Tampa Bay Criminal Defense Lawyer - Parents of the Year?

By Nicholas Dorsten, Esq.

From the St. Petersburg Times online site, a short discussion on is it legal and if so, why the arrest?

ST. PETERSBURG, Florida — A couple is accused of allowing two young boys to smoke synthetic marijuana , also known as K2, almost 20 times in the past month, according to the Pinellas County Sheriff's Office.

The man, 37, and woman, 24, were arrested Monday on child abuse charges. The boys, who were in the couple's care, were 9 and 10, at the time of the offense(s).

Deputies went to the couple's home in St. Petersburg to investigate reports that the man was allowing the two boys to smoke the synthetic drug, which is known as "K2" and marketed as incense.

The boys told deputies the man and woman allowed them to smoke K2 in front of them, according to a sheriff's report. The woman admitted to her part and also implicated the man.

The lady then also told deputies she knew it was illegal for children to use K2, but could not explain why she allowed it.

The man denied the allegations, though he told deputies he smokes K2 himself. The couple were being held in the Pinellas County jail in lieu of $20,000 bail each.

This story brings up an interesting question. Clearly marijuana use is illegal. K2 use is legal (with restrictions) for adults. Is K2 to be treated like cigarettes or should no age restriction be applied?

Have you or a loved one been arrested for a possession of marijuana or a child abuse? Then contact the St. Petersburg criminal defense attorneys of Blake & Dorsten, P.A. for a free consultation!

For more information, or to speak directly with experienced St. Petersburg criminal defense lawyers please contact BLAKE & DORSTEN, P.A. at 727.286.6141 or email the lawyers your questions at: info@blakedorstenlaw.com. We are located at 4707 140th Ave N, Suite 104 in Clearwater, across from the criminal courthouse in the airport business center, minutes from Tampa and St. Petersburg.

Tampa Bay Criminal Defense Lawyer - St. Petersburg hotel drug busts

By Nicholas Dorsten, Esq.

From the Times online site,two local hotels are in trouble...

ST. PETERSBURG, FL — A pair of troubled U.S. 19 motels were targeted in a three-month drug sting that resulted Thursday in arrest warrants for 18 people, police said.

The arrests took place at the Mosley Motel, 401 34th St. N, and the Economy Inn Stadium Motel, also located in St. Petersburg. The police said the suspects sold crack cocaine, marijuana and prescription pills there, and that after many neighborhood complaints they began the investigation.

Police said both motels will now be reviewed by the city's nuisance abatement board, a legal arm of the police department, to determine if the motel owners face penalties because of the drug activity. Two years ago, the nearby Economy Inn Express, whose owner also runs the Mosley, came under the abatement board's review.

Arrested in Thursday's bust and charged with various sale and possession drug charges were the following St. Petersburg residents: A woman, 54; a man, 20; a juvenile Defendant, 16; a woman, 33; a man, 39; and another male, 31.

Have you or a loved one been arrested for a possession of controlled substance or drug trafficking? Then contact the St. Petersburg criminal defense attorneys of Blake & Dorsten, P.A. for a free consultation!

For more information, or to speak directly with experienced St. Petersburg criminal defense lawyers please contact BLAKE & DORSTEN, P.A. at 727.286.6141 or email the lawyers your questions at: info@blakedorstenlaw.com. We are located at 4707 140th Ave N, Suite 104 in Clearwater, across from the criminal courthouse in the airport business center, minutes from Tampa and St. Petersburg.

Tampa Bay Criminal Defense Lawyer - St. Petersburg police are tracking juvenile criminals

By Nick Dorsten, Esq.

From the tampa bay.com website, a story about how the St. Petersburg, FL police are cracking down on juvenile crime...

ST. PETERSBURG,FL — They skipped school and stole cars, broke into houses and got high, racking up arrest after arrest.

They spent a few days locked up, then they were back on the streets. Judges meted out curfews and home detentions.

Some got the message.

The rest were put on the list.

There are 143 names on it now, young serial criminals that St. Petersburg police believe merit special attention. The biggest offenders, they say, commit the most crimes.

