A 10th-grade science teacher at Ashford High School has been arrested by the Houston County Sheriff’s Department on drug charges.

32-year-old Jason Allen Andrews was arrested on May 29 after being stopped by officers. Upon searching his home, deputies found methamphetamine, prescription medication, precursor chemicals, and moonshine. Andrews was charged with two counts of unlawful possession of a controlled substance, one count of unlawful possession of precursor chemicals, and one count of possession of moonshine. Andrews’ traffic stop was part of an investigation being conducted by the Houston County Sheriff’s Department, with assistance from the Alabama Alcoholic Beverage Control Board.

According to Houston County School Superintendent Tim Pitchford, there is no evidence that Andrews was dealing drugs or alcohol at Ashford High. He claims that Andrews passed a recent random drug test he was given as part of his coaching duties. Police agree with Pitchford, stating that they do not believe Andrews sold drugs at school.

For individuals facing drug charges, the future can look bleak. Prosecutors and law enforcement officials will be aggressive, and the penalties for a drug crime conviction are harsh. If convicted of a drug crime, a person faces catastrophic economic damage and years behind bars, among other things. But it is important to know that being arrested for a drug crime does not mean conviction is imminent. An experienced criminal defense attorney can fight to have your charges reduced, get a plea bargain, or have your charges dropped altogether. With your freedom at stake, it is vital to seek the counsel of an aggressive lawyer who can support you and fight for your rights.

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A gunman opened fire in a crowded bar early Tuesday, sending bullets flying into crowds of people, glass shards and chunks of brick fell all around the bar, at least 17 were injured.

Police think that the gunman fired through the glass of the double French doors at the front of the building and from a door on the side of the building. Witnesses said it sounded like automatic gunfire and thought the shooting would never end, they said there would be a pause and then it would start again.

Before he went on a shooting spree at the bar Nathan Van Wilkins wounded his first victim at the house he lives in with three other roommates. Brian Felton said he heard gunshots and found one of his roommates with a gunshot wound. The wounded roommate, who is white, and said Wilkins was looking for their black roommate, and when he found out the black roommate wasn’t there Wilkins made a racial slur and shot the roommate that answered the door.

Nathan Van Wilkins, 44, surrendered after the 2nd shooting. Police say that they aren’t sure what his motives were but say there were signs that his life was unraveling. He was divorced in 2005 from his wife of 16 years and last year a credit union tried to garnish his wages to collect a debt of more than $15,000 but couldn’t because he had declared bankruptcy. Wilkins also talked about being high on drugs during the shootings.

Wilkins is also suspected of setting 3 fires to equipment at his former place of employment, an oil and gas company. Around 3 a.m Tuesday, a volunteer fire chief received a call stating that there were fires at two  Capstone Oilfield locations in Brookwood. A Capstone car was also set on fire in Northport.

Wilkins is being charged with 18 counts attempted murder and is being held on a $2 million bond. It is unknown if Wilkins has an attorney.

Police officers take risks and suffer inconveniences to protect the lives, defend civil liberties, and secure the safety of fellow citizens, which, thus, makes police work one of the more noble and selfless occupations in society.  A Law Enforcement Oath of Honor is taken by each police officer, which is a public affirmation that the officer will adhere to ethical standards.  Unfortunately, two police officers in Alabama were definitely not adhering to ethical standards when they allegedly burned homes in the west Birmingham area.

Last month, Curtis Jeffrey Thornton, 27, was charged in at least 12 arson fires at unoccupied homes in western Birmingham, and on Thursday, a second officer is also being charged in connection with the same fires.  Thornton is charged with two counts of second-degree arson, one count of attempted second-degree arson and one count of criminal mischief in connection with fires in the town of Warrior.  To date, Thornton has only been charged in one Birmingham fire, which was the last in a string of 14 blazes dating back to around May 9 of this year.  The last fired was started on May 20.

Birmingham Police spokesman Sgt. Johnny Williams, Jr., said that a second West Precinct officer is being held in the city jail on a 48-hour extension.  The officer was taken into custody early today during his shift, but his name is not being released pending formal charges.  The officer is thirty-five years old and has been a member of the police force since August 2009.  The police have said the two officers were in the same rookie class.

The Detroit Lion’s lineman, Nick Fairley, was arrested in Mobile County on May 27th. He was clocked by a state trooper at the excessive speed of 100mph while driving his Cadillac Escalade. He’s reported by WALA-TV as attempting to elude police officers near the intersection of Highway 90 and Tillman’s Corner, on I-10.

