springs Publix supermarket, then allegedly shot him to death in the parking lot. The woman, wounded in a shootout with Tarpon police, is in jail awaiting trial.
• • •
While the frequency of homicides is uncharacteristic for Tarpon, statistics show the accused in the cases since January fall into an established category.
Historically, men have always been more likely to commit murder. The U.S. Bureau of Justice Statistics, using nationwide data from 1976 to 2005, found that nearly 90 percent of homicides are committed by males.
And young, adult males ages 18 to 24 are more likely to murder someone than any other age group, according to the data.
Men at that age tend to be more immature than their female counterparts, lack coping skills and are socialized to believe that violence is a viable solution to conflict, said a professor of criminology at Northern Arizona University who has studied domestic killings extensively.
"The gender component is very important in that men commit these offenses much more than women, I think because men are much more emotionally isolated than women and women have better coping skills," he said.
Researchers have noticed that multiple family killings or "familicides," like the cases in Tarpon Springs, have increased dramatically during the recession, specifically since the fall of 2008, he said. The suspects in such cases often seem to share a feeling they don't measure up to society's expectations.
"I often explain these cases in terms of men's power and control may be ebbing," he said. "They feel, often, ashamed of who they are … as providers, as young men making their way in the world. They perceive themselves as failures and they have poor emotional skills around handling anger.
"Rather than handle this through various emotional skills the way most people handle it, like seeking support from others … they discharge that shame and dissipate it through rage,".
Ideas about masculinity are perpetuated in movies, television shows, video games, sports contests, even military conflicts, where "we send men off to war to solve problems, so we model it nationally,"
The mayor, executive director of the Citizens Alliance for Progress, a Tarpon Springs nonprofit, has spent his adult life working with youths. He suspects several factors may be at play in the outbreak of violence, including the instability of some individuals.
Additionally, he fears that today's youth have become increasingly desensitized to violence, especially with the popularity of realistic-looking video games that have killing as the main objective. Children need to learn early that conflicts are best solved through discussion, not violence, he said.
In the Tarpon incidents, "more than likely something happened in their lives that they feel like they need to resort to violence," he said. "It's not normal to resolve a situation with a gun."
• • •
Untimely deaths and homicides, particularly those involving family members, can shatter a community's sense of security, he said.
"People are shocked and disturbed," he said. "We expect families to be crucibles of love, affection and caring. People have disputes and conflicts in families — this is life. But we don't expect it to go to this extreme. It challenges people's beliefs in the efficacy of family relations."
But despite the unusual rash of violence, there is no sense of panic in Tarpon Springs, said a City Commissioner.
"I think most of the people I talk to recognize these are tragic but isolated events," he said. "I don't think people feel Tarpon Springs is unsafe. I think people are upset, almost hurt — that's what's happening in our community right now."
Have you or a loved one been arrested on a murder or violent crime charge? Then the Pinellas, Florida based Blake & Dorsten, P.A. Pinellas criminal defense lawyers are at your service.
For more information, or to speak directly with experienced Pinellas 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
Sunday, March 20, 2011
Tampa Bay Criminal Defense Lawyer - prescription drug abuse-unintended consequences
By Nicholas Dorsten, Esq.
We have talked about prescription drug abuse in the past (see here and here for instance,this St. Pete Times website article discusses some of the unintended consequences of this problem...
PINELLAS COUNTY: The stories are startling, heartbreaking, infuriating.
A 3-year-old imitating how her parents used needles to shoot oxycodone into their veins.
A 31-year-old mother, who gave birth to a baby with an anti-anxiety drug in her system, unable to stay awake while investigators asked her about her daughter's multiple facial cuts.
A small child wandering the streets while her mother lay in a prescription drug-induced stupor.
Stories like these aren't hard to find. Child abuse investigators say cases of child abuse and neglect involving prescription drugs have skyrocketed over the past two years in Pinellas and Pasco counties.
The agencies' statistics don't specify which illegal drugs are being misused in child welfare cases, but the "vast majority" involve prescription drugs, said officials with both sheriff's offices.
The Pinellas County Sheriff's Office child protection investigation division saw child welfare court cases involving drugs rise from 30 percent in 2008 to 57 percent in 2010.
"This prescription drug thing has just exploded over the last 18 months or so," said a Pinellas County sheriff's Capt, who led the child protection division until he transferred to internal affairs in December. "It's almost doubled, which is really significant and puts an increased workload on our investigators."
In Pasco County, the news is even worse. Between 2008 and 2010, cases of child neglect or abuse where investigators determined drugs were being misused rose 108 percent, said a spokesman for the Pasco County Sheriff's Office.
In 2008, the Pasco Sheriff's Office closed 318 investigations with "verified findings" of substance misuse in child welfare cases. In 2010, that number grew to 663, and that did not include the month of December, for which statistics were not yet available.
Across the board, child welfare specialists say they are seeing fewer cases involving illegal drugs, but more involving abuse of legal prescription drugs like oxycodone, a narcotic pain reliever, and Xanax, an anti-anxiety drug.
