California Lawyer Arrested Twice Has Some Explaining to Do

A California lawyer from Marin County has been arrested – twice – on drug related charges.  The story is here.  By the way, the paraphernalia in the photo is NOT from the attorney. 
Earlier in the month, the attorney was stopped by California Highway Patrol after he was allegedly driving almost 100 mph on Highway 101.  His car was searched when it was determined his license had been suspended and he had no proof of insurance.  A drug pipe, meth, prescription meds, and a possible counterfeit bill were found.  Later, the police continued with a search of the attorney’s home, where they found drug pipes, more meth, marijuana baggies, and more counterfeit bills.  As he was being processed for jail more meth was found on his person.

Methamphetamine is a central nervous system stimulant that is similar in structure to amphetamine. Due to its high potential for abuse, methamphetamine is classified as a Schedule II drug and is available only through a prescription that cannot be refilled. Although methamphetamine can be prescribed by a doctor, its medical uses are limited, and the doses that are prescribed are much lower than those typically abused. Most of the methamphetamine abused in this country comes from foreign or domestic superlabs, although it can also be made in small, illegal laboratories, where its production endangers the people in the labs, neighbors, and the environment.

California attorneys suffering from substance abuse and addiction problems should consider calling the State Bar’s Lawyer Assistance Program, it’s confidential.   

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Alcohol: The Basics

Thanks to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism for the following facts.

Drinking alcohol is itself not necessarily a problem, but drinking too much can cause a range of consequences, and increase the risk that bad things will happen to you.

What are the Consequences?

Alcohol enters your bloodstream as soon as you take your first sip. Alcohol’s immediate effects can appear within about 10 minutes. As you drink, you increase your blood alcohol concentration (BAC) level, which is the amount of alcohol present in your bloodstream.  The higher your BAC, the more impaired you become by alcohol’s effects.  These effects can include:

• Reduced inhibitions
• Slurred speech
• Motor impairment
• Confusion
• Memory problems
• Concentration problems
• Coma
• Breathing problems
• Death

Other risks of drinking can include:
• Car crashes and other accidents
• Risky behavior
• Violent behavior
• Suicide and homicide

People who drink too much over a long period of time may experience alcohol’s longer-term effects, which can include:

• Alcohol dependence
• Health problems
• Increased risk for certain forms of cancer

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What Is A Standard Drink?

Our thanks to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism for the following information.

Many people are surprised to learn what counts as a drink.  The amount of liquid in your glass, can, or bottle does not necessarily match up to how much alcohol is actually in your drink.  Different types of beer, wine, or malt liquor can have very different amounts of alcohol content. For example, many light beers have almost as much alcohol as regular beer – about 85% as much.   Here’s another way to put it:

• Regular beer: 5% alcohol content
• Some light beers: 4.2% alcohol content

That’s why it’s important to know how much alcohol your drink contains.  In the United States, one "standard" drink contains roughly 14 grams of pure alcohol, which is found in:

• 12 ounces of regular beer, which is usually about 5% alcohol
• 5 ounces of wine, which is typically about 12% alcohol
• 1.5 ounces of distilled spirits, which is about 40% alcohol

How do you know how much alcohol is in your drink?

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Lawyers and Substance Abuse

You asked, we delivered.  Below are links to articles on the web concerning lawyers and substance  abuse.  As you know, attorneys suffer from substance abuse and addiction problems at rates higher than the general public.  The articles describe the problems and causes. 

Lawyers disproportionately suffer from stress, depression and alcohol abuse

Lawyers and alcohol

Lawyers and Drinking

Addiction and Lawyers: Substance Abuse in the Legal Profession

Lawyers battling addictions

Lawyers Prefer Coke

Addiction Strikes the Nation’s Best and Brightest Lawyers

Lawyers and substance abuse

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Allegedly Drunk Attorney Pisses People Off – Literally!

Ever imagine what must be the worst job? How about those people who conduct urinalysis tests and have to collect the urine samples. Okay, I admit it, one of my additional jobs in the USMC was as a substance abuse control officer. In that capacity, along with my usual duties associated with doing real Marine things, was to conduct random urine tests. Operation Golden Shower we always called it. Understandably, the Marines weren’t too happy about that, but none ever acted out. Just piss in the bottle and get it over with. None were ever drunk at the time, though.  

But this story shows what could have happened if one disgruntled test subject were to demonstrate their displeasure.

A North Carolina attorney is accused of misbehaving when asked to provide a urine sample. He allegedly threw the bottle of urine at a police officer. Oh, the indignity! That attorney is in trouble. For more than that.  The stinky event occurred at the end of a night of apparent drunken revelry. The evening’s festivities began when he had to leave a bar after having too much to drink. Things went downhill as this story illustrates. In the end, he was accused of resisting arrest, assaulting a female, second-degree tresspassing, and being drunk and disruptive in public.