One juvenile criminal was on this list, long before the 16-year-old was accused of gunning down a police officer on a dark downtown street.

Every day a special police unit aggressively monitors these juveniles — at home, at school, even in court. The teens know they're being watched. Every misstep, every missed curfew, will put them back in handcuffs. If they try to disappear, the unit will find them.

The message for those on the list is simple: Get it together. Or else.

"You hope what you're doing reaches these kids," said a Detective, "but you know you won't reach them all.

"Who's the next Nick Lindsey? That's what we're trying to stop."

• • •

By day, COTA detectives hunt for the city's most-wanted adult fugitives.

At night, they check on the troubled teens on the list.

The detectives of COTA — the Career Offender Tracking and Apprehension unit — find those who don't want to be found, regardless of age.

Detectives track down their friends, ferret out their new cell numbers, stake out their haunts, then swoop in and arrest them.

The first list was created in 2009 as a way to tackle soaring car thefts and burglaries.

Police believed juveniles were behind many of them.

They hold an edge over adult criminals. The juvenile system is even more of a revolving door. The longest they can be held is 21 days. Most only stay a few days.

To the police, that means the same thieves get out to commit more crime before their earlier cases are even tried. The state couldn't keep up with them all to make sure they were meeting the conditions of their release.

But St. Petersburg could.

In December, a reporter rode with the unit as officers worked the list, making sure teens were going to school, obeying curfew and staying clean. Violations resulted in another arrest. Their aggressive handling of young repeat offenders was hailed when the city's auto thefts plunged.

• • •
The detective is the new man in COTA.

He's a week into the job, a transfer from downtown patrol, where he was Crawford's zone partner before that fateful night. His new partners call him "Etch."

He's in Roser Park to pick up a 16-year-old who lives off 13th Avenue S.

The teen was first arrested on charges of burglary and dealing in stolen property just days shy of his 11th birthday. A lewd and lascivious charge followed at age 12; grand theft at 13; grand theft auto at 14; possession of marijuana at 15; another grand theft auto and leaving the scene of a crash at 16.

Besides the arrest orders — one for driving without a valid license, two for failing to appear in court — a burglary detective wants to question the teen about a recent break-in.

COTA has been looking for him for days. A detective got him on the phone days ago and asked him to turn himself in. The teen said he would meet him in 15 minutes. Then he called and said he lost his shoe. He never showed.

The detective knocks on the screen door and loudly calls: "Police."

Eventually a young man answers the door. Is the teen home? The man says he'll check and walks back inside.

The detective goes on alert. If the teen is home, the officer worries, he might try to run out the back. The officer doesn't have any backup to cover the rear.

Then the teen walks outside. He is shirtless and wide-eyed, as if he has just awakened. He is small, barely 5-foot-5.

How come you weren't home when we came to check on you he is asked.

The teen says he was at his girlfriend's. He says he doesn't know why he's in trouble again. He has a court date soon that will take care of everything.

"Sir, sir, sir," he stammers. "I don't even understand what's going on."

The Detective puts him in the back of his cruiser.

The teen's father, also shirtless, walks outside.

"Don't resist or do anything foolish," the man tells his son. "Don't give them anything else they can pin on you."

His father and stepmother decline to speak to a reporter.

Etcheson's new squad praises his catch. Smaller kids make great burglars, they say. They can slip into homes easily, and slip away from police.

"If we didn't find him tonight," a Detective says, "he'd do three more burglaries tomorrow."

• • •

It's a week after the detective took in the 16-year-old teenager.

He is in court, dressed in red coveralls, but COTA is still watching.

Another detective attends as many of these hearings as he can.

He goes to brief the judges, lawyers and probation officers on the specifics of each case. The unit doesn't want a teen released early because the court doesn't know about his latest violation.

Each arrest pushes the worst offenders closer to being sent to a secure facility. That's what police want. It's the only way to keep juvenile offenders off the city's streets for a significant amount of time.

The 16-year-old's criminal defense lawyer brokers a deal: The teen will spend up to nine months in a residential facility.

"That's one kid off the streets," he says, "one kid we don't have to worry about for nine months."

