TILDEN LAW – Orlando Criminal Attorney

After a four month drug investigation, Palm Bay officers arrested nine people on allegations of illegal trafficking of prescription pain medication.  More than 40 grams of prescription narcotics also were recovered after special agents, SWAT members and other law-enforcement officials armed with warrants searched three locations during Operation Overdose.

The suspects “created a network of contacts where they would sponsor doctor visits for individuals with bogus injuries in order to obtain prescriptions for medications like Oxycodone, Xanax, Vicodin, Percocet and other pain medications,” police said in a report.

Sgt. Tim Zander of the Special Investigations Unit said suspects “took their fake patients to doctors in Orlando, Miami and surrounding areas in order to get the drugs,” the report said.  An investigation is ongoing. This is a developing news story. Check back later for updates.

TILDEN LAW represents clients in Central Florida accused of criminal Drug charges.  If you are facing a Orlando, Orange County or Seminole County Drug charge, call our office for a free case evaluation, 407 599-1234.

From the Orlando Sentinel…In his first public crackdown as acting police chief, Orange sheriff’s Capt. Ralph Groover has suspended Windermere reserve police Officer Gregory Fields, and the State Attorney’s Office today charged Fields with misdemeanor battery, Groover said.  “I have relieved him of his duties today as Windermere Police Officer pending administrative review,” Groover said in a statement.

The charge arose over a March incident in which Fields was accused of shoving a manager at his civilian job at Stericycle, a medical-waste-disposal company, and trying to start a fistfight, records show. When informed the company planned to call police, Fields said, “I am the [expletive] police, come find me after work and I will smoke you…,” records state.

Fields joined the troubled Windermere police force in 2008 after the Orange County Sheriff’s Office fired him for falsifying records. Last week, Windermere police Chief Daniel Saylor, 44, was arrested and charged with derailing a child-sexual-battery investigation against his friend Scott Bush, 50.

The Windermere Town Council has called a special meeting for Wednesday at 7 p.m. to discuss the police-chief scandal.

An alleged mistress of famed golfer, Tiger Woods, has been sentenced to serve one year in county jail as a result of a sentence to DUI.  Mindy Lawton was sentenced earlier today in connection to a no contest plea to a 2008 Orlando DUI charge.  As a condition of her plea, Ms. Lawton was also sentenced to  5 years supervised probation in Orange County, Florida.   

In 2009, Lawton told the tabloid “News of the World” that her affair with the then-world’s No. 1 golfer ended shortly before the birth of Woods’ daughter, Sam, in 2007.  ”I met Tiger in 2006 when I was working at Perkins as a manager,” Lawton said.  Lawton went into graphic detail about her alleged relationship with Woods. Claims of affairs involving Woods came to light after he crashed his SUV outside his Isleworth home the day after Thanksgiving in 2009. He later apologized for his “trangressions.”

TILDEN LAW represents clients in Central Florida accused of DUI and Driving Under the Influence charges.  If you are facing a Orlando, Orange County or Seminole County DUI or Driving Under the Influence charge, call our office for a free case evaluation, 407 599-1234.

Orlando police arrested a driver on suspected DUI early New Year’s day.  The driver allegedly crashed his car, a gold Hyundai Accent, into a roundabout in downtown Orlando.  The concrete barrier in the center of the roundabout was damaged in the crash.  DUI causing an accident, even a single car accident, is considered an enhanced or higher level charge carrying elevated sentence penalties.

TILDEN LAW represents clients in Central Florida accused of DUI and Driving Under the Influence charges.  If you are facing a Orlando, Orange County or Seminole County DUI or Driving Under the Influence charge, call our office for a free case evaluation, 407 599-1234.

The 21-year-old son of a Sanford police officer is accused of attacking a homeless man in front of a Sanford bar.  A warrant for the arrest of Justin Collison has been issued alleging a charge of aggravated battery, a 3^rd degree felony.  As a result of the attack, it is reported that the victim, Sherman Ware, suffered a broken nose.  Collison is the son of Lt. Chris Collison who is assigned to the Sanford police department’s patrol division. 

