Mac Attack blamed for alleged vehicular crimes

A Largo resident by the name of Jennifer Lynn Betterly is learning two difficult lessons: one on the value of patience and a second on how the legal system works. Betterly has been arrested on charges ranging from driving with a suspended license to battery, and all of them are being compounded by the fact that Betterly fled the scene of her alleged crimes.

Jennifer Lynn Betterly is under suspicion of having lost patience with the driver ahead of her in the drive through of a local fast food restaurant before repeatedly ramming her vehicle into the one ahead of her. The vehicle identified with this incident then fled the scene and was later located in Betterly’s possession, along with an Ambien pill and, one can’t help but imagine, a lot of regret.

How Much Worse Is Leaving the Scene of an Accident?

The short answer is much worse, but the long answer is that fleeing the scene of an automotive crime, be it accidental or intentional, in the State of Florida where Jennifer Lynn Betterly is soon to appear before the courts is a third degree felony offense in instances of injury and a first degree felony offense in cases of death. This means that the charges of leaving the scene of the automobile accident alone carry a potential punishment of up to five years in prison.

While accidents do happen and even worse happens every day at the hands of such characters as Betterly, leaving the scene of an accident is always a terrible idea. If you are involved in any automotive incident, remain both calm and at the scene of the incident, file a police report, and consult legal representation.

Any attempt to flee an accident will only harm you in the long run, but if your emotions get the best of you and you mistakenly leave the scene of an accident, call an attorney immediately. The court is made of people and being afraid is not the same thing as being a criminal.

Lilo proven guilty of stealing the spotlight

Lindsay Lohan has been in trouble in the past for allegedly sticky fingers. The famous “mean girl” was once charged with felony theft in not one but two incidents involving a piece of jewelry in the past.  The big talk these days though is about her upcoming performance on SNL March 3^rd.

Rumor has it Lilo can simply call up Lorne Michaels and get a spot hosting Saturday Night Live, and not to be too frank, but who would have thought the Lohan still had the sway?

Unfortunately for Lindsay Lohan, many of us think of her as a defendant instead of as a starlet anymore, and this is a PR nightmare for the actress. The SNL gig is a real opportunity for Lindsay to remind America that she is the girl from “Herbie: Fully Loaded” and not the girl who’s always fully loaded.

Lohan To Rebuild Career After Felony Theft Accusations

Lindsay Lohan is a good reminder that being accused of a crime is not the same thing as being convicted of that crime. In most incidents in which Lohan has been implicated, charges have been dropped or dismissed. So, while we may all remember the tabloid hysteria about Lilo’s crime sprees, the reality is that her record is far less blemished than is her reputation.

So, remember Lindsay Lohan and the many pieces of jewelry, jewels, and whatever else anyone can dream up to accuse her of stealing. Some say she even “stole” Justin Bieber’s virginity, but being accused of something is not at all the same as being convicted of that charge.

Lindsay Lohan’s lawyers are likely her best friends at this point, and the reason is simple. When the pressure of the entire legal system is upon you and the vultures are circling to enjoy the show, good counsel when accused of theft can truly be the difference between being accused and being convicted, a lesson we can all take away from Lindsay Lohan’s experiences.

Possession was the case they gave them.

Sierra Blanca, Texas is barely around anymore, having lost much of its population once an interstate made the town even more off the beaten path than it already had been, but this has not stopped the border patrol agents of Sierra Blanca from using their legal powers to arrest Americans, both famous and not, for drug possession and its various associated charges.

Of note, Snoop Doggy Dog, Willie Nelson, and Armie Hammer have all been charged with marijuana possession by legal authorities trusted with the responsibility of protecting America’s borders. Exactly how invading the rights of innocent Americans via invasive and unwarranted canine searches protects our borders is of some debate to many, but one thing is certain, this little town is gaining a reputation for basing its economy on one of the few thriving industries left in the nation: incarceration for drug possession.

Prior, Sierra Blanca had only been known as the place where New York City stores its human waste.

Willie Nelson Won’t Sing, Snoop Dogg Shrugs Off Narcotics Charges

Making light of the entire situation, a judge in this small town suggested that Willie Nelson pay his possession fine by singing the court a song, an offer Nelson refused prior to being forced to sit through an amateur country song played by none other than the judge himself. If you smell a miscarriage of justice, you may be smelling the other dominant smell in the small Texas town of Sierra Blanca.

While the legal system of Sierra Blanca may not take drug possession charges very seriously when celebrities are involved, these charges put anyone, even a famous person, in great jeopardy, risking the seizure of both their personal freedom and material property.

Seeking legal counsel when accused of drug possession, manufacturing, or trafficking is the wisest thing one can do, and you can bet that Willie Nelson, Snoop Doggy Dogg, and Armie Hammer did just that. Despite the folksy kindness offered Willie Nelson by the courts of Sierra Blanca, one should never take the risk of engaging the legal system without informed representation no matter what song the judge offers to sing you.

Mr. Stein Could Be a Victim of Bureaucracy

An Altamonte Springs resident by the name of Mike Stein ran a charity that was established to help homeless families and disabled children, but the State of Florida is charging Stein with a variety of crimes that include forgery, fraud, and identity theft in the operations of Alliance for Neighbors, a charity that the state claims was entirely fictional.