"That's what we're hearing, anecdotally — that there's been a shift," said a regional substance abuse and mental health program administrator for the state Department of Children and Families.
Officials say they're seeing a lot of cases involving people who were good caregivers until they became addicted to prescription drugs. Many have no criminal history or previous allegations of abuse. Some are people who were legally prescribed the drugs but later became addicted. Prescription drug abuse is affecting all levels of the community, child welfare officials said.
"It really could be anybody," said a program administrator for the Pinellas County Sheriff's Office child protection investigations division. "We're seeing younger people, first-time moms … parents who may not have had any prior contact with us."
A former Pinellas-Pasco Circuit Judge, who retired from Unified Family Court in December after nine years there, said she saw it in her courtroom.
"It affects people who wouldn't normally be in dependency court," she said. "These are not people who typically would abuse their children."
She started noticing the trend about three years ago. Prior to that, it was unusual for the drug of choice to be a prescription drug, she said. It used to be cocaine and heroin.
Drugs like oxycodone and Xanax can create a mental fog, causing "zombie parents" who are unable to provide basic care for their children, said a DCF regional spokesman.
"The issue here is the substances we are dealing with now tend to leave you so out of it. We've seen parents who are sleeping 22 hours a day," the spokesman said.
Another spokesman, from the Pinellas Sheriff's Office, referenced a case last fall in which a toddler wandered near a busy road while the mother was passed out.
"That's a common report we get over and over," he said.
• • •
There have also been cases in Florida of parents so zoned out on prescription drugs that they rolled on top of their babies while sleeping, killing them, or crashed their cars, injuring their children. Toddlers have been hurt in the home because of a lack of supervision, officials said.
High unemployment rates and the notion that prescription drugs are safe and legal may also account for some of the increase in cases.
"It's a sign of the times," she said. "With the economic difficulties, it's drawing more and more people … looking for that escape, and they're finding it in their medicine cabinet."
And that presents challenges for child welfare specialists, from investigators to treatment specialists to the judicial system.
People overusing the drugs may have a legitimate prescription. Investigators must then try to determine if the person is using the drugs at levels that are not considered therapeutic — they may even count pills to see how many have been taken over a period of time.
"They could be abusing it or selling it, and either one could put a child at risk," he said. "Ten years ago we never thought we would be in the business of counting pills."
In the Tampa Bay area, there have been several notable cases of abuse or neglect linked to prescription drug use or abuse. A Spring Hill grandmother allegedly took her 5-year-old grandson with her as she sold OxyContin. A 1-year-old girl in Pinellas Park was hospitalized with oxycodone in her system.
In one of the worst cases, a man living in Spring Hill was charged with murder after his teenage son overdosed in June 2008. Witnesses reported the father gave prescription drugs to the 15-year-old to "teach him how to party right." The man died in hospice care of an undisclosed illness before the case went to trial.
Officials say more concrete data on abuse and neglect cases involving prescription drugs could be helpful in assessing the problem and determining the best treatment options.
But they don't need statistical studies to show them it's a burgeoning problem.
"We've got mothers that don't get out of bed three or four days at a time and the fourth- or fifth-grader is dressing themselves in the morning," a spokeswoman said. "I don't see an end in sight. That's the alarming part."
Have you or a loved one been arrested on drug trafficking or drug charges? Then the Pinellas, Florida based Blake & Dorsten, P.A. Pinellas criminal defense lawyers are at your service.
For more information, or to speak directly with experienced Pinellas 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
We have talked about prescription drug abuse in the past (see here and here for instance,this St. Pete Times website article discusses some of the unintended consequences of this problem...
PINELLAS COUNTY: The stories are startling, heartbreaking, infuriating.
A 3-year-old imitating how her parents used needles to shoot oxycodone into their veins.
A 31-year-old mother, who gave birth to a baby with an anti-anxiety drug in her system, unable to stay awake while investigators asked her about her daughter's multiple facial cuts.
A small child wandering the streets while her mother lay in a prescription drug-induced stupor.
Stories like these aren't hard to find. Child abuse investigators say cases of child abuse and neglect involving prescription drugs have skyrocketed over the past two years in Pinellas and Pasco counties.
The agencies' statistics don't specify which illegal drugs are being misused in child welfare cases, but the "vast majority" involve prescription drugs, said officials with both sheriff's offices.
The Pinellas County Sheriff's Office child protection investigation division saw child welfare court cases involving drugs rise from 30 percent in 2008 to 57 percent in 2010.
"This prescription drug thing has just exploded over the last 18 months or so," said a Pinellas County sheriff's Capt, who led the child protection division until he transferred to internal affairs in December. "It's almost doubled, which is really significant and puts an increased workload on our investigators."
In Pasco County, the news is even worse. Between 2008 and 2010, cases of child neglect or abuse where investigators determined drugs were being misused rose 108 percent, said a spokesman for the Pasco County Sheriff's Office.
In 2008, the Pasco Sheriff's Office closed 318 investigations with "verified findings" of substance misuse in child welfare cases. In 2010, that number grew to 663, and that did not include the month of December, for which statistics were not yet available.
