Tampa Bay Criminal Defense Lawyer - Bucs Marijuana Bust!

By Nick Dorsten, Esq.

It should not be a surprise after the multiple arrests from the Tampa Bay Bucs football team (also see here, here, and here) but here is another one from the st. pete times website...

TAMPA — Arcilla Alexander Magee, a defensive end with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, was cited for marijuana possession at a traffic stop Monday afternoon.

At about 1:15 p.m., an officer pulled over Magee's 2009 black Dodge Charger at Kennedy Boulevard and Nebraska Avenue for having an expired tag, according to the Tampa Police Department.

While talking to Magee, the officer smelled marijuana, searched the car and found a small amount of the drug.

Magee, 24, was arrested on charges of possession of marijuana and driving with an expired tag. Because the amount of marijuana warranted only a misdemeanor charge, the officer issued Magee a citation and a court date and let him go.

If it feels like you've seen this headline before, that's because you have.

Yes, another Tampa Bay Buccaneer was arrested on Monday. This time, it was defensive end Alex Magee, who was cited by Tampa police after an officer allegedly found a small amount of marijauna in Magee's car during a traffic stop.

Not to get preachy here, because this is far from the most egregious offense an NFL player has been accused of. But what's important here is the context. The Bucs are under tremendous pressure to erase the appearance that theirs is a team with a discipline problem.

The questions are more than fair. This is the fourth member of the organization arrested since March, beginning with pro scouting coordinator Shelton Quarles (DUI), cornerback Aqib Talib (aggravated assault with a deadly weapon) and coaching assistant Jay Kaiser (DUI). Combined with a series of arrests and troubles last year that include the felony drug arrest of former tight end Jerramy Stevens and the one-year drug suspension of safety Tanard Jackson, and it's not hard to see where the reputation comes from.

The point is, this was a very bad time for Magee -- a promising but still marginal player -- to have this happen. To say that people associated with the franchise are going to be on a short leashes probably goes without saying. Will Magee be cut once the lockout is lifted and NFL teams can resume making roster moves? Well, that's far from a given.

But don't be surprised if the Bucs, at some point, start cracking down in a more public fashion. They know fans are watching. And, more important, so is commissioner Roger Goodell.

Have you or a loved one been arrested for marijuana possession or DUI and are in need of a criminal defense lawyer? Then call the law offices of Blake & Dorsten, P.A. at 727.286.6141 or email info@BlakeDorstenLaw.com for a free consultation with a criminal defense attorney.

We are located at 4707 140th Ave N, Suite 104, Clearwater, FL 33762, off 275, minutes from Tampa and St. Petersburg.

Tampa Bay Criminal Defense Lawyer - come ON Bucs!! Part 2

By Nick Dorsten, Esq

Part 2 of our continuing Bucs saga (Part One is here). From the TampaBay.com website...

TAMPA — Texas police obtained felony arrest warrants Tuesday for Bucs cornerback Aqib Talib and his mother in connection with a shooting in Garland, Texas, last week.

Talib, 25, will be charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, a second-degree felony punishable by two to 20 years in prison. His bail was set at $25,000.

Talib, considered one of the team's best defensive players, is expected to surrender this week, Garland Police spokesman Joe Harn said.

Talib's arrest could jeopardize his career with the Buccaneers, or any other National Football League team. He has had several off-the-field incidents since being chosen in the first round of the 2008 draft and was suspended by the league for one game last season after being accused of punching a St. Petersburg, FL cab driver in 2009.

"We are deeply troubled by the serious charges filed against Aqib Talib," Bucs general manager Mark Dominik said in a statement. "Due to current labor circumstances, we will withhold any further comment or action."

Because of the current work stoppage in the NFL, teams are prohibited from contacting players or making transactions, including releasing players. However, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said last week the league's player code of conduct will cover transgressions that occur during the lockout and be enforced when a new labor agreement is reached.

Talib's mother, Okolo, turned herself in Tuesday morning and was charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. She was also charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm, based on a previous conviction. Bail was set at $25,000 for the assault charge and $5,000 for the possession charge.

