Author Archives: Jay Butchko
The Pre Sentencing Interview in Florida
In Florida, after being convicted of a crime and before sentencing, you will undergo a pre-sentence interview. This is essentially an investigative interview with a probation officer who will ultimately be tasked with making a recommendation for sentencing. If you’re headed to such an interview, the impression you make will likely have a significant… Read More »
Unsecured Firearms Results in Tragedy for Kids
Children die from accidental shootings nearly every day in this country. It’s sometimes the result of goofy teens who are showing off or playing around; other times a naïve child is playing with a weapon whose power to harm or kill is not understood. Tragically, when kids get their hands on weapons, it’s generally… Read More »
Speeding is Dangerous
A man is dead after the truck he was driving smashed into the rear end of a dump truck that was slowing down ahead of him on Jones Avenue. The pickup had just passed another vehicle on the road and was driving above the posted speed limit at the time of the crash. Speeding… Read More »
The Florida Crime Scene
Florida is a big, bustling place, with crime numbers that reflect as much. Some people might be surprised, however, to learn that some of Florida’s crime numbers are lower than the national average. The “Tough on Crime” State The current governor, Ron DeSantis, prides himself on a relentless push for tougher criminal penalties. In… Read More »
Auto Product Liability
Buying a vehicle is one of the biggest purchases most people make, outside of their home. So it’s logical that people expect their cars and trucks to be safe, right! Even so, each year the number of recalls involving vehicle components, but they don’t usually come until after people—usually hundreds, or even thousands– have… Read More »
Escaping a Sinking Vehicle
Losing control of your vehicle, whether due to a collision or a vehicle malfunction, is absolutely terrifying. The terror must ramp up exponentially if that vehicle winds up in water. Watching the water rise outside your windows, what should you do? Knowing the answer to that question could save your life, especially here in… Read More »
Dog Attacks Injure and Kill
Loose dogs continue to terrorize neighborhoods throughout Florida, wreaking fear and pain to unsuspecting people who are out and about. Why are vicious animals unleashed and harming innocents? And what recourse do people have following an attack that causes injuries or death? Recent Attacks A 93-year-old Modesto woman was attacked by two dogs while… Read More »
Charges of Health Care Fraud
Some Florida residents will be spending the next several years behind bars, thanks to their involvement in a health care scheme that centered around submitting claims for services that were never rendered to patients whose identities were stolen. This country faces a serious challenge in terms of health care fraud, and authorities are not… Read More »
Fatal Accidents
Fatal motor vehicle accidents: they impact so many people beyond those who die in the collision. Perhaps the most horrendous part of it all is that so many of these types of accidents are preventable, if only people would take more precautions on the road. Simply staying focused on the task at hand can… Read More »
Justice and Indigent, Incompetent, and Juvenile Defendants
The criminal justice system is supposed to be designed to exact justice, right? Even though everyone can agree to that basic tenet, things get a little more complicated when trying to define justice, and when looking at some of the groups commonly involved in criminal activity. Defining Justice? Justice is a lofty idea. Criminal… Read More »