Last year, reported crimes fell 19 percent. In a city where property crime was once rampant, auto thefts plummeted 45 percent and burglaries dropped 18 percent in 2010.

The Assistant Chief credited the drop with the mind-set COTA represents: identifying and tracking the worst adult and juvenile criminals and arresting them faster. The rest of the department is adopting that approach, trying to spot and react to patterns.

"There's a lot of ripples going on here," he said. "If it's driving down crime, we're happy about that."

But while crime is down, these days the city is haunted by another statistic. There were 13 murders in 2010, one of the lowest numbers on record.

But in the first three months of this year, there have been eight. Three were police officers.

• • •

Another Detective hears the screaming before he even gets to the door.

He's making an 8 p.m. curfew check at the Disston Heights home. The 14-year-old girl inside was arrested in November on charges of burglary and auto theft. It was her first and, until that morning, only arrest.

She decided not to go to school, violating probation. Her mother called police and had her arrested.

The teen was back home that same day.

The officer asks the mother and daughter to step into the cool night air to calm their tempers.

The mother complains that her daughter won't listen. She feels exhausted and powerless. She declines to give her name.

Her daughter went off the rails in the eighth grade, she says. Now she's a freshman with a substance abuse problem.

The mother is an accountant in a new job. It's tax season. She's a single parent and works long hours. She can't watch her daughter during the day. She knows her girl is running with the wrong crowd again.

She has no help: "None of my friends want her around their daughters."

A week earlier, the mother watched her daughter testify against her co-defendant. The story she told under oath doesn't match the one she told at home.

The Detective pulls the girl aside and she insists that she is not a drug addict.

"She just thinks she made a mistake," the mother says. "She doesn't see herself on the path to self-destruction. She's 14. She's invulnerable."

• • •

The call on the radio sends COTA cars flying in from all over: 16-year-old with a gun.

Yet another Detective is fighting midday traffic, hitting every school zone on his way to the scene.

The address is familiar. The young suspect is on the list. But his probation ended a few weeks ago. The curfew checks stopped.

Police, frankly, are stunned by who called them: the boy's father.

"He always seemed to have a problem with us," the Detective says. "But it's a good sign that he reached out to us now."

The father, 50, made the teen watch Officer Crawford's funeral procession. But his son didn't see a connection. He didn't seem to care.

He was first arrested at age 10 on charges of burglary with assault. Last year, at age 15, he was arrested on charges of possession of marijuana and throwing a deadly weapon. Police put him on the list.

The father thought things were getting better, until this afternoon.

He found out his son was hiding a gun under his mattress, showing it off to his friends.

The father ran across the street to Northeast High to get help from the school resource officer.

The father didn't want police to storm his house, so he sent his son to buy sweet tea. When the teen returned, police were waiting.

"I can't allow him to hurt somebody," he said. "He'll have to live with it for the rest of his life."

He thinks his son got the .22-caliber revolver for protection from a rival gang. But he admits his son likes being a "thug" and has no fear of the juvenile justice system.

"He thinks it's just a joke," the father says.

The detectives are relieved.

"We got a gun off the streets today," "Who knows what he could have done with it?"

The 16-year-old, handcuffed in the back of a police cruiser, won't even look at his dad.

"I didn't call the cops to get you in trouble," he yells to his son through the cage.

If he had stayed out of trouble for another year, the teenager would have gotten off the list.

He's going to be on it for a long time now.

"I know he's mad right now," the father says. "But I know I saved his life."


Have you or someone you love been arrested for a juvenile offense, theft or battery? Then call the criminal defense attorneys today for a free consultation!

For more information, or to speak directly with experienced criminal defense lawyers please contact BLAKE & DORSTEN, P.A. at 727.286.6141 or email the lawyers your questions at: info@blakedorstenlaw.com. We are located at 4707 140th Ave N, Suite 104 in Clearwater, across from the criminal courthouse in the airport business center, minutes from Tampa and St. Petersburg.

Tampa Bay Criminal Defense Lawyer - murder defense

By Nicholas Dorsten, Esq.