The attack was recorded on video by a person outside the Wet Spot bar on Park Avenue in downtown Sanford.  Collison was questioned at the scene but not arrested.  Acting Sanford police chief Capt. Jerry Hargrett said Wednesday that officers made “blatant” policy violations that night, including not handcuffing Collison or patting him down.  Hargrett said he wasn’t sure why the officers didn’t arrest Collison, but said there was no evidence Collison was given preferential treatment.  The police department launched an internal investigation into four officers, including a sergeant, who were associated with the case.

The video shows Ware trying to break up a fight on the sidewalk when Collison walks up behind him and punches Ware in the back of the head.  Ware pitched forward, hit his head on a nearby light pole and fell to the ground. He was taken to Central Florida Regional Hospital with a broken nose.  A few days after the fight, police asked the State Attorney’s Office in Sanford to review the case and decide whether to file an aggravated battery charge against Collison.

New Years Eve is one of the busiest days of the year for police enforcing DUI laws.  Police may have a new weapon in their pursuit.  Florida is among several states now holding what are called “no refusal” checkpoints.  It means if you refuse a breath test during a traffic stop, a judge is on site, and issues a warrant that allows police to perform a mandatory blood test.  It’s already being done in several counties, and now Mother’s Against Drunk Driving in Hillsborough County are working to bring it to the Tampa Bay area.  The federal government says Florida has among the highest rates of breathalyzer refusal.  Florida currently has criminalized a second or subsequent breath test refusal.

This new tactic, however, is under fire by DUI defense attorney who believe the mandatory blood test as a violation of constitutional rights.  Part of the concern is the invasive nature of utilizing a needle to withdraw a blood specimen at the roadside.  Supporters, though, say you could see the “no refusal” checkpoints in the Bay area by October.

TILDEN LAW represents clients in Central Florida accused of DUI and Driving Under the Influence charges.  If you are facing a Orlando, Orange County or Seminole County DUI or Driving Under the Influence charge, call our office for a free case evaluation, 407 599-1234.

TILDEN LAW represents clients in Central Florida accused of DUI and Driving Under the Influence charges.  If you are facing a Orlando, Orange County or Seminole County DUI or Driving Under the Influence charge, call our office for a free case evaluation, 407 599-1234.

Ron DiMenna was arrested last Thursday afternoon and charged with DUI in Brevard County.  DiMenna, 73, is known by most as the founder of Ron Jon’s Surf Shops.  According to the Brevard County sheriff’s office, DiMenna’s pick-up truck was weaving which prompted a motorist to call 911.  DiMenna’s truck had a open 20 ounce can of Four Loko, a alcohol based drink, in his car at the time of his DUI arrest. 

According to police reports, DiMenna showed multiple signs of impairment including, difficulty walking when he stepped from his Ford pickup, flushed face, slurred speech and his demeanor was slow and lethargic.  Also noted in the report written by the deputy “I then requested him to explain the odor of alcoholic beverage coming from his person. Mr. DiMenna stated, ‘I’ve had a couple.’”

This is not the first DUI charged DiMenna has faced.  His prior DUI arrests were in 2005, when he pleaded guilty to reckless driving, and in 2007, when he was convicted of DUI, according to the Brevard-Seminole State Attorney’s Office. He lost his license for six months and was sentenced to 180 days in jail, with 178 days suspended.  Other arrests include a 1987 case in New Jersey when he was charged with illegal possession of drugs and firearms after a former employee died outside DiMenna’s motor home. DiMenna previously served 18 months in prison on a 1975 drug conviction.

In addition to driving under the influence on Thursday, DiMenna was charged with refusal to submit to a breath test, the report stated. He was booked into the Brevard County Jail and was released after paying $5,500 bail, the report stated.

If you have been arrested or charged with a Orlando DUI or Seminole County DUI charges either Orange County, Seminole County, Florida, contact the attorneys at Tilden Law for an initial and confidential consultation, 407-599-1234.

