Criminal Defense in Queens
Charges, or even just suspicion of criminal activity could result in very serious consequences. An actual criminal conviction would be much worse.
Both federal and state statutes dictate criminal law, though most cases are dealt with under state laws, unless the crime was clearly against national property and resources. In Queens, New York state laws will most likely affect your case.
It is important to act fast and use your right to an attorney when facing a criminal offense in Queens. Reach out to an experienced Queens criminal defense attorney who is a veteran in New York criminal law.
Crime is divided into two categories under New York State criminal laws — felonies or misdemeanors. Felonies are very serious crimes with sentences of long periods in prison and heavy fines. Misdemeanors rate lower than felony crimes, with sentences of typically less than one year with lower fines. Either misdemeanor or felony criminal convictions can have a serious impact on your social image and ability to earn a living.
White-collar crimes
White-collar crimes, often involving the theft of money by some means, are usually non-violent. Nevertheless, they may still entail harsh penalties. Conviction for such crimes may result in lengthy imprisonment, hefty fines, and restitution requirements.
Common white-collar crimes include the following:
- Forgery
- Cheating
- Fabricating fake business records
- Insurance scams
- Filing falsified unemployment claims
- Odometer fraud
- Employee theft
- Cyber fraud
- Fraud in healthcare
- ATM or any machine fraud
If you are under suspicion or have actually been charged with committing any crime, white-collar or otherwise, you should contact a criminal defense lawyer immediately.
Kentucky Gets $10.2 Million Settlement with Alpharma USPD
In the past few years, Kentucky Attorney General Jack Conway and his office have managed to collect over $175 million for the state’s Medicaid program from judgments and settlements involving pharmaceutical companies. Recently, Conway’s office settled with two drug manufacturers for $10.2 million.
Bloomberg Businessweek reported in Kentucky gets $10.2 million in drug settlement, that Alpharma USPD and Purepac Pharmaceutical Co., two pharmaceutical manufacturers, had agreed to pay the Kentucky Medicaid program the funds to settle allegations they had inflated average wholesale prices (AWPs) for their drugs.
Medicaid relies on the average wholesale prices to calculate reimbursement rates. Obviously, the higher the average wholesale price, the more the reimbursement to the drug companies. Alpharma and Purepac had allegedly published the AWPs for drugs that had little relation to the actual price. In some cases, that created a spread between the inflated prices and the real prices by as much as 3,200 percent.
The companies would use the spreads as a sales tool to market the drugs, which would inevitably lead to greater market share in the drug industry and significantly increase its profits.
Alpharma and Purepac are both owned by Actavis, an Iceland-based pharmaceutical giant, which purchased the companies in 2005.
According to Lex18.com, in Attorney General Conway Announces $10 million Settlement With Pharmaceutical Manufacturers, the attorney general and his Office of Medicaid Fraud and Abuse have brought 46 lawsuits against major pharmaceutical companies and individual providers since he took office in 2008.
Information in this post gathered in association with a Los Angeles trademark lawyer
Minnesota Man Awarded $1.1 Million in Levaquin Lawsuit
A jury in Minnesota has awarded 82-year-old John Schedin $1.1 million in punitive damages and $700,000 in compensatory damages. The verdict supports the claim in Schedin's lawsuit against Johnson & Johnson that the pharmaceutical company failed to properly warn him of the drug Levaquin’s side effects. This is the first of an estimated 2,600 Levaquin lawsuits.
The federal jury found that Johnson & Johnson, the makers of Levaquin, failed to properly warn doctors and consumers of the risks associated with the drug. Levaquin has been used to treat bacterial infections.
Mr. Schedin’s Levaquin lawsuit claimed he ruptured both his Achilles’ tendons as a result of taking the prescribed drug to treat bronchitis in 2005. Johnson & Johnson, the lawsuit claimed, had downplayed the risks, even though they had received reports of tendon damage dating back to 2001. Patients who took Levaquin and similar drugs have had tendon injuries to their hands, elbows, shoulders and knees.
Since 2008, the FDA has required black box warnings about the risk of tendon injury for Johnson & Johnson and makers of similar drugs. The elderly and those taking corticosteroids are thought to be at higher risk for tendinitis and ruptured tendons.
Turn to SettlementBoard.com for more on the settlement of Levaquin lawsuits, and for settlements involving companies including Costco and DeBeers.
Information in this post gathered in association with an Orange County family law attorney
Proposed Settlement Could Cost Drug Manufacturers Almost $22 Million in Refunds
Eleven drug manufacturers have entered into a preliminary settlement with The United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts to cover a lawsuit claiming that the companies artificially inflated the average wholesale price of approximately 200 drugs, thus increasing the co-payments and full payments that consumers and others paid. A full list of the drugs, including Depo prevera, Morphine sulfate, and Sodium chloride can be found at http://www.awptrack2settlement.com.
This preliminary settlement includes almost $21.8 million dollars, which would be distributed to eligible consumers who paid a percentage co-payment or full price of their prescription from January 1, 1991 and March 1, 2008. Those who qualify would receive a minimum of $35 dollars back. Those who paid a flat co-payment would not be eligible under this settlement.
The defending drug companies deny any wrongdoing, but have agreed to the terms of the preliminary settlement in order to resolve the litigation and avoid any further expenses and inconveniences if they were to continue fighting the charges. Council for the plaintiffs Steve W. Berman stated that "the proposed settlement ensures that consumers, Medicare, and insurers have the opportunity to get back some of the money they paid for these drugs."
On December 16, 2008 the district court will hold a hearing to consider whether this proposal is fair and adequate to cover the potential claims and attorney fees. Detailed information on the drugs, companies and claim forms can be found at AWP Track 2 Settlement.
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