Another Attorney Arrested for Cocaine!

An Oklahoma attorney was arrested this month for his involvement with cocaine. The authorities used the old reverse sting operation to nab Gale McArthur down in Ponca City. The story from NewsOK is here.

McArthur was allegedly in possession of an ounce of cocaine, which police is an amount normally used for trafficking. For his part, McArthur apparently told police he began using cocaine last summer.

The story indicates that cocaine may be making a comeback due to a drop in sales price. Oh, great! Cocaine is a powerfully addictive stimulant drug that increases levels of dopamine in the brain. Dopamine is a neurotransmitter associated with pleasure and movement in the brain’s reward circuit. Cocaine acts by preventing the dopamine from being recycled, which leads to excessive amounts of the neurotransmitter to build up, which in turn causes the user to experience euphoric effects.

For a long list of adverse medical problems caused by cocaine use, go here.

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Ohio Lawyer Suspended for Cocaine Use

Over four years ago Ohio lawyer Ramie Ann Resnick was found to have cocaine in her make-up bag and in the glove compartment of her car. In 2006 she was convicted for possession of illegal drugs, and then convicted of resisting arrest and disrupting public service in 2007. But on December 21, 2010, the Supreme Court of Ohio issued the coup de grace by indefinitely suspending her from the practice of law.

The story can be found here and here.

The court said the 51-year-old Resnick violated the state attorney discipline rules that prohibit engaging in illegal conduct involving moral turpitude, conduct involving dishonesty, fraud, deceit or misrepresentation, and conduct that adversely reflects on a lawyer’s fitness to practice. The court's opinion can be found here.

As is the case with all who abuse or become addicted to drugs, there is hope for Resnick. In the future she may apply for reinstatement to the Ohio Bar - but there are conditions. She must first be evaluated by the Ohio Lawyers Assistance Program, enter into and comply with a recovery program, provide a report from a qualified mental health profession that she is able to return to the competent and ethical practice of law, and submit to a period of post-reinstatement monitoring of her practice.

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Hypocrisy or Innocent Until Proven Guilty?

Here on the Drunk Lawyer Blog we write about attorneys who are dealing with substance abuse or addiction problems. Those problems often lead to misconduct of some sort, including criminal activity. But the message coming out of Florida is that you are always innocent until proven guilty.

Florida criminal defense attorney Aaron Slavin was charged with illegal trafficking of prescription drugs this last July. The story is here from the St. Petersburg Times.


The twist is this: while Slavin awaits his trial, he is continuing to defend other criminal defendants charged with drug related crimes. Is this "hypocrisy" and "irony" as another defense attorney remarked? Through his own lawyer, Slavin maintains that he has complied with Florida’s disclosure laws and is entitled to continue doing his job. And what if Slavin is ultimately found to be not guilty of the charges against him?

We do not know any of the particulars regarding the charges against Slavin. But we do know that many who have suffered from substance abuse and addiction problems have rebounded and returned to their professions with great success. That is what we hope for all and that is what we hope for Slavin.

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Moral Depravity: Judge Lets Loose with Drugs and a Stripper

This story exemplifies the morally degenerative behavior that may accompany substance abuse and addiction. You can read the full story here, but the short of the story is this:

Several months ago a 67 year-old federal judge from Georgia decided to relax by going to an Atlanta strip club. The judge, who is married with adult children, received a lap dance from a charming young lady. He was so taken by her that he met up with the next day. He paid her for sex as they did cocaine together. Disclaimer: That is NOT her picture.

Their relationship continued with the judge helping his stripper girlfriend buy more drugs over the next few months. He gave her money and accompanied her at times to buy drugs. What he didn’t know was that she cooperated with police and one day in October led him to an undercover cop posing as a drug pusher. He was busted.

The judge is a former Vietnam veteran and supposedly a conservative, who was appointed by President Reagan in 1987.

We have said it here before: drugs and alcohol do not discriminate on the basis of race, gender, class, profession or political leanings.

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Florida Supreme Court Disciplines 3 State Lawyers For Substance Abuse

The Florida Supreme Court recently disciplined several lawyers for substance abuse. The full story is here.

Louis Barbieri was ordered to be publicly reprimanded. He had been on probation for five years for alcohol abuse. Ryan Fasso was suspended for two years after he pled no contest to a cocaine possession charge. Philip Irish was found guilty in criminal court of six felony drug charges. He was disbarred. James Tarquin was placed on three years probation for driving while intoxicated and domestic battery.

Alcohol and illegal drugs don’t discriminate based on race, gender, class, or political philosophy. These guys found out that a career in the legal profession does not make one immune from substance abuse or addiction, either.


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