Florida Attorney Arrested Trying to Purchase Cocaine

By Unknown, U.S. Government photo available through the National Archives [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

We hate reporting items like this, but we feel it is part of our mission to raise awareness of substance abuse and addiction in the legal community. 

Earlier this month a Florida attorney was arrested after he tried to purchase cocaine from an undercover Florida State University police officer. The story is here.

In the late afternoon, the attorney is accused of getting into a car with the undercover officer and trying to buy $800 worth of cocaine - abouit 10 grams. It is important to note that an arrest is not a conviction, and he has pled non-guilty. We make no judgments about the attorney. He is innocent until proved guilty.

For everyone else in the legal profession, remember that we attorneys face tremendous stress as part of our every day work. Perhaps as a consequence, attorneys as a profession suffer higher rates of alcohol abuse and addiction than the general public. Additionally, when attorneys turn to illegal drugs, the substance of choice is normally cocaine.  

That's why most states require attorneys to complete continuing legal education in the prevention of substance abuse. 

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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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Lawyer Maimed in Possible Alcohol Related Incident

Everyone knows, or should know, that alcohol is a depressant that adversely affects the drinker's judgment.  The more you drink, the worse your judgment is affected.  Acting with impaired judgment may lead to very bad consequences.  In other words, when you drink, bad things can happen to you.

A New York attorney was reminded of the these truths and, while lucky to be alive, still suffered horrible injuries resulting from her apparent alcohol impaired decisions.  The sources we have managed to read do not confirm that alcohol played a part in the sad chain of events described below, so read on with an open mind and open heart. 

We don't know how we missed the following event, which occurred in late October, and we apologize for not blogging about this earlier.  But better late than never as they say.   

A New York attorney from Manhattan returned to her apartment building - possibly after a night of drinking - only to realize that she didn't have her keys.  This presented two immediate problems.  First, she needed a key to get into the apartment building.  Second, once inside the building, she needed a key to get into her apartment.

Our unfortunate attorney solved problem number one by ringing the bell of all the residents inside the building until finally someone buzzed her in.  The fact that it was around 6:00 a.m. undoubtedly caused some annoyance to her neighbors, but perhaps one should expect these things in Manhattan apartments.

Once inside her apartment building the inebriated attorney embarked upon her plan to gain entrance to her actual apartment.  The plan involved sliding down the garbage chute to the basement, making her way into the apartment building's garden, and then climbing through one of the windows to her first floor apartment.

Tragically, the attorney neglected to plan for the trash compacting mechanism inside the chute, which she activated during her downward plunge.  It grabbed her arm, smashed it, nearly tore it off, and trapped her for about 45 minutes.      

The story is here, here, here, here and all over the rest of the internet.

Here are unrelated trash chute adventures:






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California Attorney Arrested for DUI

A California attorney has been arrested for DUI after he ran into a parked car.

The attorney is the former city attorney for Newport Beach. The story is here. Fortunately no one was hurt. This is the second time arrest for the 53 year-old lawyer. Two years ago he was arrested for domestic violence, but no charges were filed.

California attorneys seeking help for addiction problems can find assistance through the Lawyer Assistance Program.


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Washington Attorney “Smacked” Down

What’s with attorneys smuggling heroin into prison? (See last post). According to Heraldnet.com, a Washington attorney was arrested for trying to smuggle heroin into a county jail. Why? Because he himself was addicted to smack, and he was able to keep a cut for his own personal use.

The 63 year old attorney is said to have become addicted to prescription pain killers, and then heroin. He somehow worked out a deal with prisoners to bring them dope as long as he could keep a portion for his own use. Before his arrest he resigned as a result of misconduct.

Heroin is highly addictive. Addiction is a chronic, relapsing disease, characterized by compulsive drug seeking and use, and by changes in the brain. Heroin has increased in purity and decreased in price. Afterall, even prisoners can afford it.



For more info on heroin use and addiction, click here.

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Attorney Busted For Indoor Pot Farm

Should marijuana be legalized? At least one Philadelphia attorney may think so – after he was charged with conspiracy to grow and distribute 1,000 marijuana plants!

According to federal prosecutors, attorney Richard Creamer co-owns a warehouse in North Philadelphia that was turned into an indoor marijuana farm. Creamer and others may have been planning to expand their pot growing operation to Northern California before the authorities interceded.

The story is here and here among other places.

Creamer’s attorney says Creamer had no idea that pot plants were being grown in his warehouse, although he maintained a private office inside. But Creamer’s co-owner has already pleaded guilty to drug conspiracy, manufacturing and distribution charges.









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Utah Attorney Struggles With Prescription Drugs

An attorney from St. George, Utah was arrested for prescription drug fraud last month. The story is here. Michael Lastowski is charged with using different doctors to obtain a controlled substance.

Lastowski allegedly purchased two similar drugs using prescriptions from different doctors. But neither doctor was aware of the prescription from the other doctor. Police said it is against the law to fail to tell a doctor that you already have a prescription from another doctor. Police also said that the prescriptions had been altered.

Prescription drug abuse is taking a prescription medication that is not prescribed for you, or taking it for reasons or in dosages other than as prescribed. Of course, the abuse of prescription drugs can produce serious health effects, including addiction. Once addicted, the abuser may resort to extreme and sometimes unlawful measures to obtain more of the drug.

Lastowski is innocent until proven guilty. But the fact pattern here would illustrate this point.

A nifty government fact sheet about the abuse of prescription drugs can be found here.

"One pill makes you . . .'



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