Aside from the DUI arrest, he was also ticketed for reckless driving, no proof of insurance, and an open container. This was the second arrest for the 2011 first-round draft pick from Auburn. The first arrest occurred April 3rd for possession of marijuana.

Apparently though, he’s not the lone Lion with a problem of staying out of trouble during the offseason. Two other 2011 Lion draft picks have also been caught in possession of marijuana. Running back  Mikel Leshoure was also arrested twice, as well as offensive tackle Johnny Culbreath.

Fairley was an All-American at Auburn after having been a local high school star. His bond was posted at $1750, and he was released around 9 a.m. He has made a public apology for his behavior.

“I want to personally apologize to my fans, teammates and the Detroit Lions organization for bringing this unwanted attention to our team,” Fairley said on Facebook. “I recognize my actions were inexcusable and I personally need to uphold the expected standard of behavior of a professional athlete. I do not take for granted this opportunity and feel blessed every day to play in the NFL.”

Fairley claims to be cooperating with authorities and refocusing on football.

As for Leshoure, he was suspended two games and fined an additional two game checks for violating the NFL policy and program for substances of abuse.

Culbreath paid a fine of $412 to end his charge of simple possession of marijuana in Orangeburg County, South Carolina.

A Henry County Sheriff’s deputy found himself on the other end of the handcuffs this week. Nicholas Cheek of Abbeville is now facing multiple felony charges after being arrested by the Alabama Bureau of Investigation on May 30.

Cheek had worked for the Henry County Sheriff’s Office since 2008 until he was terminated following his arrest. Henry County Sheriff William Maddox said that there had been some complaints filed against Cheek regarding stolen property, including prescription medication and three handguns. “He’d made some traffic stops and taken some things away from people. The handgun that was taken in March was still in his patrol vehicle. I don’t know what his intentions were, but it should’ve been turned in,” said Maddox.

Cheek was charged with four felony counts of second-degree theft of property and felony intimidating a witness.  Allegedly, one of the handgun thefts occurred in 2009, when Cheek responded to a domestic violence call. Two of the charges are linked to a traffic stop made in March, during which Cheek allegedly seized prescription medication and a handgun. Cheek did not arrest the driver, but kept the contraband.

Maddox says that he has never had to fire a deputy before due to pending criminal charges, and says, “As a sheriff, we all have nightmares about it, and it makes me sick to my stomach to have to deal with it.” He goes on to say, “We have let deputies go for policy violations, but it’s the first time I’ve had one criminally charged.”

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According to a survey done by the Justice Department which questioned former state and local prisoners, nearly one in ten admitted they were sexually victimized at least once in prison by other inmates or prison staff. Sexual victimization was defined within the study as all types of unwanted sexual activity with other inmates, abusive sexual activity with other inmates, and both willing and unwilling sexual activity with staff. (Prisons prohibit sexual contact between inmates and staff, so any sexual activity between the two groups is officially classified as nonconsensual.)

Regulations regarding prison rape have been in the works for years, but shortly after the results of this survey were released, the White House ordered federal, state, and local prisons, jails, and detention facilities to step up the fight against prison rape. These new regulations are effective immediately, requiring these facilities to issue mandatory screenings to detect possible sexual victimization, and then to use that information when making housing and work assignments for inmates. These correctional facilities will also be required to have prevention regulations in place, and to enforce punishment on the inmates and staff members that don’t abide by these new rules. The goal of these new regulations is to reduce sexual assault behind bars. States that don’t adhere to these regulations will face a loss of 5 percent of their Justice Department prison money unless their governor shows that the same amount of money is being used to bring the state into compliance.

In a White House memo regarding the Prison Rape Elimination Act, President Obama said, “Sexual violence, against any victim, is an assault on human dignity and an affront to American values.” Attorney General Eric Holder said, “The standards we establish today reflect the fact that sexual assault crimes committed within our correctional facilities can have devastating consequences for individual victims and for communities far beyond our jails and prisons.”

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On May 5, Dothan police and fire fighters responded to a meth lab fire at the InnTown Suites hotel. Officers arrested 38-year-old Christopher Shane Hutton on arson and meth manufacturing charges.

Dothan Police Department’s narcotics supervisor Sgt. Jason Adkins said, “We don’t have too many explosions like this.” He went on to explain, “You’re putting water into lithium which does not go together. In this case he put too much water in with the lithium and the bottle exploded on him.” Hutton’s face received minor burns in the blast, but no one else was injured. The hotel fire sprinkler system went off, and the fire department responded quickly.

