Author Archives: Jay Butchko
When Prosecution Witnesses Have Ulterior Motives, The Truth Will Prevail
Perjury is a crime, so why would someone lie on the witness stand? It turns out that there are lots of reasons a witness might make false statements to make a defendant appear guilty. Perhaps the witness is trying to conceal his or her own criminal activity by pinning the crime on the defendant. … Read More »
U.S. Senate Introduces Bill To Prevent Organized Retail Theft
It is difficult for anyone, even for prosecutors who go to great lengths to cultivate an image of being tough on crime, to argue that stealing merchandise from a retail store makes someone a danger to society. It is possible that, by charging you with all kinds of scary sounding offenses, such as retail… Read More »
What Floridians Should Know About The Kratom Consumer Protection Act
Kratom, which is the common name for the leaves of the Mitragyna speciosa tree and products derived from them, has been at the center of legal controversies in recent years. M. speciosa is native to Southeast Asia and is a close relative of the Coffea genus of plants from which coffee is derived. In… Read More »
Broward County Pastor Faces Criminal Charges For Allegedly Forging Quit Claim Deed
Statistically speaking, criminal defense lawyers are not most likely to utter the words “quit claim deed” in a courtroom. In fact, if you know what a quit claim deed is, you probably found out about them while engaging the services of a family law attorney or estate planning lawyer. Quit claim deeds transfer ownership… Read More »
Clinic Owner And Respiratory Therapist Accused Of Medicaid Fraud
Healthcare billing in the United States is anything but a straightforward matter. Just try to make sense of a bill that you have received from a doctor’s office or hospital. When you call your insurance company to try to figure out why your bill is so expensive, you end up still responsible for paying… Read More »
At What Point Does Research Misconduct Become A Crime?
Time-consuming assignments present all kinds of temptations to cheat, especially when grades or money are at stake. It’s easy to feel superior to the rich kids in college and in private high schools that pay other people to do their assignments for them, but how sure are you that you would not do the… Read More »
Why Do So Few Domestic Violence Arrests Lead To Criminal Prosecution?
When the police arrive at your house because of a domestic violence call, it is probably after a series of fights that escalated but then deescalated quickly, before the police could get involved. In some ways, a domestic violence arrest is a point of no return; the family law courts certainly take it as… Read More »
Three Men Face Charges For Broward County Real Estate Theft Conspiracy
Some things are harder to steal than others. Many items are easy enough to transfer from the rightful owner’s house or from a retail store and into your pocket or backpack. Vehicle theft requires you to do some fancy wiring and then put your foot on the gas before anyone else figures out what… Read More »
Kodak Black Avoids Prison After Positive Drug Test
Bill Kapri, a recording artist who performs under the stage name Kodak Black, has been a fixture of South Florida’s hip hop scene since he was in his teens. He has also had his share of legal troubles, only some of which have to do with drugs. In the summer of 2022, Kapri was… Read More »
Car Dealership Employee Faces Theft Charges For Paying Herself Unauthorized Bonuses
Until recently, Ariel Rutenbeck worked at a Chevrolet dealership in Clearwater. News sources do not indicate her position title, but they did say that she was one of only two employees who had access to the dealership’s payroll system. The company’s Chief Financial Officer conducted an audit of the payroll system when reports showed… Read More »
