Astor Simovitch Law
Share
Former Prosecutor | Criminal Defense Attorney | Legal Analyst on Fox Live, CBS & ABC. Meet Mark G. Astor, Esq. For over 20 years, Mark G. from American University.
Nationally recognized behavioral health law attorney helping families facing addiction, mental illness, and failed attempts at recovery. Astor has dedicated his life to providing exemplary legal services, as a member of the Florida and District of Columbia bars. In 2016, he founded Drug and Alcohol Attorneys with the goal of not only providing unprecedented legal representation to those suffering from mental health and substance abuse disorders but to providing guidance and resources for clients looking to better themselves for the future. Mark was born and raised in the United Kingdom. He came to the US for college where he received his Bachelor of Arts Degree from the University of Michigan in 1990, his Juris Doctorate from Nova Southeastern University College of Law, and his Master of Laws Degree (L.L.M.) Mark began his legal career as a Palm Beach County Assistant State Attorney and served as Chief of two different County Court Divisions and, thereafter, was promoted to a felony trial division. He has handled thousands of cases ranging from first-degree misdemeanors to Capital Murder. When he’s not working in his law practice, Mark empowers members of the community by teaching Krav Maga (the Israeli system of hand-to-hand taught to the military, special forces, and anti-terror units). He also enjoys an early morning workout believing that a healthy body leads to a healthy mind.
Dr. Wanda Synstelien specialized coach and somatic therapist joins me on The Journey Podcast. She shares the warning signs she missed, the moment she knew her marriage couldn't survive, and why she believes we're facing humanity's biggest disruption yet with AI relationships. From her childhood on a South Dakota pig farm to building a new life after devastating betrayal, this conversation explores the real cost of digital addiction on human connection and what it means for our future.
Contact Wanda Kay Synstelien:
Website: holistichealth.com
Christian Heart Counseling: Available starting October for counseling services in the Stillwater, Southeast metro area
Listen to the full podcast now on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, and Buzzsprout!🎙️
Is your loved one experiencing a mental health crisis? Have they been detained by law enforcement on mental health grounds, or have they been sent to a facility by a medical professional or court against their will? You’re not alone. Contact us today. We’re on standby to take your call and will spring into action to work for your loved one’s immediate release.
Contact us for a 100% Confidential Consultation.
📘 Download my FREE Marchman Act e-book: mentalhealthaddictionlawfirm.com/marchman-act-ebook
Baker Act Attorneys
📞 855‑429‑0074 | bakeractattorneys.com
Mental Health & Addiction Law Firm
📞 561‑419‑6095 | mentalhealthaddictionlawfirm.com
*x
TWO OLE MISS STUDENTS ARE DEAD — KRATOM WAS FOUND IN BOTH INVESTIGATIONS
🔗 Read the story:
https://www.kmbc.com/article/college-ole-miss-students-found-dead-kratom-found/73848388
🌐 The Mental Health & Addiction Law Firm:
https://mentalhealthaddictionlawfirm.com (https://mentalhealthaddictionlawfirm.com/)
📘 Free Marchman Act E-Book:
https://marchmanactbook.com (https://marchmanactbook.com/)
Two University of Mississippi students are dead. They were found in separate locations — and investigators say packaged kratom purchased from a retail store was found during BOTH death investigations.
In one of the cases, first responders were reportedly dispatched to the Ole Miss campus for a “possible overdose.”
Authorities are still awaiting autopsy and toxicology results, so we do not yet know whether kratom caused or contributed to these deaths.
But the connection is serious enough that law enforcement specifically warned the public to AVOID KRATOM while these deaths are investigated.
That should get the attention of every parent.
I have been warning families about the dangers of kratom for years.
Kratom is too often marketed as a “natural” or supposedly safer alternative to other drugs. But kratom can produce opioid-like effects, and repeated use can lead to tolerance, physical dependence, withdrawal and substance use disorder.
“Natural” does not mean safe.
“Legal” does not mean harmless.
And being sold over the counter does not mean a substance cannot become part of a dangerous pattern of addiction.
Now we have two young college students dead, kratom recovered during both investigations, and law enforcement telling the public to stay away from it while investigators determine exactly what happened.
We need to wait for the toxicology before saying kratom killed these young men.
But we should not wait for another tragedy before taking the risks of kratom seriously.
For parents, the larger message is critical: if your loved one is using kratom, opioids or other substances and repeatedly refuses treatment, don't dismiss the behavior simply because the substance can be purchased legally somewhere.