Across the board, child welfare specialists say they are seeing fewer cases involving illegal drugs, but more involving abuse of legal prescription drugs like oxycodone, a narcotic pain reliever, and Xanax, an anti-anxiety drug.
"That's what we're hearing, anecdotally — that there's been a shift," said a regional substance abuse and mental health program administrator for the state Department of Children and Families.
Officials say they're seeing a lot of cases involving people who were good caregivers until they became addicted to prescription drugs. Many have no criminal history or previous allegations of abuse. Some are people who were legally prescribed the drugs but later became addicted. Prescription drug abuse is affecting all levels of the community, child welfare officials said.
"It really could be anybody," said a program administrator for the Pinellas County Sheriff's Office child protection investigations division. "We're seeing younger people, first-time moms … parents who may not have had any prior contact with us."
A former Pinellas-Pasco Circuit Judge, who retired from Unified Family Court in December after nine years there, said she saw it in her courtroom.
"It affects people who wouldn't normally be in dependency court," she said. "These are not people who typically would abuse their children."
She started noticing the trend about three years ago. Prior to that, it was unusual for the drug of choice to be a prescription drug, she said. It used to be cocaine and heroin.
Drugs like oxycodone and Xanax can create a mental fog, causing "zombie parents" who are unable to provide basic care for their children, said a DCF regional spokesman.
"The issue here is the substances we are dealing with now tend to leave you so out of it. We've seen parents who are sleeping 22 hours a day," the spokesman said.
Another spokesman, from the Pinellas Sheriff's Office, referenced a case last fall in which a toddler wandered near a busy road while the mother was passed out.
"That's a common report we get over and over," he said.
• • •
There have also been cases in Florida of parents so zoned out on prescription drugs that they rolled on top of their babies while sleeping, killing them, or crashed their cars, injuring their children. Toddlers have been hurt in the home because of a lack of supervision, officials said.
High unemployment rates and the notion that prescription drugs are safe and legal may also account for some of the increase in cases.
"It's a sign of the times," she said. "With the economic difficulties, it's drawing more and more people … looking for that escape, and they're finding it in their medicine cabinet."
And that presents challenges for child welfare specialists, from investigators to treatment specialists to the judicial system.
People overusing the drugs may have a legitimate prescription. Investigators must then try to determine if the person is using the drugs at levels that are not considered therapeutic — they may even count pills to see how many have been taken over a period of time.
"They could be abusing it or selling it, and either one could put a child at risk," he said. "Ten years ago we never thought we would be in the business of counting pills."
In the Tampa Bay area, there have been several notable cases of abuse or neglect linked to prescription drug use or abuse. A Spring Hill grandmother allegedly took her 5-year-old grandson with her as she sold OxyContin. A 1-year-old girl in Pinellas Park was hospitalized with oxycodone in her system.
In one of the worst cases, a man living in Spring Hill was charged with murder after his teenage son overdosed in June 2008. Witnesses reported the father gave prescription drugs to the 15-year-old to "teach him how to party right." The man died in hospice care of an undisclosed illness before the case went to trial.
Officials say more concrete data on abuse and neglect cases involving prescription drugs could be helpful in assessing the problem and determining the best treatment options.
But they don't need statistical studies to show them it's a burgeoning problem.
"We've got mothers that don't get out of bed three or four days at a time and the fourth- or fifth-grader is dressing themselves in the morning," a spokeswoman said. "I don't see an end in sight. That's the alarming part."
Have you or a loved one been arrested on drug trafficking or drug charges? Then the Pinellas, Florida based Blake & Dorsten, P.A. Pinellas criminal defense lawyers are at your service.
For more information, or to speak directly with experienced Pinellas 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
Saturday, March 19, 2011
Tampa Bay Criminal Defense Lawyer - drug sting
By Nick Dorsten, Esq.
From the St. Pete Times website, another police drug sting got more arrests...
CLEARWATER — Police arrested four people during the execution of a search warrant Wednesday evening after an undercover investigation revealed drugs were being sold from a Clearwater home, authorities said.
According to arrest reports, two of the people had previously sold prescription drugs from a home at off of S Highland Avenue. The other two were found with drugs in their possession.
One woman, 29, was charged with trafficking in oxycodone, sale and possession of oxycodone and possession of marijuana. A man, 31, was charged with principal to the sale of oxycodone. Another criminal suspect, 21, was charged with possession of cocaine and another suspect, 28, was charged with possession of marijuana.
According to police, three of them all lived at the Barry Street home. The other's address was listed in Largo.
Clearwater police obtained a search warrant after undercover detectives purchased drugs from a home at least three times over the past month, arrest reports show. The second suspect participated in at least one deal in February when he took the money from the detective and handed it to the third, according to an arrest report.
Police on Wednesday seized $2,618 in cash, 121 oxycodone pills, 100 pieces of crack cocaine and about five ounces of marijuana.
On Thursday afternoon, the first suspect was being held in the Pinellas County Jail in lieu of $145,300 bail. Another was being held on $5,000 bail. Another was released early Thursday morning after posting $5,000 bail. The last one was released on his own recognizance.
