December 19th was a busy day for R.D., a 36 year old St. Lucie County mother of three (3) with no prior criminal history. After a day of shopping, she stopped at a popular local fern restaurant and bar to have a drink after a busy day. She had two (2) cocktails.
Suddenly, she felt strange. And she began to act peculiarly, manifesting a loud and attention-getting demeanor that attracted the focus of the other lounge patrons.
The police responded, and ultimately arrested her for Disorderly Intoxication, and Resisting Arrest Without Violence, crimes that carry maximum sentences of sixty (60) days in the county jail and one (1) year jail respectively, in addition to fines, probation and other sanctions.
R.D. retained Board Certified Criminal Trial lawyer Jay Kirschner. Kirschner discovered that the responding law enforcement officers had confirmed R.D.s claim that she had only consumed two (2) cocktails. Her behaviors were entirely inconsistent not only with her history, but with the nominal amount of alcohol she had consumed that afternoon.
The answer was obvious. R.D. had been the victim of an attempt to drug her by placing pharmaceutical substances in her drink without her knowledge. These kinds of incidents are becoming increasingly numerous, and Kirschner was able to convince the Government that R.D. was not a Defendant, but rather truly a victim.
On May 7, 2007, all Charges were dismissed.