The Alabama House of Representatives is considering a bill that would make it mandatory for divorcing couples with at least one minor child to complete a four-hour “marriage dissolution education program” prior to filing for divorce. Both parents would be required to attend the class, regardless of which parent is seeking the divorce.

The goal of the class would be “increasing the parents’ sensitivity to children’s needs,” and “giving parents skills to improve their own and their children’s adjustment to the breakup of the family.” The class would also cover reconciliation, possible benefits of avoiding divorce, and alternative options such as couples counseling. The cost would be $100 or less per person. Those who qualify as low-income would not be required to pay the fee.

Some feel that marriage dissolution classes may be a helpful thing for certain couples, but that a bill requiring the class is just another way for the government to intrude on Americans’ private lives. Others claim that some marriages that end up in divorce could have been saved if the couple received some counsel prior to divorce. They believe that the class would cause some couples to have second thoughts about divorce, and try to save their marriage instead.

If you have decided to file for divorce, this life changing decision may be one of the most challenging times in your life. If there are children involved, the stress can be even greater. It is important to seek the council of an experienced divorce attorney who can help you come to a fair agreement with your soon-to-be-ex. Whether you are considering divorce or are already involved in the process, the right family law attorney can make all the difference.

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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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Jerry Jerome Smith, 41, was sentenced to death on April 18 for the murders of three people. It was the third time a Houston County judge had given Smith the death penalty for the same murder convictions.

On October 19, 1996, Smith shot and killed 40-year-old Willie James Flournoy of Dothan, 26-year-old Theresa Ann Helms of Wicksburg, and 29-year-old David Lee Bennett of Midland City. The shootings took place during a burglary, in a residence that police described as a crack house. Reportedly, Smith then attempted to kill a forth person after his gun jammed. Smith was described as a man who ran a drug trafficking enterprise.

Smith had his first two death sentences reversed on appeal. In January, a Houston County jury unanimously recommended the death penalty again. On April 18, Houston County Circuit Court Judge Michael Conaway affirmed the jury’s recommendation and sentenced Smith to death. In Alabama, the primary method of execution is lethal injection.

Smith’s defense attorney Aaron Gartlan argued that his client was mentally retarded, but the state Supreme Court’s opinion said that Smith’s actions of “systematically” killing three people and attempting to kill a forth after his gun jammed were not the actions of a mentally retarded individual.

“In the history of the city of Dothan no one has ever killed three people and tried to kill a forth,” said Houston County District Attorney Doug Valeska.

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For the forth year in a row, the DEA is sponsoring National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day. On Saturday, April 28, residents of Alabama will be able to safely and properly dispose of old prescription drugs that have expired or are no longer needed.

The Alabama Department of Public Health cites prescription drug abuse as an emerging health issue, and the nations fastest growing drug problem. Many teenagers and young people who abuse prescription drugs get them from friends, family, or their home medicine cabinets. The National Drug Take-Back Day was created in an effort to help remove potentially dangerous controlled substances from homes, and to prevent these drugs from ending up in the wrong hands.

In addition to avoiding potential overdoses, it is important to the environment that medicines be disposed of in a proper manner, rather than being tossed into the garbage, flushed down the toilet, or poured down the drain, as they could possibly contaminate water supplies and cause an environmental hazard.

Last year, the DEA collected more than 377,086 pounds of unwanted or expired medications during their third Take-Back Day.

The Dothan Police Department will be participating in the collection. For more locations, or additional information, check www.dea.gov.

If you are facing drug charges for prescription drugs, it is important to know that prosecutors and law enforcement officials will be aggressive. Having an experienced defense attorney on your side is essential to defending your freedom and avoiding catastrophic financial damage.

For more information about National Drug Take-Back Day, click here.

The understaffed Dothan Police Department has sworn in 7 new officers. With the addition of these new officers, the Department headcount is now 159 officers, just 6 officers shy of a full staff. Two of these new recruits will be on the streets within the next few weeks, but the remaining five will spend three months in the police academy in Selma before they will be out on patrol.

Dothan Police Chief Greg Benton says that when the new recruits are out of the police academy, residents of Dothan will definitely notice. “It’s actually going to be more people in patrol. You’ll see more officers in the street which in turn will reduce crime just by visibility. It will also give us a little more lead way to do the things we need to do as far as proactive policing goes,” he says.

With additional officers patrolling the streets, the possibility of being ticketed for speeding or getting arrested for DUI are higher. And no matter what the charges, there is a chance that you may be stopped for unjustified reasons. It is important to seek the counsel of an experienced and aggressive Dothan criminal defense attorney if you are facing charges of any kind. There is always the possibility that a law enforcement official made a mistake, or they may have violated your rights. This may be reason enough to have your case dismissed and your charges dropped.

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On March 17, Dothan Technology Center Principal Gregory Allen was arrested and taken to Dothan City Jail on a DUI charge.

According to the police report, Allen’s vehicle struck two motorcycles while traveling westbound on East Main Street. Neither of the motorcycle drivers suffered serious injuries, but one of the them was taken to the hospital. When police arrived at the scene, they stated that they could smell alcohol on Allen. Allen was unable to perform field sobriety tests, and was arrested and taken to the city jail. In the car with Allen at the time of the accident were his two grandchildren.

Unfortunately, Allen was arrested a second time in the same month. On March 29, police arrested Allen and transported him to jail and charged him with two misdemeanor counts of third-degree assault. Dothan Police Sgt. Rachel David stated that the two new assault charges are related to the DUI accident. David also confirmed Allen was charged with assault for the injuries suffered by each of the two motorcycle riders.

Allen has been placed on paid administrative leave while his case is being investigated.

Anyone who has been accused of a DUI or assault knows the pain and stress the accusation alone can bring. A conviction can be devastating and may forever alter your life’s course. With so much at stake, it is imperative to have an aggressive, experienced attorney on your side who will do everything it takes to protect your freedom.

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On March 11, Georgia cornerback Branden Smith was arrested and charged with misdemeanor marijuana possession.

Smith was driving on Highway 431 in Abbeville, about 25 miles north of Dothan in southeast Alabama. Police said that Smith was “following too close and had a tag light that was out.” After pulling the 2007 Dodge Charger over at about 11:30 pm, the officer smelled marijuana. The car was searched, and a “baseball size package of marijuana” was found, according to Henry County Sheriff William Maddox. Smith and his passenger Danze Woods were taken into custody and transported to Henry County Jail.

This arrest means that Smith will automatically be suspended from at least one game this season. Under the athletic association policy, he is required to be suspended for 10 percent of a season, but the coach gets to decide if he will miss one game or two. Most colleges are not as strict.

In January, teammate and starting cornerback Sanders Commings was arrested for domestic violence/simple battery. Coach Mark Richt suspended him for the first two games of the upcoming season.

A conviction on drug charges can be devastating. Drug crimes have harsh penalties. If convicted, a person faces hefty fines and prison time, among other things. Having an aggressive attorney at your side who will fight to protect your rights is vital.

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