From the St. Pete Times website, an article that questions a particular defense...

ST. PETERSBURG, FL — Did a "Red Bull defense" lead prosecutors to conclude that a murder suspect is not guilty by reason of insanity?

That's one of several questions raised by a criminal defense lawyer. He's working with the brother of the murder suspect and the son of the victim. The murder suspect was arrested in 2009 on a charge of killing their father by smothering him.

The Pinellas-Pasco State Attorney's Office has said it's leaning toward accepting an insanity defense for the murder suspect, based on the conclusions of two doctors who said he was insane at the time; and on circumstances surrounding the killing itself.

A final decision hasn't been made.

The criminal defense lawyer who was a longtime prosecutor, points to the transcript of a bond reduction hearing in which Red Bull, a high-caffeine beverage, factored into a doctor's evaluation of the murder suspect.

In the hearing last February, a psychiatrist said the murder suspect had suffered a "psychotic break" and had underlying signs of depression at the time of the killing.

In questioning from an Assistant State Attorney, the doctor said the murder suspect had suffered sleep deprivation, which "led to his psychosis and it was accelerated by his use of Red Bull."

The prosecitor asked, "So because he was sleep deprived, he actually went into an alternate reality and killed his own father?"

The doctor said yes.

She asked later: "So your final conclusion was the sleep deprivation and the Red Bull led him to killing his father?"

Again he said yes.

The criminal defense attorney on Monday sent a letter to a Circuit Judge strongly disagreeing with his brother's insanity defense. He concluded his letter this way: "And since when is being tired, and high on an energy drink, an excuse for cold blooded murder, anyway?"

It wasn't immediately clear how big a role the Red Bull theory has played in the murder case.

The testimony about Red Bull came during the bond reduction hearing. The purpose of the hearing was for a judge to decide whether the murder suspect should be released from the Pinellas County Jail on bail. At that point, prosecutors were arguing that he should remain locked up. The judge ordered him to remain behind bars without bail. The judge wasn't considering the murder suspect's insanity defense for the killing itself.

The defense lawyer said he believes the doctor did the formal evaluation for the murder suspect's defense, but he wasn't sure.

Another doctor hired by the state also evaluated the murder suspect, but it wasn't known whether he found sleep deprivation or Red Bull to be relevant. Neither of the doctors' formal evaluations are part of the public court file.

The defense attorney said he believes the state should hire additional doctors to further evaluate the murder suspect. He also would like the State Attorney's Office to have a face-to-face meeting with the man's brother, who isn't only the son of the man who was killed, but also an important witness in the case, because he spoke to the suspected killer right after the killing.

A hearing is set for Feb. 17.

In addition, a lawsuit has been filed seeking to prevent the murder suspect from sharing in the inheritance from his father.

Have you or someone you love been arrested for a violent crime or a criminal offense? Then call the St. Petersburg criminal defense attorneys today for a free consultation!

For more information, or to speak directly with experienced St. Petersburg criminal defense lawyers please contact BLAKE & DORSTEN, P.A. at 727.286.6141 or email the lawyers your questions at: info@blakedorstenlaw.com. We are located at 4707 140th Ave N, Suite 104 in Clearwater, across from the criminal courthouse in the airport business center, minutes from Tampa and St. Petersburg.

Tampa Bay Criminal Defense Lawyer - more Bucs Part 1

By Nicholas Dorsten, Esq.

Fresh off the heels of other Tampa Bay Buccaneers who got in trouble with the law (see here, here and here)comes one more, this a former player and one of the bigger NFL draft busts in history!

St Pete Times:

ST. PETERSBURG, FL — Former Tampa Bay Buccaneers first-round draft pick Keith McCants was arrested on a possession of cocaine charge early Wednesday as he was driving out of a strip club parking lot, police said.

McCants was pulling out of Tina's House of Angels, 3080 34th Street N., about 12:15 a.m. because he failed to stop while leaving a private drive, said police spokesman Mike Puetz. They also noticed that McCants and a passenger, Christina Shamika Campbell, 28, were not wearing their seat belts.