Have you been arrested on drug trafficking or marijuana 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
From the St. Pete Times website, another police drug sting got more arrests...
CLEARWATER — Police arrested four people during the execution of a search warrant Wednesday evening after an undercover investigation revealed drugs were being sold from a Clearwater home, authorities said.
According to arrest reports, two of the people had previously sold prescription drugs from a home at off of S Highland Avenue. The other two were found with drugs in their possession.
One woman, 29, was charged with trafficking in oxycodone, sale and possession of oxycodone and possession of marijuana. A man, 31, was charged with principal to the sale of oxycodone. Another criminal suspect, 21, was charged with possession of cocaine and another suspect, 28, was charged with possession of marijuana.
According to police, three of them all lived at the Barry Street home. The other's address was listed in Largo.
Clearwater police obtained a search warrant after undercover detectives purchased drugs from a home at least three times over the past month, arrest reports show. The second suspect participated in at least one deal in February when he took the money from the detective and handed it to the third, according to an arrest report.
Police on Wednesday seized $2,618 in cash, 121 oxycodone pills, 100 pieces of crack cocaine and about five ounces of marijuana.
On Thursday afternoon, the first suspect was being held in the Pinellas County Jail in lieu of $145,300 bail. Another was being held on $5,000 bail. Another was released early Thursday morning after posting $5,000 bail. The last one was released on his own recognizance.
Have you been arrested on drug trafficking or marijuana 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, March 16, 2011
Tampa Bay Criminal Defense Lawyer - more DUI
By Nick Dorsten, Esq.
Another day, another DUI bust, courtesy of the St. Pete Times website...
PINELLAS — A Clearwater man is accused of driving under the influence after his vehicle rear-ended a Pinellas County deputy's cruiser on U.S. 19 on Tuesday afternoon.
The Defendant, 40, faces charges of DUI, DUI with personal injury, DUI with property damage and felony possession of a controlled substance. He was being held early Wednesday at the Pinellas County Jail in lieu of $3,500 bail.
Deputies said the man struck a 28-year-old Deputy's cruiser on U.S. 19 just south of Highlands Boulevard about 3:50 p.m. The Deputy, a five-year veteran, was not seriously injured.
The Deputy had just left the traffic light at Nebraska Avenue and was heading north on U.S. 19. The defendant's vehicle was also at the light, came up behind the deputy through traffic, made a couple of lane changes, got behind the cruiser and rear-ended it.
The suspect was not injured.
Deputies said he failed field sobriety tests and had oxycodone.
Have you or someone you loved been charged with a DUI? Do you need the help of a Clearwater 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 DUI bust, courtesy of the St. Pete Times website...
PINELLAS — A Clearwater man is accused of driving under the influence after his vehicle rear-ended a Pinellas County deputy's cruiser on U.S. 19 on Tuesday afternoon.
The Defendant, 40, faces charges of DUI, DUI with personal injury, DUI with property damage and felony possession of a controlled substance. He was being held early Wednesday at the Pinellas County Jail in lieu of $3,500 bail.
Deputies said the man struck a 28-year-old Deputy's cruiser on U.S. 19 just south of Highlands Boulevard about 3:50 p.m. The Deputy, a five-year veteran, was not seriously injured.
The Deputy had just left the traffic light at Nebraska Avenue and was heading north on U.S. 19. The defendant's vehicle was also at the light, came up behind the deputy through traffic, made a couple of lane changes, got behind the cruiser and rear-ended it.
The suspect was not injured.
Deputies said he failed field sobriety tests and had oxycodone.
Have you or someone you loved been charged with a DUI? Do you need the help of a Clearwater 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
Monday, March 14, 2011
Tampa Bay Criminal Defense Lawyer - more prescription busts
By Nicholas Dorsten, Esq.
Hot on the heels of a doctor shopping arrest comes another drug sweep, article courtesy of the St. Pete Times website...
PINELLAS: The investigation started last summer.
Detectives uncovered a sophisticated drug syndicate that dispatched hundreds of "runners" into pharmacies to use forged prescriptions to get pills.
Over the course of several months, deputies obtained arrest warrants for 94 people as they sought to bring down an organization responsible for trafficking at least $4 million in pills.
But by the time they started arresting people in a sweep on Tuesday, five of the people they were looking for had died.
Pinellas deputies said all five deaths appear to be prescription drug-related and are another indication of how dangerous the prescription drug abuse problem has become.
"This speaks volumes," said a sheriff's spokeswoman. "Here we are, having these persons on a list as a suspect in a case … and along the way they died of the very issue we were going to be arresting them for."
One man, 24, was one of the five who died before authorities could arrest him. After struggling with an addiction to painkillers, he stayed with his mother for five weeks in Fort Myers, then returned to Palm Harbor sober, said his grandmother, 77. Three days later, he was found at a friend's house dead of an accidental overdose of oxycodone and Xanax. A medical examiner's report showed that his friend had a prescription filled the night before. Of 210 oxycodone and 90 Xanax pills, only 70 of each were left.