The arrest of Talib and his mother stems from their roles in a domestic disturbance March 21 involving his sister, Saran, 43, and her boyfriend, Shannon Billings, police said.

Police said they arrived in the 900 block of Green Pond Drive in Garland, a Dallas suburb, at 7:30 p.m. after a 911 caller reported fighting, including gunshots. Police said they found Billings, 40, alone outside his residence.

According to a report Monday in the Dallas Observer, which cited the Garland police and two unnamed sources familiar with the case, Talib attempted to pistol-whip Billings with a handgun, which was dropped in the struggle. Billings picked it up and began running. Okolo produced another handgun and fired at least three times before Aqib used it to fire twice more at Billings, according to the report.

Harn, the police spokesman, said information detectives gathered at the scene and in follow-up investigations led police to conclude Aqib physically assaulted and then fired shots at Billings, who was not injured.

Billings, who is a registered sex offender in Texas, later was taken into custody and charged with aggravated assault with bodily injury and interference with an emergency phone call, relating to an incident at his address earlier in the day.

In Texas, aggravated assault with a deadly weapon is a very serious charge, said a lawyer from a Dallas criminal defense firm.

Though Talib could be eligible for community-control probation instead of prison if he has no prior felony offenses, the criminal defense lawyer said, many factors play into that decision and "it would be more difficult if a firearm is actually discharged at an individual."

Probation for a second-degree felony runs up to 10 years. For Talib to keep playing for the Bucs during that time if that was a penalty he received, Florida authorities would have to agree to supervise his community control. Officials for the Florida Department of Corrections could not be reached for comment as to whether they would agree to supervise a Texas probationer.

The arrest warrant is the first step in criminal proceedings. The Dallas County state attorney's office will have to decide whether the evidence is sufficient to take the case to a grand jury to try to get an indictment.

Harn estimated that it would take four to six weeks for a grand jury to hear the case against Talib.

Talib's talent never has been in question, but the Bucs, under the direction of former coach Jon Gruden and former general manager Bruce Allen, may have ignored numerous red flags before deciding to draft him.

Talib's off-field problems surfaced while he was a standout defensive back at Berkner High School in Richardson, Texas. Talib was arrested in April 2004 for burglary, according to Dallas County court records, but the charge was reduced to a misdemeanor, and Talib received two years of probation.

During interviews with teams at the NFL scouting combine in 2008, Talib said he tested positive for marijuana three times while playing at the University of Kansas, according to the magazine Pro Football Weekly.

From the start of his pro career, Talib has had difficulty controlling his emotions, resulting in significant fines from the Bucs and last year's one-game suspension. Bucs coach Raheem Morris has called Talib his "wild child."

Shortly after being drafted, Talib got into a fight with then-teammate Cory Boyd at the NFL's rookie symposium. In May 2009, Talib inadvertently hit former Bucs cornerback Torrie Cox in the face with a helmet, which he was swinging at left tackle Donald Penn during an argument. Cox required stitches to close a cut.

Last year, Talib agreed to a deal with prosecutors to resolve a battery charge after he was accused of hitting a St. Petersburg cab driver while Talib was a passenger in the cab. He was ordered to perform community service and attend anger management classes. He also reached an undisclosed financial settlement with the cab driver.

Despite missing five games last year, the last four with a hip injury, Talib was named the NFL alumni's defensive back of the year after recording six interceptions, giving him 15 in his three-year career.

Have you or a loved one been arrested for a criminal charge or a battery? 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 Pinellas criminal defense lawyers please contact BLAKE & DORSTEN, P.A. at 727.286.6141 or email the lawyers your questions at: info@blakedorstenlaw.com. We are located at 4707 140th Ave N, Suite 104 in Clearwater, across from the criminal courthouse in the airport business center, minutes from Tampa and St. Petersburg.

Tampa Bay Criminal Defense Lawyer - come ON Bucs!!

By Nicholas Dorsten, Esq.