Substance use disorders don't become less dangerous because the substance came from a store.
Families have options. Sometimes waiting for someone to voluntarily ask for help can have devastating consequences.
Thank you, Dr. Todd Giardina, for having me on your podcast, Therapy Without The Couch! We delved into the critical questions surrounding the Lindsay Clancy trial: how and why did it occur?
Listen to the full podcast now:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ww2v9zuNPw&t=4s
Is your loved one experiencing a mental health crisis? Have they been detained by law enforcement on mental health grounds, or have they been sent to a facility by a medical professional or court against their will? You’re not alone. Contact us today. We’re on standby to take your call and will spring into action to work for your loved one’s immediate release.
Contact us for a 100% Confidential Consultation.
📘 Download my FREE Marchman Act e-book: mentalhealthaddictionlawfirm.com/marchman-act-ebook
Baker Act Attorneys
📞 855‑429‑0074 | bakeractattorneys.com
Mental Health & Addiction Law Firm
📞 561‑419‑6095 | mentalhealthaddictionlawfirm.com
Follow me for more
astorsimovitchlaw
855-429-0074
www.bakeractattorneys.com
561-419-6095
www.mentalhealthaddictionlawfirm.com
WHAT FAMILIES NEED TO UNDERSTAND ABOUT TREATMENT REFUSAL
🌐 http://mentalhealthaddictionlawfirm.com
📘 Marchman Act E-Book: http://marchmanactbook.com
📘 Baker Act E-Book: http://bakeractattorneys.com/baker-acted-ebook/
When your loved one refuses treatment, the first question shouldn’t always be:
“How do I convince them?”
The more important question may be:
“Why are they refusing?”
There is an enormous difference between someone who understands their condition, understands the consequences, and makes an informed decision to decline treatment—and someone whose illness or substance use has impaired their ability to recognize that they need help.
That distinction matters.
A person suffering from serious mental illness or substance use disorder may genuinely believe:
“I’m not sick.”
“I don’t need treatment.”
“Everyone else is the problem.”
That can make endless arguing, negotiating, pleading and bargaining ineffective.
And families need to understand something else: refusing voluntary treatment does not necessarily mean that no treatment options exist.
Depending on the circumstances and applicable state law, there may be legal mechanisms for involuntary assessment or treatment. In Florida substance-use cases, for example, the Marchman Act specifically addresses circumstances in which a person’s judgment is so impaired by substance use that the person cannot appreciate the need for care or make a rational decision about it. (Florida Senate (https://www.flsenate.gov/laws/statutes/2024/397.6957?utm_source=chatgpt.com))
The answer isn’t to assume that every refusal should be overridden. It is to determine what is driving the refusal, whether the person has the ability to make an informed treatment decision, and what lawful options are available.
Treatment refusal should be evaluated in context—not automatically accepted as the end of the conversation.
Family involvement can play an important role in connecting people with appropriate treatment and recovery resources. (SAMHSA Library (https://library.samhsa.gov/product/navigating-mental-health-substance-use-care/pep25-08-008?utm_source=chatgpt.com))
WHY FAMILIES MISTAKE SYMPTOMS FOR STUBBORNNESS
🌐 http://mentalhealthaddictionlawfirm.com
📘 Marchman Act E-Book: http://marchmanactbook.com
📘 Baker Act E-Book: http://bakeractattorneys.com/baker-acted-ebook/
“He just won’t listen.”
“She refuses to get help.”
“He knows exactly what he’s doing.”
Sometimes what families interpret as stubbornness, defiance, or manipulation may actually be a symptom of serious mental illness.
A person experiencing psychosis, paranoia, delusions, mania, or impaired insight may perceive the world very differently from everyone around them.
And with anosognosia, the person may genuinely lack awareness that they are ill.
Think about what that means.
If your loved one truly does not believe they are sick, refusing treatment may make perfect sense from their perspective. Arguing harder, presenting more evidence, or pleading with them may not change that underlying lack of insight.
That distinction can change the family’s entire intervention strategy.
Instead of asking, “Why won’t they cooperate?” it may be time to ask:
“Is their illness affecting their ability to recognize that they need help?”
Serious mental illness does not automatically mean someone lacks capacity, and involuntary intervention requires specific legal criteria. But families should understand the difference between someone who won’t accept help and someone whose illness may interfere with their ability to recognize the need for it.
Before you label it stubbornness, consider whether you may actually be looking at a symptom.