The Sheriff's Office said Tuesday that four of the five died of possible prescription overdoses, though the St. Petersburg Times had previously reported that one of those named — a 41-year-old — was killed in a hit-and-run accident in October. The discrepancy could not be accounted for Tuesday.
The others, besides the man, said to have possibly overdosed were another man, 36, of New Port Richey and a woman, 38, of Hudson. Autopsies for them are pending. The fifth death was another person, 21, of Holiday, who shot himself after writing a note that indicated he could no longer cope with his addiction, sheriff's officials said.
Nearly 2,500 people died of prescription drug overdoses in Florida in 2009, the last year data is available. Nearly 700 of those deaths occurred in Pinellas, Hillsborough, Pasco and Hernando counties.
The alarming increase in deaths has prompted law enforcement agencies to launch investigations like the one announced Tuesday.
A Captain, head of the sheriff's narcotics division, said two or three people ran the scheme by creating fake prescriptions that were distributed to a handful of other people, who recruited others to fill the prescriptions. More than 700 people may have been involved in all.
Outside of the five deaths, the sheriff's Diversion Task Force had found 49 of the 94 people they were seeking to arrest. They were still looking for 40 people late Tuesday. The majority are accused of passing fraudulent prescriptions. The arrests were the culmination of an investigation dubbed Operation No Appointment Necessary. Detectives identified 27 doctors whose names were being used by the drug ring, Alfonso said. The doctors, who had their prescription pads stolen or fraudulently duplicated, cooperated with investigators.
The crackdown came just a day after a federal agency announced Florida distributed more than a half-billion doses of oxycodone in 2009 — twice as many as the next closest state, Pennsylvania, and up 25 percent from the previous year.
Law enforcement officials say a prescription drug monitoring program could slow pills from flowing into the wrong hands. Last month, Gov. Rick Scott called on the Legislature to repeal a 2009 law mandating a monitoring program that was set to begin in December but has been hampered by delays. Advocates say the program could help decrease the number of overdoses by curbing the supply on the street.
The grandmother of one of the deceased said she didn't know about the state's prescription drug problem until she looked it up on the Internet after her grandson died. "I was floored," she said. She experienced another wake-up call at his memorial service when the pastor asked if any of his friends were also struggling with addiction. "Fifteen kids went up after the service and said they needed help."
Have you been arrested on drug trafficking or doctor shopping charges? Then the Pinellas, Florida based Blake & Dorsten, P.A. Pinellas 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
Hot on the heels of a doctor shopping arrest comes another drug sweep, article courtesy of the St. Pete Times website...
PINELLAS: The investigation started last summer.
Detectives uncovered a sophisticated drug syndicate that dispatched hundreds of "runners" into pharmacies to use forged prescriptions to get pills.
Over the course of several months, deputies obtained arrest warrants for 94 people as they sought to bring down an organization responsible for trafficking at least $4 million in pills.
But by the time they started arresting people in a sweep on Tuesday, five of the people they were looking for had died.
Pinellas deputies said all five deaths appear to be prescription drug-related and are another indication of how dangerous the prescription drug abuse problem has become.
"This speaks volumes," said a sheriff's spokeswoman. "Here we are, having these persons on a list as a suspect in a case … and along the way they died of the very issue we were going to be arresting them for."
One man, 24, was one of the five who died before authorities could arrest him. After struggling with an addiction to painkillers, he stayed with his mother for five weeks in Fort Myers, then returned to Palm Harbor sober, said his grandmother, 77. Three days later, he was found at a friend's house dead of an accidental overdose of oxycodone and Xanax. A medical examiner's report showed that his friend had a prescription filled the night before. Of 210 oxycodone and 90 Xanax pills, only 70 of each were left.
The Sheriff's Office said Tuesday that four of the five died of possible prescription overdoses, though the St. Petersburg Times had previously reported that one of those named — a 41-year-old — was killed in a hit-and-run accident in October. The discrepancy could not be accounted for Tuesday.
The others, besides the man, said to have possibly overdosed were another man, 36, of New Port Richey and a woman, 38, of Hudson. Autopsies for them are pending. The fifth death was another person, 21, of Holiday, who shot himself after writing a note that indicated he could no longer cope with his addiction, sheriff's officials said.
Nearly 2,500 people died of prescription drug overdoses in Florida in 2009, the last year data is available. Nearly 700 of those deaths occurred in Pinellas, Hillsborough, Pasco and Hernando counties.
The alarming increase in deaths has prompted law enforcement agencies to launch investigations like the one announced Tuesday.
A Captain, head of the sheriff's narcotics division, said two or three people ran the scheme by creating fake prescriptions that were distributed to a handful of other people, who recruited others to fill the prescriptions. More than 700 people may have been involved in all.
Outside of the five deaths, the sheriff's Diversion Task Force had found 49 of the 94 people they were seeking to arrest. They were still looking for 40 people late Tuesday. The majority are accused of passing fraudulent prescriptions. The arrests were the culmination of an investigation dubbed Operation No Appointment Necessary. Detectives identified 27 doctors whose names were being used by the drug ring, Alfonso said. The doctors, who had their prescription pads stolen or fraudulently duplicated, cooperated with investigators.