After they stopped the car, police saw a crack pipe in the center console of McCant's 1999 Chevy Tahoe. After searching the vehicle, police found one piece of crack in Campbell's purse.

Police arrested McCants and Campbell and seized the vehicle.

The 42-year-old former linebacker and defensive end's address was listed as 6291 Bahia Del Mar Circle in St. Petersburg, Florida, though he has had a string of arrests in Alabama over the past few years.

McCants, who was the fourth overall pick in the 1990 NFL draft but was cut after three seasons, has a history of legal troubles. Most recently, McCants was arrested on a charge of attempting to purchase drugs at a hotel in Mobile, Ala., in April. Mobile police also arrested him on use and possession of drug paraphernalia charges in June, according to the Mobile Press-Register.

In 2008, police in Alabama used a Taser on McCants after he threw a pair of pliers, a screwdriver, and a crack pipe at an officer, nearly hitting the officer in the head, according to reports. He was not charged with battery of a law enforcement officer.

McCants, who was one of the nation's top college defensive players when he attended the University of Alabama, was considered one of the biggest draft busts in Bucs history. He started in 25 of the 47 games he played with Tampa Bay, then went on to play a couple more years with the Houston Oilers and Arizona Cardinals.

St. Petersburg Police arrested McCants and booked him into the Pinellas County Jail at 2:12 a.m., according to records. He remained in jail Wednesday morning.

Have you or a loved one been arrested for a drug charge or a DUI? Then contact the Clearwater criminal defense attorneys of Blake & Dorsten, P.A. for a free consultation!

For more information, or to speak directly with experienced Clearwater criminal defense lawyers please contact BLAKE & DORSTEN, P.A. at 727.286.6141 or email the lawyers your questions at: info@blakedorstenlaw.com. We are located at 4707 140th Ave N, Suite 104 in Clearwater, across from the criminal courthouse in the airport business center, minutes from Tampa and St. Petersburg.

Tampa Bay Criminal Defense Lawyer - another DUI

By Nicholas Dorsten, Esq.

Another day, another St. Petersburg DUI to report. While these types of stories aren't new (See here and here for instance, when is enough enough? Courtesy of Tampa Bay online

ST. PETERSBURG, FL - A 22-year-old woman was driving drunk when she set in motion a three-car automobile crash that left an 81-year-old motorist with a broken neck and back, authorities said.

The drunk driver also had her 2-year-old daughter with her in the 2003 Mercury Marquis.

The defendant was charged with drunken driving-serious bodily injury, child abuse, driving with a suspended or revoked license in a wreck causing injury, and refusing to submit to a breath test. She was being held today at the Pinellas County Jail on $15,150 bail.

It's the fourth time the St. Petersburg, Florida woman has faced DUI charges, authorities said.

In Thursday's wreck, she also was cited with careless driving and for not wearing a seatbelt, said St. Petersburg police spokesman Mike Puetz.

The defendant was driving west on 22nd Avenue about 3:20 p.m. when her car struck a curb before hitting a Nissan that was stopped at 42nd Street and then striking a Honda on 22nd Avenue, Puetz said.

The Honda's driver, Hyacinth Capehart of St. Petersburg, suffered a broken neck and back.

Two people in the Nissan were treated at Bayfront Medical Center and released, Puetz said.

Neither the defendant nor her daughter was injured. The child was released to her grandmother.

Authorities found a half bottle of Skol vodka and two empty Budweiser beer bottles in her car, Puetz said.

According to court records, the defendant was charged with drunken driving in June 2006. Puetz said the charge was reduced to reckless driving before she pleaded no contest and was found guilty.

Puetz said the defendant was found guilty of drunken driving in a November 2006 wreck and also in a January 2007 case.

The three cases were bundled together and in April 2008 she was ordered into an alcohol treatment center for 30 days. She was also sentenced to a work release program and her license was revoked for five years, according to state records


Have you or someone you loved been charged with a DUI? Do you need the help of a St. Petersburg Criminal Defense lawyer or Clearwater DUI attorney? Then Call Blake & Dorsten, P.A. today!