Twelve individuals were arrested by the Polk County Sheriff’s department in connection with the sale of the imitation marijuana product, K2 earlier today.  K2 is a product brand of what law enforcement labels “imitation or fake marijuana”.   The arrests came after undercover officers were sold K2 during a police orchestrated reverse sting operation.  Arrest warrants have been issued for an additional person who is now out of the state.

The arrestees are being charged with possession and sale of an imitation controlled substance, a third-degree felony. Most of the store employees who were in compliance told undercover detectives they either no longer sold the product, or never sold it, according to deputies.

The crackdown began last month when Polk County law-enforcement agencies became the first in the state to challenge sales of so-called synthetic marijuana products sold as incense.  Florida’s Drug Policy Advisory Council recently urged the Florida Legislature to join a growing number of states in banning the substances.  Since that has not happened, Polk officials are using an existing statute that makes it illegal to sell “imitation controlled substances.”

The products, usually sold at small gasoline stations and mom-and-pop food stores, are sprayed with synthetic “cannabinoids” and can be purchased legally as incense.

TILDEN LAW represents clients in Central Florida accused of criminal Drug charges.  If you are facing a Orlando, Orange County or Seminole County Drug charge, call our office for a free case evaluation, 407 599-1234.

Orange circuit judge Frederick Lauten ruled Monday that nearly 50,000 tickets issued to motorists caught by automatic cameras running red lights in Orlando during the past two years should be dismissed.  The effect of Judge Lauten’s ruling may require the city of Orlando to refund more than $4 million paid in fines. But because the ruling is almost certain to be appealed, it may be years before there’s a final decision.

In his ruling, Judge Lauten ruled that “Although the court believes the city’s articulated goal is laudable — increasing public safety by reducing red light-running — the challenged city ordinance intrudes on an area of law reserved to the state is therefore invalid,” Lauten wrote.  The ruling doesn’t mean Orlando will be turning its cameras off, because the Legislature changed the law earlier this year to allow enforcement cameras. But it would seem to throw out nearly 50,000 tickets mailed to violators before the new law took effect July 1.  Orlando city attorney’s certainly will appeal the judge’s ruling. 

Regardless, Lauten’s opinion could have implications for drivers photographed blowing through red lights across Florida.  The judge’s  decision did not touch on ticket refunds or damages. The city issued 48,579 red-light tickets from Sept. 1, 2008, to July 1, when the law changed. It had levied more than $6.2 million in fines and collected $4.3 million.  Refund checks wouldn’t show up in mailboxes anytime soon. An appeal could take 18 months or more.

A 17 year old girl has accused an Altamonte Springs Officer of having a inappropriate sexual relationship with her.  The accusations were reported this past Friday.  Officer Clay Toomes resigned from the Altamonte Springs police force following the accusations and a four month suspension while under investigation by Orlando police.

 Information shows that the 17year old girl gave Officer Toomes her e-mail address at Orlando Regional Medical Center, where the high school girl was volunteering when the officer showed up to interview a patient involved in a traffic crash.

 According to court documents, the 38-year-old officer had sex with the 17-year-old girl. Police said he knew the victim was underage and a student at a local high school. Reports show that in one e-mail, the girl wrote, “I’m 17. I have no problem with the age gap, but you might.”  Toomes then replied, “I have to start by asking you, when do you turn 18?”

Documents show over the course of 5 months, they exchanged 89 e-mails. They exposed themselves to each other over the internet on a video chat account Toomes created under a fake name. They met on several occasions and had sex at least three times.

In one e-mail she wrote: “Birth control doesn’t work 1 percent of the time. I carried your child until I had that spontaneous abortion.”  Investigators won’t confirm if she really carried his child.

If you have been accused or are being investigated of criminal conduct in Central Florida, contact the Criminal Defense firm of Tilden Law for a free initial conference to discuss your rights and possible defenses, 407-599-1234.