Author Archives: Jay Butchko
Update on Medical & Recreational Marijuana Legalization in New York & New Jersey
Here in New York, the planned merger of two of the country’s largest cannabis companies could change New York’s law on marijuana manufacturing and distribution as we know it. The merger would create the largest cannabis country in the nation, with licenses to operate 79 facilities in a number of states, including two cultivation… Read More »
Police Crackdown on New York Doctors Distributing Opioids
On October 11, in pursuit of the current administration’s war on opioids, five New York doctors in Manhattan, Queens, Staten Island, and Westchester County were arrested and charged with running illegal prescription drug mills that led to the distribution of more than 8.5 million oxycodone pills being dispersed throughout the state. According to Manhattan… Read More »
New York Employers Face Strict New Sexual Harassment Laws
In response to the transformation that the #MeToo movement has had in our society and on workplace culture, New York and New York City passed what many are referring to the country’s most stringent workplace sexual harassment laws, which went into effect on October 9. Both the city and state regulations require employers to… Read More »
Therapists Arrested In New York For Billing Fraud Demonstrate Severity of These Charges
On October 4, eight therapists were arrested in New York on federal billing fraud charges for allegedly stealing hundreds of thousands of dollars from developmentally disabled children by billing for services that were never provided between 2012 and 2018. According to reports from federal prosecutors, the fraud included forcing the names of parents or… Read More »
Police Using Fitbit Data to Charge Defendants with Murder
Police are reportedly using a new tool to gather evidence in their criminal investigations: Fitbit fitness trackers. Recently, they used data provided by this device to arrest a man for allegedly killing his stepdaughter. According to reports, the arrest was made based on data from the victim’s Fitbit, which showed that her heart rate… Read More »
What Is Happening With Legalization Of Marijuana In New Jersey?
Rolling Stone recently ran an interesting article on the legalization of marijuana in New Jersey. According to experts, New Jersey has a unique set of circumstances that could allow it to become a global leader in the cannabis industry. First, the state has some of the highest incarceration rates in the country as a… Read More »
Proposed Law Would Expand New Jersey’s DWI Ignition Interlock Program
A new law proposed in New Jersey (S824) could have significant impacts on anyone who is convicted of a DUI/DWI (i.e. driving while intoxicated) by increasing the number of individuals who must use an ignition interlock system. A DUI ignition interlock acts like a breathalyzer and won’t allow a car to start if the… Read More »
Are Police Officers In New York & New Jersey Engaging In Misconduct To Get The Evidence They Want?
Below, we discuss two breaking stories that involve police misconduct and the potential repercussions it has on the innocent here in New York and New Jersey: NYPD & District Attorney’s Office Charges a Suspect in Jogger Murder “On a Hunch” The New York jogger who was murdered in Howard Beach (Queens, New York) two… Read More »
New Report Implicates Racial Profiling In School Policing
A new report released in late September suggests that school policing involves racial profiling, criminal justice, and civil rights issues. The report is especially relevant at the moment, as debates surrounding how to make schools safer and stop shootings continue to intensify. As we hear more and more proposals that call for more police… Read More »
New York Judge Orders Man Freed, Noting “Zero Tolerance” Immigration Policy Is Cruel
In a major victory for individuals charged with immigration crimes, in late July, a New York judge (Paul Crotty) ordered an Ecuadorian immigrant (Pablo Villavicencio) freed from an immigration detention camp in New Jersey, noting that the U.S. government was applying its “zero tolerance” policy in a “cruel and thoughtless manner.” Judge Crotty also… Read More »