The crackdown came just a day after a federal agency announced Florida distributed more than a half-billion doses of oxycodone in 2009 — twice as many as the next closest state, Pennsylvania, and up 25 percent from the previous year.
Law enforcement officials say a prescription drug monitoring program could slow pills from flowing into the wrong hands. Last month, Gov. Rick Scott called on the Legislature to repeal a 2009 law mandating a monitoring program that was set to begin in December but has been hampered by delays. Advocates say the program could help decrease the number of overdoses by curbing the supply on the street.
The grandmother of one of the deceased said she didn't know about the state's prescription drug problem until she looked it up on the Internet after her grandson died. "I was floored," she said. She experienced another wake-up call at his memorial service when the pastor asked if any of his friends were also struggling with addiction. "Fifteen kids went up after the service and said they needed help."
Have you been arrested on drug trafficking or doctor shopping charges? Then the Pinellas, Florida based Blake & Dorsten, P.A. Pinellas 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
Friday, March 11, 2011
Tampa Bay Criminal Defense Lawyer - Doctor Shopping
By Nicholas Dorsten, Esq.
Per the tampabay.com article, proof that prescription drug arrests can happen anywhere, anytime...
PINELLAS — Citizen tips have twice led to the arrest of a Belleair Bluffs woman on charges that she doctor shopped and sold painkillers, Pinellas sheriff's deputies said.
Deputies said they received multiple complaints of excessive foot traffic and suspected drug activity outside the home of the suspect, 42, of Pinellas.
The sheriff's narcotics strategic diversion task force began to investigate and on Jan. 14 they arrested her on seven counts of doctor shopping, three counts of trafficking in oxycodone, and six counts of obtaining a controlled substance by fraud, deputies said.
On Feb. 8, according to detectives, the accused was released from jail and placed under supervision.
On Wednesday, detectives received another tip that the lady was again using the same doctor's information, this time to obtain the anti-anxiety drug Xanax. After surveillance, they arrested her on one count of obtaining a controlled substance by fraud.
She was released from the Pinellas County Jail after posting $5,000 bail Wednesday night.
Deputies said the case highlights the importance of citizen complaints.
Have you been arrested on drug trafficking or doctor shopping charges? Then the Pinellas, Florida based Blake & Dorsten, P.A. Pinellas 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
Per the tampabay.com article, proof that prescription drug arrests can happen anywhere, anytime...
PINELLAS — Citizen tips have twice led to the arrest of a Belleair Bluffs woman on charges that she doctor shopped and sold painkillers, Pinellas sheriff's deputies said.
Deputies said they received multiple complaints of excessive foot traffic and suspected drug activity outside the home of the suspect, 42, of Pinellas.
The sheriff's narcotics strategic diversion task force began to investigate and on Jan. 14 they arrested her on seven counts of doctor shopping, three counts of trafficking in oxycodone, and six counts of obtaining a controlled substance by fraud, deputies said.
On Feb. 8, according to detectives, the accused was released from jail and placed under supervision.
On Wednesday, detectives received another tip that the lady was again using the same doctor's information, this time to obtain the anti-anxiety drug Xanax. After surveillance, they arrested her on one count of obtaining a controlled substance by fraud.
She was released from the Pinellas County Jail after posting $5,000 bail Wednesday night.
Deputies said the case highlights the importance of citizen complaints.
Have you been arrested on drug trafficking or doctor shopping charges? Then the Pinellas, Florida based Blake & Dorsten, P.A. Pinellas 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
Tuesday, March 8, 2011
Tampa Bay Criminal Defense Lawyer - more Bucs Part ??
By Nick Dorsten, Esq.
You think in the off season, it would be quiet but hot on the heels of past Tampa Bay Buc arrests previously talked about ( here, here, here and here), now courtesy of the St. Pete Times website even more Bucs in trouble!
TAMPA — Shelton Quarles, the Bucs' pro scouting coordinator and a former Pro Bowl linebacker with the team, was arrested on a DUI charge early Friday.
Police arrested Quarles, 39, about 2:30 a.m. on Interstate 275 near Himes Avenue. Police saw a black Audi with the headlights off going 79 mph in a 55 mph zone. When they pulled Quarles over, police said, he "had a strong odor of alcohol on his breath and bloodshot eyes."
Quarles showed other signs of impairment during field sobriety tests, police said. He refused to submit to a breath test and was taken to jail without incident. Bail was set at $500.
A member of the Bucs' Super Bowl XXXVII championship team, Quarles played 10 seasons for Tampa Bay from 1997 to 2006.
After his retirement, Quarles was hired as a pro scout. In January, he was promoted to coordinator of pro scouting.
"We are aware of the matter and are reviewing it," Bucs communications director Jonathan Grella said.
If convicted, Quarles could face further discipline from the NFL or the Bucs. Commissioner Roger Goodell has punished players and team administrators for violating the league's personal conduct policy.