Stein is accused of signing documents in other people’s names, inventing people to sign documents for, and even inventing a certified public accountant in whose name he had documents signed. Clearly, if these charges are true, the actions suggested are highly illegal. However, accusations are not the same as convictions.

Forged Signatures, Foreclosed Houses, and a List of Stolen Identities

Technology today makes it all the easier for those who wish to commit fraud or identity theft to accomplish their goals all the easier, but the very same technologies that make such crimes more possible today make catching a forgery equally easier. If Mr. Stein committed these crimes, wouldn’t there be an immense paper trail in evidence and wouldn’t that paper trail have had myriad opportunities to be audited?

In the case of Mike Stein, the alleged forgeries continued for years during which a whole variety of professional and governmental organizations would have had every opportunity to uncover a supposed conspiracy of such a large nature.

Mike Stein is letting his lawyers do the talking, and he is likely a wise man for choosing as such. One should never add a litany of statements to the police to any evidence already accrued in instances where one is accused of forgery. Arguments with the police are fruitless and even counterproductive, but certainly when accused of fraud or forgery, anything you say will be assumed untrue by police. That will not stop them from using such arguments against you in court, so as always, anyone accused of forgery should seek legal counsel from a lawyer specializing in forgery cases.

A Port St. Lucie woman by the name of Maureen Jane Raymond was detained under suspicion of driving under the influence. Officers claimed to witness Raymond driving over 50 miles per hour in a 35 zone while supposedly veering across a double yellow line repeatedly before she parked across two parking spaces at a local business while being pulled over by officers.

The surprise was not that Raymond denied intoxication after police claim to have witnessed her stagger while walking and slur while speaking but that she had conceived of such a unique defense against the battery of field sobriety tests performed by the officers on scene. Maureen Jane Raymond claimed that her large breasts were responsible for both her difficulty driving and her difficulty maintaining balance.

Are Big Boobs a Legal Defense Against DUI?

Maureen Jane Raymond most likely believed she could not complete balance tests because her large breasts make her top heavy. When officers denied her argument and demanded that she complete field sobriety tests, she began to undress as if to illustrate the size of her breasts all the clearer to the officers on the scene.

Cup size may not seem like a legal defense and driving while intoxicated is never a good idea, but a lack of balance and difficulty standing can just as easily indicate a physical ailment as it indicates being under the influence. If you ever find yourself in Maureen Jane Raymond’s shoes, remember that your actions and the things you say before an officer can and most likely will be used against you. The right thing to do is to keep your arguments to yourself and let your lawyer make them in court. Nobody wins an argument with a police officer.

Police officers can arrest you, but their job is not to determine your innocence. A judge does that, and your lawyer is the person who should argue in your defense. Say as little as possible and get yourself a lawyer. After attaining a lawyer familiar with Driving Under the Influence law and DUI defense, you will find that there are far better defenses against a DUI charge than immense mammary glands. The subjectivity of field sobriety tests and even field sobriety testing equipment is in your favor. Stripping when the police pull you over, however, rarely is.

Sirens not wedding bells for this couple.

Marston Hefner, twenty-one year old son of Playboy founder Hugh Hefner, was taken into custody on charges of misdemeanor domestic violence against his girlfriend Claire Sinclair, Playmate of the Year 2011. Officers responding to a domestic violence report found evidence suggesting injuries consistent with Sinclair having potentially been the victim of assault.

Hefner was taken into custody and released after being held in lieu of bail.

“(Marston) was arrested without incident; it wasn’t really a big deal,” Pasadena police Lt. Rick Aversano said. “No one was transported to the hospital with an injury.”

While arguments between lovers can reach levels of passion that are neither healthy nor productive, the involvement of police officers turns a lovers’ spat into a legal matter. Marston Hefner was likely wise to avoid haggling with officers and keep his opinions to himself in the matter.

Marston Hefner and Claire Sinclair: An Argument for Good Behavior

Every word and action committed in witness of officers is admissible evidence against a defendant, and assault charges are taken very seriously very often. Good, polite behavior while enacting one’s right to remain silent until the arrival of one’s legal counsel, as illustrated by Mr. Hefner, while one awaits legal representation is a very wise move.

Arrangements have not been made for Marston Hefner to appear before the courts on these charges, but in a turn of events perhaps quite predictable. Claire Sinclair has taken an emergency restraining order out against Hefner just days before ending the relationship.

Claire Sinclair has since suggested in public interviews regarding the alleged assault that the fight between the two, while initially “about something silly,” escalated to the point that she “scratched” Hefner in self-defense. In further interviews, Sinclair declared her intention to drop charges against Hefner, but unfortunately, that is not how the legal system operates.

Now that the case is in the hands of police officers and the State of California, the case can move forward with or without the victim’s assistance.

Marston Hefner and Claire Sinclair make it clear that involving the legal system in your relationship is not a game and that accusations should never be taken lightly. Legal counsel may seem outside the realm of a lover’s quarrel but retaining counsel when faced with charges of assault of any nature is inherently wise.

Whatever comes of the now defunct Hefner-Sinclair Affair, the lesson perhaps for us all is that the legal system is not reality TV but instead something to be taken very seriously.