Hutton was charged with felony first-degree manufacturing a controlled substance, felony second-degree arson and felony first-degree criminal mischief for allegedly causing over $2,500 worth of damage to the hotel room as a result of the meth lab explosion.

If convicted, Hutton could face 10 to 99 years or life in prison for the meth manufacturing charge. The arson charge carries a prison sentence of up to 20 years if convicted. Hutton could also face up to 10 years in prison on the criminal mischief charge.

A drug arrest does not mean a conviction is imminent. If you have been arrested on drug charges, it is important to get a seasoned attorney involved early in the process. Whether you are facing charges of trafficking, possession, manufacturing, or any other drug-related crime, an experienced attorney will be on your side, and may be able to get your charges reduced or dropped altogether.

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On April 27, Henry County Sheriff’s deputies arrested two Georgia residents on felony drug charges, after pulling a vehicle over for a routine traffic stop on U.S. Highway 431.

Richard Minter, 42, and Lacole Boles, 35, who are from McDonough, Ga., were both arrested and charged with felony drug trafficking after deputies discovered about 16 pounds of marijuana in their vehicle. According to Henry County Public Information Officer Chad Sowell, the marijuana was in two “large bales,” one in the back seat and the other in a leather book bag. Sowell said deputies chased the passenger, Minter, on foot from the scene and apprehended him. Supposedly, the duo was on their way to Panama City when the arrest took place.

If you have been arrested, it is possible that a police officer may have violated your rights. There is a chance that you were stopped for unjustified reasons. A skilled attorney will investigate every detail of your case to determine if the arresting officer did violate your rights. Prosecutors will be aggressive. Your defense should be even more so. If you are facing drug charges, it is vital to seek the counsel of an experienced criminal defense attorney who will fight to protect your rights.

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On April 20, three people were robbed at gunpoint outside of Wiregrass Commons Mall in Dothan.

According to Dothan police, the suspect approached a man sitting in his vehicle in the mall parking lot. The suspect pointed a gun at the man and demanded his money. The victim stated he didn’t have any money, and the suspect ran off. Moments later, two females exited the mall. The suspect approached them in the parking lot, pointed his gun to their backs, and stole their purses. The suspect then left the parking lot in a white Ford Mustang.

With assistance from the Dale County Sheriff’s Office and the Ozark Police Department, Dothan police arrested and charged Benjamin Calvin Nickerson, Jr., who is 21 years old. He has been charged with two counts of robbery 1st degree.

Judges in Alabama give harsh penalties to those convicted of property crimes. If a gun is involved, the sentencing is even more crushing. Being charged with a property crime does not mean you are guilty. To avoid the risks of a steep prison sentence or staggering fines, it is vital to have a knowledgeable defense attorney at your side. An experienced attorney will make your rights, your freedom, and your well-being their top priority.

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According to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, there are more Americans abusing psychotherapeutics than the number of cocaine, heroin and hallucinogen abusers combined. The Centers for Disease Control says that prescription drugs are responsible for more overdose deaths than “street drugs” such as cocaine, heroin, and amphetamines.

Dothan Police Sgt. Jason Adkins, who is the supervisor of the Dothan Police narcotics unit, said prescription medication is the number one abused drug investigated by the narcotics unit, with methamphetamine a close second. The Dothan Police Department even has an investigator who primarily works prescription medication cases. Adkins said that police commonly come across pain medications similar to Percocet, including hydrocodone, Lortab, and Lorcet. Xanax, Adderall, Ambien, and alprazolam are common too.

The most commonly filed charges involving prescription drugs are felony unlawful possession of a controlled substance, conspiracy to possess a controlled substance, attempted possession of a controlled substance and forgery charges.

Adkins said doctor shopping is one of the most common ways people get prescription medication. He said people will also change the numbers on a hand written prescription slip issued by a doctor to increase the number of pills.

“A prescription is a legal document and when they do anything to change it, it’s a forged document,” Adkins said.

Dothan Police Investigator Jon Givens said using prescription medication is considered more socially acceptable than other types of drugs. He said there’s no criminal stigma associated with using prescription medication, because most people have taken pills at some point in their life. “It’s going to have to be a concerted effort between the doctors, pharmacies and the Dothan Police Department to come up with a resolution for doctor shopping and forged prescriptions,” Givens stated.

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