Goodell imposed a $100,000 fine and 30-day suspension to Lions president Tom Lewand after his DUI arrest in June.
Quarles always has been known for his charitable efforts in the community. His Impact Foundation helps single-parent families. He recently raised more than $130,000 to benefit the foundation with the Shelton Quarles Celebrity Waiter night. He also hosts a pro-am as part of the PGA Transitions golf tournament in Palm Harbor.
Ex-Bucs TE Stevens arrested after fight
Former Bucs tight end Jerramy Stevens was arrested Thursday night on a felony battery charge involving two bar bouncers in Tampa.
His bail was set at $2,500, and he was released from jail.
Stevens was at Duke's Retired Surfer's Island Bar, 5210 Tyson Ave. W, about 8 p.m. when he became unruly and was asked to leave by bouncers. Police said he refused and punched two of them, William Donald Russell, 23, and Vincent Jordan, 35, who then held Stevens on the ground until officers arrived. Jordan was taken to Tampa General Hospital with a possible broken jaw.
Stevens' attorney released a statement to the St. Petersburg Times that offered a vigorous defense of Stevens and portrayed him as the victim.
The attorney said Stevens had to be treated at a hospital after his release from jail where he "received treatment for multiple broken ribs and extensive bruising to his body and face. Initial medical reports reflect his wounds are defensive in nature," he wrote.
"We are confident that when the dust settles everyone will realize that not only is Mr. Stevens innocent but more importantly the wrong person was arrested," he added.
The Bucs released Stevens, 31, on Oct. 25 after he was arrested on a felony charge of marijuana possession with intent to sell and drug paraphernalia. He has had multiple arrests during his career.
We expect a criminal football team from the Oakland Raiders or the Cincinnati Bengals, not our home town team!
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. at (727) 286-6141 for a free consultation with a criminal defense attorney.
You think in the off season, it would be quiet but hot on the heels of past Tampa Bay Buc arrests previously talked about ( here, here, here and here), now courtesy of the St. Pete Times website even more Bucs in trouble!
TAMPA — Shelton Quarles, the Bucs' pro scouting coordinator and a former Pro Bowl linebacker with the team, was arrested on a DUI charge early Friday.
Police arrested Quarles, 39, about 2:30 a.m. on Interstate 275 near Himes Avenue. Police saw a black Audi with the headlights off going 79 mph in a 55 mph zone. When they pulled Quarles over, police said, he "had a strong odor of alcohol on his breath and bloodshot eyes."
Quarles showed other signs of impairment during field sobriety tests, police said. He refused to submit to a breath test and was taken to jail without incident. Bail was set at $500.
A member of the Bucs' Super Bowl XXXVII championship team, Quarles played 10 seasons for Tampa Bay from 1997 to 2006.
After his retirement, Quarles was hired as a pro scout. In January, he was promoted to coordinator of pro scouting.
"We are aware of the matter and are reviewing it," Bucs communications director Jonathan Grella said.
If convicted, Quarles could face further discipline from the NFL or the Bucs. Commissioner Roger Goodell has punished players and team administrators for violating the league's personal conduct policy.
Goodell imposed a $100,000 fine and 30-day suspension to Lions president Tom Lewand after his DUI arrest in June.
Quarles always has been known for his charitable efforts in the community. His Impact Foundation helps single-parent families. He recently raised more than $130,000 to benefit the foundation with the Shelton Quarles Celebrity Waiter night. He also hosts a pro-am as part of the PGA Transitions golf tournament in Palm Harbor.
Ex-Bucs TE Stevens arrested after fight
Former Bucs tight end Jerramy Stevens was arrested Thursday night on a felony battery charge involving two bar bouncers in Tampa.
His bail was set at $2,500, and he was released from jail.
Stevens was at Duke's Retired Surfer's Island Bar, 5210 Tyson Ave. W, about 8 p.m. when he became unruly and was asked to leave by bouncers. Police said he refused and punched two of them, William Donald Russell, 23, and Vincent Jordan, 35, who then held Stevens on the ground until officers arrived. Jordan was taken to Tampa General Hospital with a possible broken jaw.
Stevens' attorney released a statement to the St. Petersburg Times that offered a vigorous defense of Stevens and portrayed him as the victim.
The attorney said Stevens had to be treated at a hospital after his release from jail where he "received treatment for multiple broken ribs and extensive bruising to his body and face. Initial medical reports reflect his wounds are defensive in nature," he wrote.
"We are confident that when the dust settles everyone will realize that not only is Mr. Stevens innocent but more importantly the wrong person was arrested," he added.
The Bucs released Stevens, 31, on Oct. 25 after he was arrested on a felony charge of marijuana possession with intent to sell and drug paraphernalia. He has had multiple arrests during his career.
We expect a criminal football team from the Oakland Raiders or the Cincinnati Bengals, not our home town team!
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. at (727) 286-6141 for a free consultation with a criminal defense attorney.
Friday, March 4, 2011
Tampa Bay Criminal Defense Lawyer - more drugs
By Nick Dorsten, Esq.
From the St. Petersburg Times website...
