Formation of Sober Home Task Force
In 2017, a combination of Federal and State law enforcement agents, prosecutors, and civilians formed the Sober Home Task Force to combat the opioid crisis in Florida. The task force allegedly set out to eradicate unscrupulous drug treatment centers and sober homes. The actions of the task force has resulted in multiple Federal and State prosecutions.
Violation Of The Patient Brokering Act
The State prosecutions are similar and mostly charge violations of the Florida Patient Brokering Act, Fla. Stat. 817.505 in connection with payments made to marketers. Some of the defendants charged in these cases had legal opinions directing how to conduct marketing in a proper and lawful matter. The State, knowing these defendants intend to assert an advice of counsel defense, has taken the position that the violation of the patient brokering act is a general intent crime. Because lack of specific knowledge is not a proper defense to a general intent crime, advice of counsel defense would not be a proper defense. The defense has argued that patient brokering act IS a specific intent crime, similar to violation of the federal Anti-Kickback Statute, and the intent required is knowing and willfully.
The State’s position tramples due process.
The issue of whether or not the patient brokering act is a general intent statute is pending with the Florida District Court of Appeals. In one case, State v. Kigar, the state filed a motion in limine to prohibit the defense, but the judge sided with the defense. The state took an interlocutory appeal that remains pending.
Supreme Court’s Opinion – Decision on Rehaif v. United States
Last week’s Supreme Court opinion – decision in Rehaif v. United States may have resolved the issue in favor of the defendants. Rehaif came to the United States on a student visa to study, but he was academically dismissed. The university notified him that his immigration status would be terminated if he did not transfer to another school or leave the United States, neither of which he did. Rehaif went to a firing range and fired weapons. Rehaif was prosecuted for possession of a firearm by an illegal alien. At the ensuing trial, the district court instructed the jury that it need not find that Rehaif knew he was out of immigration status, and the jury convicted. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit affirmed, noting substantial agreement among its fellow circuits that the term “knowingly” in 18 U.S.C. § 924(a)(2) applies to possession of the weapon, but not to the status category of the possessor.
Breyer’s majority opinion rejected that position. “In determining Congress’ intent, we start from a longstanding presumption, traceable to the common law, that Congress intends to require a defendant to possess a culpable mental state regarding ‘each of the statutory elements that criminalize otherwise innocent conduct,’” wrote Breyer. “Here we can find no convincing reason to depart from the ordinary presumption in favor of scienter [requirement of guilty mind].”
The Supreme Court opinion further noted that the mens rea element was important for both elements of the statute. As such, the “knowingly” requirement applied to the status aspect of the statute.
While Rehaif involved the hyper technical issue of immigration status, the opinion makes clear that the presumption is in favor of a mens rea argument and not against it like the State is arguing in these sober home cases. Rehaif appears to be a pathway to win against the task force’s overzealous position.