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California Attorney Has Too Much Fun In Las Vegas?

There’s fun, and there is too much fun.  Into which end of the spectrum did this California attorney allegedly venture?  He is accused of causing $100,000 in damage to his hotel room after the excessive consumption of alcohol.  Here is the story. 

Apparently, when confronted by police, the workers’ compensation attorney promised to take the deposition of the hotel’s owner, Steve Wynn, and make the place “Napalm.”

Of course we’ll have to wait and see how this is resolved – innocent until proven guilty – but we can mention in general a possible consequence of alcohol abuse: alcohol induced violence.  According to this article from 2005, around one in five alcoholics are frequently prone to violent behavior.  The explanation is neurological and depends on brain chemistry.  In other words, it’s all in your head – but drinking lets it out. 

I guess what happens in Vegas doesn’t always stay in Vegas. 





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Texas Attorney Arrested For Cocaine Possession in Court

We caution the reader that one is presumed to be innocent until proven guilty in court. But if the following allegations turn out to be true, it is once again proof that substance abuse and addiction does not discriminate on the basis of education, class, or profession.

Given the immense stress that attorneys face in the legal profession, they tend to suffer higher rates of alcohol abuse. When attorneys turn to illegal drugs, the substance of choice is normally cocaine. That may be the case concerning a lawyer from Texas. An attorney from Corpus Christi - who happens to be 70-years old - was in court for a pre-trial docket call for his own trial for possession of a controlled substance. But he is accused of failing a drug test and was about to be jailed. Must have been for breaking the terms of bail. Officers said he had cocaine on him so he was arrested. The story, photos, and a video is here.

The Texas Lawyers Assistance Program offers help to attorneys - day or night -regarding substance abuse and addiction issues.

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Does Drinking Make You Stupid?

Does drinking alcohol reduce your intelligence? We're not going that far, but alcohol does affect your brain. For instance someone who has had too much to drink experiences difficulty walking, blurred vision, slurred speech, slowed reaction times, and impaired memory.

Even having just a couple of drinks can impair your memory. Drinking a lot of booze on an empty stomach - so the alcohol passes quickly into your system and to your brain can cause blackouts. That is when the drunk person can't remember key details of events, or even entire events.

Long time heavy drinkers are at risk for developing serious and persistent changes in the brain. According to this report, "Damage may be a result of the direct effects of alcohol on the brain or may result indirectly, from a poor general health status or from severe liver disease."

Does alcohol make you stupid? Maybe not, but alcohol abuse is a stupid thing to do.

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Ex-Lawyer Gets 8 Months For DUI and Bribery

This is not a happy story.  It concerns the adverse affects from substance abuse and addiction.  A Bay Area intellectual property law attorney was suspended from the practice of law after his DUI conviction.  There is more. 

When Richard Chae was pulled over back in February 2010 for suspicion of drunk driving he tried to convince the police officer to forget the matter.  That discussion apparently involved the offer of a bribe.  Why?  Perhaps it was because he had already been convicted twice before for DUI.  A contributing cause of the bribery attempt may also have been the alcohol.  His BAC was reportedly 0.13.  The story is here. 

Attorneys in California who would like to talk about their problem with alcohol may contact the Lawyer Assistance Program (LAP).  LAP was established by the California Legislature. It is a confidential service of the State Bar of California. Staffed by professionals with many years of experience assisting the legal community with personal issues, the LAP provides assistance to attorneys whose personal or professional life is being detrimentally impacted by substance abuse, other compulsive behaviors, and/or mental health concerns such as depression and anxiety.

The LAP is a comprehensive program offering support and structure from the beginning stage of recovery through continuing care. It includes: individual counseling, expert assessment and consultation, assistance with arrangements for intensive treatment, monitored continuing care, random lab testing, professionally facilitated support groups, and peer support groups. The program also works with family members, friends, colleagues, judges and other court staff who wish to obtain help for an impaired attorney. Financial assistance is available so that no one is prevented from participating in the program due to financial limitations.

Attorneys may self-refer into this program or may be referred as the result of an investigation or disciplinary proceeding. Participation in the LAP is strictly and absolutely confidential. No information concerning participation in the program can be released without the attorney’s prior written consent.
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Alcohol's Attack On Your Body

Did you know that when you have a drink, the alcohol affects every organ in your body?  If you are pregnant, alcohol can even damage your developing fetus.

Getting drunk impairs brain function and motor skills.  Heavy use of alcohol can increase your risk of certain cancers, stroke, and liver disease.  Alcoholism, which is when someone is alcohol dependent,  is a diagnosable disease characterized by a strong craving for alcohol.  An alcoholic typically continues to use alcohol despite knowing that drinking is causing them harm or personal injury.

Alcohol abuse, which can lead to alcoholism, is a pattern of drinking that results in harm to one's health, interpersonal relationships, or ability to work.

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