CLEARWATER — A teenager previously convicted on drug charges was arrested Wednesday night after he fled a traffic stop and police found drugs and a loaded handgun, authorities said.
The teen, 19, of 1716 W Manor Ave., was charged with armed drug trafficking, being a felon in possession of a firearm, carrying a concealed weapon, possession of cocaine and marijuana, driving with a suspended license and resisting arrest without violence.
Clearwater police were working a traffic enforcement detail near Calumet Street and North Hercules Avenue around 8 p.m. when they stopped the teen for having window tint that was too dark.
He then ran from his 1990 Pontiac but was tracked by police dogs in the back yard of a home in the 2100 block of Calumet Street, police said. He threw the drugs out as he ran, police said.
Police found a loaded 9mm gun on the front seat of the car, according to a news release. They seized the car, 11.6 grams of Ecstasy, 5 grams of crack cocaine and some marijuana.
The teen was convicted of cocaine and marijuana possession last May.
On Thursday afternoon, he was being held at the Pinellas County Jail.
Have you been arrested on marijuana or drug 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
From the St. Petersburg Times website...
CLEARWATER — A teenager previously convicted on drug charges was arrested Wednesday night after he fled a traffic stop and police found drugs and a loaded handgun, authorities said.
The teen, 19, of 1716 W Manor Ave., was charged with armed drug trafficking, being a felon in possession of a firearm, carrying a concealed weapon, possession of cocaine and marijuana, driving with a suspended license and resisting arrest without violence.
Clearwater police were working a traffic enforcement detail near Calumet Street and North Hercules Avenue around 8 p.m. when they stopped the teen for having window tint that was too dark.
He then ran from his 1990 Pontiac but was tracked by police dogs in the back yard of a home in the 2100 block of Calumet Street, police said. He threw the drugs out as he ran, police said.
Police found a loaded 9mm gun on the front seat of the car, according to a news release. They seized the car, 11.6 grams of Ecstasy, 5 grams of crack cocaine and some marijuana.
The teen was convicted of cocaine and marijuana possession last May.
On Thursday afternoon, he was being held at the Pinellas County Jail.
Have you been arrested on marijuana or drug 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
Tuesday, March 1, 2011
Tampa Bay Criminal Defense Lawyer - From tanning to tasered...
By Nick Dorsten, Esq.
From the St. Pete Times website, a woman goes tanning and ends up in jail on child abuse charges...
ST. PETERSBURG, FL — A trip to the tanning salon on Thursday led to a 19-year-old woman being Tasered and charged with child abuse.
The accused,19, had an appointment at a tanning salon at 5907 Fourth St. N about 1:30 p.m., St. Petersburg police said. She brought along a 7-month-old girl whom she was caring for, police said, but the salon said she could not take the child with her to the tanning booth. The infant's identity is being withheld by the St. Petersburg Times.
The teen took the girl back to her vehicle, police said, and left her inside, alone. Police said the vehicle was left unlocked and running. Witnesses called police.
Two officers said the infant, who was later given to a relative, wasn't strapped into her car seat and had spit up on herself, but was otherwise okay.
The officers found the lady inside the salon, getting a tan. She said her boyfriend was supposed to be in the car watching the infant, police said.
They told her she was under arrest but she refused to place her hands behind her back. She also slapped at the officers' arms (battery of a law enforcement officer), police said, and kept pushing them away.
That's when the officers used a Taser, police said.
The "lady" was arrested on charges of felony child abuse, felony battery on a law enforcement officer and a misdemeanor count of resisting an officer without violence. She was released Friday from the Pinellas County jail after posting $10,150 bail.
Have you or someone you love been arrested for child abuse or battery? Then call the St. Petersburg 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.
From the St. Pete Times website, a woman goes tanning and ends up in jail on child abuse charges...
ST. PETERSBURG, FL — A trip to the tanning salon on Thursday led to a 19-year-old woman being Tasered and charged with child abuse.
The accused,19, had an appointment at a tanning salon at 5907 Fourth St. N about 1:30 p.m., St. Petersburg police said. She brought along a 7-month-old girl whom she was caring for, police said, but the salon said she could not take the child with her to the tanning booth. The infant's identity is being withheld by the St. Petersburg Times.
The teen took the girl back to her vehicle, police said, and left her inside, alone. Police said the vehicle was left unlocked and running. Witnesses called police.
Two officers said the infant, who was later given to a relative, wasn't strapped into her car seat and had spit up on herself, but was otherwise okay.
The officers found the lady inside the salon, getting a tan. She said her boyfriend was supposed to be in the car watching the infant, police said.
They told her she was under arrest but she refused to place her hands behind her back. She also slapped at the officers' arms (battery of a law enforcement officer), police said, and kept pushing them away.
That's when the officers used a Taser, police said.
The "lady" was arrested on charges of felony child abuse, felony battery on a law enforcement officer and a misdemeanor count of resisting an officer without violence. She was released Friday from the Pinellas County jail after posting $10,150 bail.
Have you or someone you love been arrested for child abuse or battery? Then call the St. Petersburg 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.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)