Had enough with the Tampa Bay Bucs yet? As previously written about here, here, here and here, the hits just keep on coming. This one involves Talib... (courtesy of the Tambabay.com website

TAMPA
Police in Texas describe Bucs cornerback Aqib Talib as "a person of interest" in their investigation of a domestic disturbance last week in which shots were fired.

No arrest has been made, but Garland, Texas, police spokesman Joe Harn said the department is determining whether Talib should be charged in connection with his role in an incident March 21 involving his sister and her boyfriend.

"I will confirm he is a person of interest," Harn told the St. Petersburg Times on Monday. "This is still an open case. Once the detectives have decided, probably later this week, if there are charges that need to be brought against him or not, because of the high-profile interest in this case, we'll have an announcement."

Talib, 25, was suspended one game last season for assaulting a St. Petersburg, Florida cab driver in 2009 and could face further sanctions from the NFL from his involvement in the incident.

Players are subject to the league's personal-conduct code during the owners' lockout of players, commissioner Roger Goodell said last week.

The Bucs are not permitted to have contact with players or their representatives during the work stoppage. Bucs coach Raheem Morris declined comment while at a charitable event in Valrico.

According to a blog on the website of the Dallas Observer, the altercation occurred a week ago near the home of Talib's sister, Saran, 43, in the 900 block of Green Pond Drive in Garland. Talib reportedly attempted to pistol-whip her boyfriend, Shannon Billings. After a struggle, Talib used the handgun belonging to his mother, Okolo, to fire several shots at Billings, who fled on foot and was not injured, police said.

Police were called by neighbors reporting a domestic dispute. Harn said Monday that Billings, 40, was taken into custody and arrested two days later on an unrelated charge.

Dallas County jail records indicate that Billings was arrested on charges of assault with bodily injury and interfering with an emergency call. Billings remains in jail after failing to post $2,500 bail.

Billings is a registered sex offender with the Texas Department of Public Safety. In 1998, when he was 27, he was convicted of sexual assault on a 14-year-old girl and served probation.

Talib lives in north Dallas. He went to his sister's home about 7:30 p.m. and found her arguing with Billings, police said. Saran had called her mother for help, and police were notified by neighbors of three shots fired at a black man by a black woman.

Billings told police Talib brandished a handgun and attempted to strike him in the face with it. During the skirmish, Talib dropped the gun and Billings picked it up and began running. Okolo then produced a gun and fired three shots toward him. Billings told police Talib took Okolo's gun, said, "I'll shoot him," and fired at least two shots before Billings safely ducked into nearby woods. The Observer reported that witnesses corroborated Billings' story.

Harn declined to confirm or deny details in the Observer's story but said, "I don't know where (the Observer) got all its information."

Supremely talented but troubled, Talib has been dogged by personal-conduct issues that followed him to the University of Kansas and contributed to his falling in the 2008 NFL draft. He was picked 20th overall by Tampa Bay.

Talib was named the NFL Alumni's defensive back of the year in 2010.

Talib has had difficulty controlling his emotions, resulting in significant fines from the Bucs and one league suspension. Morris has called Talib his "wild child."

Shortly after being drafted, Talib got into a fight with then-teammate Cory Boyd at the NFL's rookie symposium. In May 2009, Talib inadvertently hit former Bucs cornerback Torrie Cox in the face with a helmet, which he was swinging at left tackle Donald Penn during an argument. Cox required stitches.

Last year, Talib agreed to a deal with prosecutors to resolve a battery charge after he was accused of hitting a St. Petersburg cab driver. He was ordered to perform community service hours and attend anger management classes and reached an undisclosed financial settlement with the cabbie. Talib received a one-game suspension from the NFL last season for the 2009 incident.

Last week's shooting incident in Texas could draw the attention of Goodell.

"The personal-conduct policy continues," Goodell said at last week's owners meetings. "It applies to everybody in the league. I don't know how it would apply to the players under this circumstance (the lockout), but it's something that I feel strongly about, that we owe to our fans."

It's expected that the league will administer discipline after the lockout for violations that occur during the work stoppage.

Have you or a loved one been arrested for a criminal charge or a battery? 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 Pinellas 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.