Oh no…Not Again

Sarasota Criminal Defense Lawyer
Peter D Aiken

As a parent of a child with a drug problem you dread getting a call in the middle of the night.

As a parent and grandfather, I have found that rarely is a call in the middle of the night good news. It is always bad news. If you have a spouse, brother, sister or relative with an addiction issue, the middle of the night call is usually from jail. The sad fact is that many kids end up with drug issues and addiction. Many are in denial and even after multiple arrests think they can deal with it on their own. Many kids with rich parents are spoiled rotten. The parents will never admit it, but sometimes, having life to easy can result in someone being “enabled”. Parents, thinking they are doing the right thing, giving their kids everything, create a situation where the kids turn to drugs. They already have everything else they could ever want. The kids grow up feeling entitled. They get a fancy car at 16, get anything they could ever want or think of and grow up with an attitude they can do anything they want to do. When they hit adulthood, they come into contact with the criminal justice system.

This is where reality sets in. Usually the first charge is for possession of marijuana or some other controlled substance.
Often it is for a DUI or under aged drinking.
Many times it is for possession of opiates like Vicodin or Percocet.

Sadly sometimes it is for possession of Heroin. Everyone thinks that it is only the kids in the Ghetto or the “hood” that get it trouble. That is not true. Rich kids get arrested too. As an experienced criminal defense lawyer, sometimes it is my duty to look long term and try and get the kids real meaningful help, even if they cannot see what is in their best interest. Probation without treatment is a trap and a one way trip to jail.
The truth is some young adults do not know what is for their own good. It is frustrating for a parent of an adult child. You cannot make them do anything. You cannot make them get treatment or help. It is frustrating to watch them self destruct. I personally think of my job as not just a lawyer but often a counselor. If I can change one life a year, over the course of my lifetime I will impact more lives than most preachers. If you have a child headed down the wrong path and want to talk about options, call me at 941 366 3506

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