Lindsay Clancy: What Happens When Jurors Face Public Scrutiny? Are we putting jurors in the spotlight when they should be protected from it? ⚖️
The jury room is meant to be a sacred space where jurors can deliberate freely and make decisions without fear of public backlash.
But what happens when that space is exposed to the public?
Mark Astor, former prosecutor and behavioral health law expert, joins Fox News to discuss the Lindsay Clancy case and the growing attention surrounding the lone holdout juror. Could public scrutiny make people think twice about serving on a jury — especially if they fear being ostracized, facing professional consequences, or having their personal lives affected?
🎥 Mark Astor breaks down why protecting the integrity of jury deliberations matters. Watch Mark Astor’s full Fox News commentary.
https://www.foxnews.com/video/6405278197112
This content reflects legal commentary and is provided for informational purposes only. It does not constitute legal advice.
Is your loved one experiencing a mental health crisis? Have they been detained by law enforcement on mental health grounds, or have they been sent to a facility by a medical professional or court against their will? You’re not alone. Contact us today. We’re on standby to take your call and will spring into action to work for your loved one’s immediate release.
Contact us for a 100% Confidential Consultation.
📘 Download my FREE Marchman Act e-book: mentalhealthaddictionlawfirm.com/marchman-act-ebook
Baker Act Attorneys
📞 855‑429‑0074 | bakeractattorneys.com
Mental Health & Addiction Law Firm
📞 561‑419‑6095 | mentalhealthaddictionlawfirm.com
What happens when someone you love is physically present but emotionally absent, lost to a screen addiction that's rewiring their brain? Dr. Wanda Synstelien joins me on todays episode from The Journey podcast discussing that she lived this reality for 20 years, watching her marriage slowly unravel as her husband's compulsive behavior escalated from office firings to secret affairs.
As a professor with multiple advanced degrees, she thought she understood human behavior, but nothing prepared her for the slow grief of loving someone trapped in s*xual compulsive disorder. Her story reveals the intersection of screen addiction, intimacy, and the biological hijacking that's becoming epidemic in our digital age.
Contact Wanda Kay Synstelien:
Website: holistichealth.com
Christian Heart Counseling: Available starting October for counseling services in the Stillwater, Southeast metro area
Listen to the full podcast now on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, and Buzzsprout!🎙️
Is your loved one experiencing a mental health crisis? Have they been detained by law enforcement on mental health grounds, or have they been sent to a facility by a medical professional or court against their will? You’re not alone. Contact us today. We’re on standby to take your call and will spring into action to work for your loved one’s immediate release.
Contact us for a 100% Confidential Consultation.
📘 Download my FREE Marchman Act e-book: mentalhealthaddictionlawfirm.com/marchman-act-ebook
Baker Act Attorneys
📞 855‑429‑0074 | bakeractattorneys.com
Mental Health & Addiction Law Firm
📞 561‑419‑6095 | mentalhealthaddictionlawfirm.com
CAN SOMEONE MAKE RATIONAL TREATMENT DECISIONS WHILE SERIOUSLY MENTALLY ILL?
🌐 http://mentalhealthaddictionlawfirm.com
📘 Marchman Act E-Book: http://marchmanactbook.com
📘 Baker Act E-Book: http://bakeractattorneys.com/baker-acted-ebook/
A person can be intelligent, articulate, and completely rational about many areas of life — yet still be unable to make sound decisions about their own mental-health treatment.
That distinction matters.
Serious mental illness does not automatically mean incapacity. Capacity is generally decision-specific. The question isn’t simply: Does this person have a mental illness?
The more important questions are: Can they understand the information relevant to the decision? Can they appreciate how that information applies to their own condition? Can they weigh the risks and benefits of their choices and communicate a decision?
And then there is anosognosia — impaired awareness of one’s own illness. Someone may genuinely believe there is nothing wrong with them. From their perspective, refusing medication, hospitalization, or treatment may seem perfectly logical because they don’t recognize the illness the treatment is intended to address.
That’s why telling a family, “They’re an adult. It’s their decision,” doesn’t always resolve the issue.
When serious mental illness compromises insight or decision-making capacity and the legal criteria are otherwise satisfied, families may have options under Florida law, including the Baker Act and, in appropriate circumstances, guardianship.
The critical issue isn’t simply whether your loved one is saying no.
It’s whether they have the capacity to understand what they’re saying no to.
09/22/2026
Back on Nancy Grace.
Click here to claim your Sponsored Listing.
Category
Telephone
Address
1200 N Federal Highway #200
Boca Raton, FL
33432