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

Tampa Bay Criminal Defense Lawyer - bank robbery

By Nicholas Dorsten, Esq.

A bank robbery with a twist...courtesu of the st. pete times.

ST. PETERSBURG, FLORIDA — A man who police say robbed a bank then got in a car crash as he was fleeing nearly two weeks ago is now behind bars, authorities said.

The St. Petersburg, Florida bank robbery suspect, 52, of Quincy, was transferred to the Pinellas County Jail on Tuesday, after he was arrested on a warrant Nov. 24 by the Tallahassee Police Department.

The St. Petersburg, Florida bank robbery suspect police say, is the man who robbed a Regions Bank at 2751 54th Ave. S at about 10:30 a.m. Nov. 19.

The suspect was armed with a small handgun and got an undisclosed about of cash along with a dye pack.

About 15 minutes later, authorities said, the man was involved in a traffic crash at First Avenue South and 20th Street South. He ran away from the scene but he was not charged with fleeing and eluding or leaving the scene of an accident.
Officers responding to the crash scene found residue from the dye pack inside of the suspect's vehicle.

St. Petersburg police spokesman Mike Puetz said investigators developed the man as a suspect, who they believe was in the St. Petersburg area visiting relatives at the time he committed the robbery.

An arrest warrant was issued, and local detectives got word this week that authorities in Leon County had found the bank robbery suspect.

He remained in the Pinellas County Jail on Thursday in lieu of $50,000 bail. He faces a robbery charge

Have you or someone you love been arrested for burglary, robbery or battery? Then call Blake & Dorsten, P.A. today for a free consultation!

For more information, or to speak directly with experienced criminal defense lawyers please contact BLAKE & DORSTEN, P.A. at 727.286.6141 or email the lawyers your questions at: info@blakedorstenlaw.com. We are located at 4707 140th Ave N, Suite 104 in Clearwater, across from the criminal courthouse in the airport business center, minutes from Tampa and St. Petersburg.

Tampa Bay Criminal Defense Lawyer - drugs

By Nicholas Dorsten, Esq.

Another day, another article on prescription drugs and the potential for abuse (see here for more). This article courtesy of the St. Pete Times...

ST. PETERSBURG, FLORIDA — While working with federal investigators Tuesday afternoon, Pinellas County sheriff's deputies arrested two Tennessee residents on charges of trafficking in oxycodone, authorities said.

Narcotics detectives with the Sheriff's Office were assisting the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Internal Revenue Service in an investigation at a home in St. Petersburg when they found a man and woman with at least 0.98 ounces of the prescription pain killer oxycodone, said a Sheriff's Office Sgt.

Arrested were Kevin Bussell, 35, of Tazewell, Tenn., and Amanda Bible, 25, of Harrogate, Tenn.

Bussell and Bible were found at the home at 6065 38th Ave. N at 1 p.m.

According to property appraiser records, the two don't own the home, which has a market value of $125,000.

The Sheriff's Office declined to release any other information.

A spokeswoman for IRS criminal investigations out of the Nashville field office, confirmed the agency was working with the Drug Enforcement Administration and local authorities but said she could not comment on the ongoing investigation."

Many people don't realize that a charge like trafficking in prescription drugs or possession of oxycodone carries the same punishment as a posession of cocaine or trafficking in heroin charge! In the state of Florida, the law does not distinguish between prescription and non-prescription "recreational" drugs.

Have you or a loved one been arrested for a drug charge or drug trafficking? Then contact the Clearwater criminal defense attorneys of Blake & Dorsten, P.A. for a free consultation!

For more information, or to speak directly with experienced St. Petersburg criminal defense lawyers, please contact BLAKE & DORSTEN, P.A. at 727.286.6141 or email the lawyers your questions at: info@blakedorstenlaw.com. We are located at 4707 140th Ave N, Suite 104 in Clearwater, across from the criminal courthouse in the airport business center, minutes from Tampa and St. Petersburg.

Tampa Bay Criminal Defense Lawyer - drug deal gone bad

By Nicholas Dorsten, esq.

A recent online article is a reminder of how dangerous the world of illegal drug buys can still be. While I have blogged about drug deals before, this one is really tragic.

