The investigation stemming from a discovery by the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office of missing prescription pain pills from the evidence room.  The missing drugs had been replaced with over-the-counter medications.  In all of the cases in which the drug evidence was missing, the drugs had been analyzed by the same chemist, who overall had processed 2,600 cases for 80 law-enforcement agencies since 2006. Whether the analyst handled any criminal cases in Polk County is unknown at this time.

The ramifications of this investigation will be huge.  Already, one State Attorney’s Office had to ask for a continuance in a trial of a man charged with trafficking in hydrocodone because of the chemist’s involvement in the case.  This could possibly lead to the trafficking charges being dropped.  Criminal charges could be brought against the lab analyst.  Recently, a lab analyst in Massachusetts was sentenced to to 5 years in prison for similar allegations after pleading guilty to 27 counts of misleading investigators, filing false reports, and tampering with evidence.

This strikes another blow to the integrity of the criminal justice system.  One of the jobs of a criminal defense lawyer is to fight this type of injustice and see that you are treated fairly in court.  If you have been arrested for a drug crime, call an attorney that will fight for justice for you!

CALL AND SET YOUR FREE OFFICE CONSULTATION NOW! 

Thomas C. Grajek  863-688-4606

Handling all felony and misdemeanor criminal and drug cases in Polk County, Florida.

http://www.theledger.com/article/20130620/NEWS/306215002/1358/news06?p=1&tc=pg

If you have been arrested, call an attorney that will fight for your rights!

CALL AND SET YOUR FREE OFFICE CONSULTATION NOW! 

You will not have to drive to another county. Office – Lakeland, Polk County.

Thomas C. Grajek  863-688-4606

The officers reportedly were still drinking alcohol 4 hours into their shift and never left the strip club.  The supervisors were having a hard time locating the officers.  Once they found them in the strip club, the two undercover plainclothes cops appeared “highly intoxicated.”  If these law enforcement officers had responded to the scene of a crime or high speed pursuit chase, it could have proven very dangerous for the public’s safety.

So what happens when law enforcement supervisors discover such an egregious violation or an officer’s duty to protect and serve?  Well, in this case, the undercover cops were allowed to have someone drive them home and no investigation was conducted!  Do cops let suspected drunk driver’s have a friend pick them up and drive them home or call a cab.  So, the officers level of intoxication was never taken through a blood draw or breath test to determine their blood or breath alcohol level.  And of course the internal affairs investigation concluded there was no cover up.

Eventually, an internal affairs investigation was conducted.  While this was going on, the suspected cops kept their jobs, but in an administrative capacity and kept being paid.  there was only one prior incident for Madsen in which the City of Tampa settled a lawsuit for $35,000.00 for shooting a man (holding a beer of all things) with a stun gun.

Everyday I am seeing more and more police officers being fired or disciplined.  I just blogged about this the other day at http://www.flcrimedefense.com/2013/05/off-duty-lakeland-police-officer-charged-with-battery-after-alleged-road-rage-incident/

Recently, FDLE reportedly began an investigation of Lakeland Police Department.  How can this affect your criminal case when you are disputing the allegations made by a police officer against you?  These internal affairs investigations can affect the officer’s credibility on the stand especially when it is the officer’s word against you, the citizen accused of a crime.  That is why I often file Public Record Requests to discover if there is something in an officer’s personnel file that may affect his credibility and improve the defense of your case.

That is just one example of what an aggressive criminal defense attorney does to fight for you in court!

CALL AN AGGRESSIVE LAWYER THAT IS NOT AFRAID TO STAND UP IN COURT AND

FIGHT FOR YOU !!!

THOMAS C. GRAJEK – CALL NOW   863-688-4606

The seminar was conducted by Matthew Malhiot of Forensic Alcohol & Training. Mr. Malhiot is a former Department Inspector with the Florida Department of Law Enforcement Alcohol Testing Program. His duties including developing software for the breath test machine, procedures to insure the reliability of the Intoxilyzer, inspecting the breath test machine, and all aspects of Florida’s breath testing program. The topics covered in the DUI seminar included:

• A detailed look at the Intoxilyzer 8000 – Inside and out
• How does the breath test machine work – Infrared absorption and the science behind the breath test machine
• The menu options on the machine for the Breath Test Operator, Agency Inspector, and Department Inspector
• Instrument messages – why is the machine failing and making mistakes?
• Limitations of Forensic Breath Analysis and issues with breath alcohol testing
• The Agency and Department Inspections – the monthly and yearly inspections that must be performed to insure the breath test machine is accurate
• How to perform or give someone a breath test
• How to use FDLE’s Alcohol testing Program website to find the information DUI attorneys need to fight a DUI criminal charge

A DUI defense attorney has to schedule around court and pay to attend these seminars. However, it is vital for me to attend these seminars and network with DUI attorneys from across the state. It is important to know more about the breath test machine and DUI law than the prosecutors so that my clients get the best defense to their DUI case. No other DUI attorneys from Polk County attended this seminar. All attorneys in Florida are required to undergo at least 30 hours of continuing legal education every 3 years. I currently have 102.5 hours in less than a year because knowledge is so important when defending a DUI or criminal charge.

If you have been arrested for DUI, call a Polk County DUI defense lawyer that is ready and has the knowledge to fight for you in court!

Thomas C. Grajek 863-838-5549 cell

Because you only have 10 days to request a Formal Review!