Covington Criminal Defense Law Blog

Kentucky law takes a tough stance on individuals who distribute or sell controlled substances. The offense, known as drug trafficking, most often involves felony charges.

Certain drugs which pose less of a risk for abuse or which have medical uses, such as prescription medication or even marijuana, might be considered Schedule III drugs that implicate only misdemeanor charges -- provided the accused was not in possession of amounts greater than the applicable statutorily-defined ceiling.

Perhaps no crime invites the condemnation of Kentucky readers as much as felony fraud charges. Although violent crimes may involve harsher penalties, many readers are unable to comprehend the motivations of those criminal suspects. White collar criminal defendants, in contrast, might be individuals in prominent positions, accused of violating the trust of their constituents not with the use of force, but by deceptive means or lying.

Perhaps it is that abuse of trust, or feelings of betrayal, that explains why states such as Kentucky impose harsh penalties and retribution for white collar crimes. The sentencing for white collar crimes usually depends on the amount of money involved. In addition, federal laws may also be implicated, which often carry even harsher potential penalties.

In our last post, we explored the increasing use of technology by Kentucky law enforcement officers, the latest use being small video cameras that can record criminal suspects in the act. Today's post also involves technology, but in a potentially illegal application: an alleged bugging of a public official's office.

A secret audio recording was recently leaked to the public, containing allegedly inflammatory comments made by Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell about a potential opponent, candidate Ashley Judd. The Senator's office is cooperating with FBI officials to investigate how the recording was made, and by whom.

The Kentucky Board of Medical Licensure recently gave a notice of restriction to a Louisville neurologist, based on allegations of sexual assault. This adverse employment action may affect the doctor's future career prospects. However, it seems that the doctor's troubles are only beginning.

A grand jury has indicted the doctor for multiple counts of both first and third degree sexual abuse. Four female patients accuse the doctor of inappropriate touching and fondling during their office visits.