ST. PETERSBURG, FLORIDA — Buyer and seller had made this deal many times before, according to St. Petersburg police. One man was the drug dealer. Another man bought the illegal drugs. They had been at it for months, police said.

But something went wrong during Tuesday night's transaction, when police said one man shot and murdered the other man around 10:22 p.m. at the Peppertree Village Condos, 876 116th Ave. N.

The deceased was taken to Bayfront Medical Center with a gunshot wound to his upper body. The 25-year-old was pronounced dead at 11 p.m. in what police called a drug deal gone awry.

By Wednesday afternoon, undercover detectives tracked down the suspect at his home and took him into custody without incident.

The accused, 26, was arrested on a charge of second-degree murder.

A St. Petersburg Major said his detectives are still piecing together what happened that night but believe that the suspect may have become alarmed during his last deal with the victim.

The victim had arrived with three friends and approached the defendant's sport utility vehicle with a pistol stuck in his waistband, police said. So then he pulled out a revolver, shot the victim in the upper body and drove off, according to police.

Witnesses said the two men didn't even speak to each other before the shooting.

But the defendant left behind the gun, which police said they found.

Both suspect and victim have criminal records. The victim, who lived in St. Petersburg was first arrested at age 14 for burglary, records show.

He was also repeatedly arrested for aggravated assault with a weapon, aggravated battery, driving under the influence, grand theft, larceny, and possession and sale of morphine, according to state records.

The victim, also of St. Petersburg, was repeatedly arrested on charges of sale and possession of drugs from 2005 to 2007, records show


Been arrested on a drug offense? Need experienced drug crime lawyers? Then call Blake & Dorsten, P.A. for a free initial consultation. We handle all drug offenses including possession of marijuana, possession of cocaine, drug trafficking and many more.

For more information, or to speak directly with experienced criminal defense attorneys, please contact the law firm of BLAKE & DORSTEN, P.A. at 727.286.6141 or email your questions: info@blakedorstenlaw.com. We are located across from the 49th street Courthouse in Clearwater, at 4707 140th Ave N, Suite 104, Clearwater, 33762, minutes from St. Petersburg, Fl and Tampa.

Tampa Bay Criminal Defense Lawyer - Prescription drug nightmare

By Nicholas Dorsten, esq.

The st. Pete times keeps showing the harm that prescription drug abuse can cause....

ST. PETERSBURG FLORIDA — As a major with the Pinellas County Sheriff's Office in the 1980s, Jim Coats sounded the alarm that the crack cocaine epidemic sweeping the country was responsible for a surge in property crimes.

As chief deputy in the 1990s, he witnessed the surge in heroin deaths and drug trafficking charges in the county.

Still, he said Tuesday, nothing compares to the challenges facing law enforcement in regard to prescription drug abuse in the 21st century.

"I've never seen a drug problem as severe as the one we're facing now," said Coats, who has spent almost 40 years in law enforcement. "It touches all walks of life."

Coats was one of about 100 law enforcement officers from west-central Florida who attended a one-day illegal prescription drug summit Tuesday in St. Petersburg.

The conference was put on by Purdue Pharma, a Stamford, Conn.-based pharmaceutical company that makes powerful pain medications including Dilaudid and OxyContin. A company spokeswoman said Tuesday she could not release annual sales figures for the privately owned company. But a November report by the Gale Group estimated Purdue's sales at $488 million in 2009.

The company was in the Tampa Bay area after identifying it as one of 10 regions throughout the country that has seen a spike in prescription drug abuse and related crimes, said Landon Gibbs, the company's director of corporate security.

"The goals are to share information about the issue and to help law enforcement prevent and solve crimes," Gibbs said.

In the Tampa Bay area, prescription overdose deaths doubled from 339 to 681 from 2005 to 2009, the last year for which statistics are available.

In 2009, 179 people overdosed on illegal prescription drugs in Pinellas County — an average of one person every 49 hours.

In addition to the number of overdose deaths, the number of drug diversion cases and arrests in Pinellas County also have grown over the past two years.

