Author Archives: Jay Butchko
How Is A Defendant Convicted Of Battery With Prejudice In Florida?
A Miami doctor is accused of a hate crime, and Florida prosecutors have charged her with battery with prejudice, criminal mischief with prejudice, and tampering with a victim. The doctor allegedly became visibly angered after another shopper in a Hialeah supermarket asked her in Spanish to keep her distance. When the shopper repeated his… Read More »
Can You Be Arrested For Defamation Or Slander In Florida?
Alyssa checked her social media accounts to find someone tagged her in an offense post and claimed she illegally obtained her job through coercion and bribery. The post was shared and reposted multiple times and has gone viral, even reaching her employer. Even though it’s not true, Alyssa is worried about her professional future… Read More »
Florida Businessman Sentenced To Prison For PPP Fraud
As part of COVID-19 federal relief assistance, small business owners applied for PPP (Paycheck Protection Program ) loans with the Small Business Administration (SBA). Over 800 billion dollars in loan assistance was distributed since April of 2020. Unfortunately, some people have been accused of applying for loan assistance under false pretenses or fraud, and… Read More »
Expungement Of Criminal Convictions In Florida
You made a mistake as a teenager that you paid for dearly. You spent a year in jail, paid fines, attended drug and alcohol abuse education courses and participated in more than 100 hours of community service. Since then you have not gotten so much as a parking ticket, yet your criminal record is… Read More »
What Is A Scheme To Defraud In Florida?
Last week in Pinellas County, the ex-treasurer of a high school athletic booster club was arrested for a scheme to defraud after she removed more than 40,000 dollars from the club for her own benefit over a 2 year period. The defendant used the club’s debit card for personal charges and attempted to deposit… Read More »
Charged With Shoplifting or Petit Theft? You Have Options
In a hypothetical story, Susan is standing in line to checkout at a local department store with her toddler. She completes her purchase with the cashier, bags her items and pushes the cart out the front doors, only for the security alarm to trigger. Unbeknownst to her, her toddler has shoved several items (candy,… Read More »
Child Neglect Laws In Florida
This past week in Venice Beach, Florida, deputies charged a couple with child neglect, after their infant child ingested cocaine in their presence. The charges stem from a 911 call placed to paramedics back in January. The parents called authorities because their child was unconscious and unresponsive after “ingesting something on the ground”. After… Read More »
Charged With Possession Of Methamphetamine?
Tampa police arrested two suspects this past week in a major drug bust. A street value exceeding $750,000 of meth, heroin and cocaine were also seized. Throughout the Florida Panhandle, police have reported an uptick in drug activity and gang violence. The suspects apprehended in this case are charged with multiple offenses such as… Read More »
Understanding Habitual Offender Laws & Impact On Criminal Sentencing
Your co-worker, whom you have known for years, previously lived in another state. You do not know much about his past other than he had a rough childhood. Months later, he is arrested for embezzlement, fraud, and extortion. Facts of the crime make local news headlines, and you learn he was always a Florida… Read More »
Is It Illegal To Sell Or Use Fireworks In Florida?
Last year Governor DeSantis signed Senate Bill 140 into law, granting Florida residents permissive use of fireworks on July 4, New Years Eve and New Years Day. Florida Statute 791.08 indicates the exception to consumer use of fireworks on those days only. What happens if a person tries to light fireworks in the week… Read More »