If you are a nurse who has been accused of committing a crime, you are probably very concerned about your present situation and your future. You know you’re in a bad situation, where you may be facing not only criminal penalties — fines and potential jail time — but also the possible loss of your nursing license or other disciplinary actions imposed by the Florida Board of Nursing.
The answer to the question of what to do if you are a nurse accused of crimes is simple: you need to get legal help immediately from an experienced attorney who specializes in defending health care professionals in criminal court and in administrative licensing proceedings. Deadlines pop up quickly in criminal cases and Board of Nursing proceedings. Missing a deadline or not having enough time to properly prepare can be disastrous.
If you get legal help in time, however, the situation may not be so dire. If charges have not yet been filed against you, your attorney may be able to prevent them from being filed at all by challenging the allegations against you and making sure you are well prepared for investigations. If you have already been charged with a criminal offense, your attorney will make sure your rights are protected and get an early start on preparing a strong defense to get the best results for your future.
Sometimes nurses accused of crimes put off taking any action to defend themselves until the last minute. They feel overwhelmed by the difficulty of the problem and are unable to deal with it right away. If this describes your situation, please make every effort to find an attorney with extensive experience defending nurses from crimes similar to the ones you are accused of as soon as possible. Such an attorney can hit the ground running and save you precious time in getting your defense started.
Attorney Jonathan Rose has more than 20 years of successful legal experience. His law practice is focused on helping nurses, doctors, and other health care professionals who have been accused of crimes and/or are in danger of losing their medical licenses. Therefore, he is well qualified to represent you in state or federal criminal court and in state administrative proceedings, so that you don’t have to get a different lawyer for each proceeding. He would be glad to talk with you, answer your questions, and tell you more about how he may be able to help.
What to Do If You Are a Nurse Accused of Crimes in Florida
The Florida Nurse Practice Act lists many different offenses that may be grounds for losing your nurse’s license or for being subject to other disciplinary actions. These offenses are itemized in Florida Statutes Section 464.017 and Section 464.018 and include being convicted of a crime inside or outside of Florida, including:
- Forcible felony
- Theft and robbery
- Fraud
- Indecent exposure
- Assault and battery
- Culpable negligence
- Child abuse, abandonment, or neglect
- Domestic violence
- Unauthorized possession, distribution, or sale of controlled substances
- Any crime that directly relates to the practice of nursing
This is by no means a complete list of offenses, so if you have been accused of a federal crime or a state crime in any state, you should talk to a health care criminal defense attorney as soon as possible to find out if you are in danger of losing your Florida nursing license or being subject to other Nursing Board disciplinary actions.
Attorney Jonathan Rose is an accomplished trial attorney, with over twenty years’ experience. He specializes in health care criminal defense and license defense for nurses and would be glad to answer questions about your case.
What to Do If You Are a Florida Nurse Accused of Crimes Involving Drugs
Florida law enforcement agencies have been aggressively enforcing laws against drug diversion. Nurses may be accused of diversion when a controlled substance does not reach its charted patient. Often, though, this is not because nurses are trying to divert the drug for their own uses, but because the drugs get misplaced in the system, or the data are inaccurate. In instances such as these, attorney Jonathan Rose can help you prepare a strong case for the Department of Health, seeking dismissal of the charges.
Nurses accused of diverting controlled substances are also often suspected of having a substance abuse problem. If you are in this situation, the Department of Health and your employer may pressure you to enter the Intervention Project for Nurses (IPN). This program can be helpful for some nurses who do have a drug or alcohol abuse problem, but it is not always the best option, especially for nurses who have been falsely suspected of having addiction issues.
If you are being pressed to enter the IPN, you have to make quick decisions about what will be best for you and your career. Jonathan Rose has extensive experience with these issues and can help you choose the best option(s).
Get the Legal Help You Need If You Are a Florida Nurse Who Has Been Accused of a Crime
Attorney Jonathan Rose is dedicated to defending nurses accused of state or federal crimes. He is a former prosecutor, civil litigation attorney and Marine, with extensive experience working on complex cases. He will fight for the best outcome possible, whether that is a reduction in charges or a full dismissal.
To get a head start on your defense, call Jonathan Rose today at 407-894-4555, or submit the “Tell Us What Happened” form on our website.