Drug diversion refers to cases where prescription drugs are diverted for recreational or illicit use. In some cases, like one reported in Pinellas on Tuesday, drugs are being stolen from the homes of people with legitimate medical needs. Other cases include people who feign injuries or create fraudulent prescriptions to get medications. Some are doctor shoppers who go to a variety of doctors seeking pill prescriptions.

The Sheriff's Office made 243 drug diversion arrests in 2009, compared to 83 the year before.

Fueling the increase could be the increased resources that the department has put on the problem, said a Sheriff's Office spokeswoman. Over the past two years, the number of detectives assigned to drug diversion cases grew from two to 13. A Sheriff's Office-led task force also includes four members from other agencies.

"Of course if you have more detectives assigned to follow up on these cases, you're going to find more cases and conduct more arrests," Barreda said.

Investigators are seeing small, loosely organized rings of Pinellas drug traffickers who recruit others, sometimes transients, and pay them to get prescriptions, said the head of the Sheriff's Office narcotics division.

The recruit makes a small fee and ring members feed their addictions or sell the drugs for profit. The going rate for a pain pill in Pinellas County can be anywhere from $8 to $15 a pill, though the price is even higher in other parts of the country.

Gibbs also said he planned to share information about RxPatrol, a Purdue-funded database designed to collect and analyze information about pharmacy robberies, with the law enforcement officers.

The database, he said, is credited with facilitating 103 arrests since its inception in 2003.

"We don't want people abusing our products or anyone else's products," he said.

Coats said he supports greater emphasis on treating addicts, some of whom want help but can't find it or afford it.

Alfonso predicts the problem will get worse before it gets better. For each Pinellas doctor shopper taken off the street, another appears: "It's like shooting fish in a barrel."

While I have blogged about prescription drug abuse in the past, it appears that it is becoming even more of an epidemic. What does that mean for a St. Petersburg, Florida criminal defense attorney or his or her clients? While not widly known, in the state of florida, possession of prescription drugs(like oxy or zanax) without a prescription carries the same points and same potential punishment as illegal drugs such as cocaine or meth!

Have you or a loved one been arrested for a drug charge or drug trafficking? Then contact the Clearwater criminal defense attorneys of Blake & Dorsten, P.A. for a free consultation!

For more information, or to speak directly with experienced Clearwater criminal defense lawyers please contact BLAKE & DORSTEN, P.A. at 727.286.6141 or email the lawyers your questions at: info@blakedorstenlaw.com. We are located at 4707 140th Ave N, Suite 104 in Clearwater, across from the criminal courthouse in the airport business center, minutes from Tampa and St. Petersburg.

Tampa Bay Criminal Defense Lawyer - wanted

By Nicholas Dorsten, Esq.

Another article in the Bay news 9 website, with a vigalante style twist. Unlike previous posts dealing with juvenile crime this person was caught due to a "wanted" poster.

ST. PETERSBURG, Florida --
A St. Petersburg resident took an Old West approach to solving a crime in his neighborhood.

He made wanted posters and plastered them around the neighborhood, which actually helped police catch a burglary suspect.

A neighbor initially didn't pay the sign much attention.

"I just thought that somebody had lost a dog, cat," the neighbor said.

A camera mounted on the homeowner's house captured an image of a suspect during a car burglary on Oct. 17. The image was good enough to put the suspect's face on a poster and print copies.

"This is kind of unique,'' said an officer with the St. Petersburg Police department. "To the effect that not many people actually have a picture of a suspect that committed the crime."

Investigators said the suspect, a 17-year-old who looked directly at the camera during the break-in, only was able to steal loose change from the vehicle.

"I guess he had kind of stayed in hiding inside his house for two days anticipating that someone might recognize him," the officer said.

The home- and car owner, who did not want to be identified, put up the poster around the neighborhood with the title, "Have you seen this scrawny, big-eared punk?''

Someone did. And an arrest was made days later. The teen, a suspect in other car burglaries in the Bay area, has been charged with auto burglary. It was not known if the teen will be charged as an adult or charged with a juvenile crime for his role.

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.

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.

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