“Less is More”: What Dr. Dre Could Teach the Florida Legislature About Justice

By: John Guidry

For many years, I owned a commercial recording facility. After recording and mastering a zillion albums, I learned that one of the toughest parts of this artistic process is convincing the artist that their recording had “too much” of something in it. Dr. Dre used to say that he would spend countless hours agonizing over what to take out of a song—not what to add.

• Do I take out that hi-hat?
• Take out that bass line?
• Take out that extra layer of vocals?

To succeed, Dr. Dre understood that he needed to fight the human urge which tells us “more is better.” When it comes to the art of managing human beings, less is often more.

The Art of “Busy Work” Legislation

I’ll be the first to tell you we have too many crimes on the books (a shocking revelation from a criminal defense attorney, right?). Our legislative bodies in Washington and Tallahassee have become much like that co-worker who has mastered the art of busy work—not adding any value, yet maintaining the appearance of working hard.

If our government really wanted to do hard work, they would:

• Eliminate laws: Remove inefficient statutes.
• Lower penalties: Reduce sentences for non-violent offenders who pose no harm to society.
• Reduce inefficiency: Cut government entities that waste money.

But that’s hard work. It is far easier to simply meet, vote to spend more money than last year, create a few new felonies, and go home.

The Injustice of Mandatory Minimums

Can you tell me why a drug addict caught with 10 oxycodone pills faces a Mandatory Prison Sentence as a “drug trafficker,” yet a person convicted of beating his wife for a second time (Felony Battery) faces NO mandatory prison time?

I am not a fan of mandatory time, period. But why are drug addicts punished more harshly than violent offenders?

• The Flaw: Mandatory minimums place the sentencing decision in the hands of the Legislature (who has never met the defendant) rather than the Judge (who knows the facts).
• The Cost: It would be far cheaper to treat citizens for addiction than to send them to an expensive prison system, only to release them with the same problems they had when they went in.

The Embarrassing Statistics

This brings me to my point: The United States is the world’s leading jailer.

• The World: The U.S. incarcerates more of its population than almost any other nation (with Russia often coming in a distant second).
• The State: Florida ranks notoriously high, locking up a higher percentage of its people than almost any independent democratic country on Earth.

The Comparison: The lowest rates of incarceration in the U.S. are in states like Maine and Minnesota.

• Are those places less safe than Florida? No.
• Ever hear anyone complain about the crime rate in Maine? No. Yet, some folks argue for “less government” while ignoring the massive tax dollars spent on warehousing non-violent citizens.

The Starfish Philosophy

If you watch the news, maybe you’ve seen reports about millions of starfish washing up on beaches. There is a story about a news crew filming a little girl on one of these beaches. She is picking up starfish, one at a time, and throwing them back into the ocean. The reporter approaches her and says, “Wow, there are so many starfish out here. You can’t possibly save them all! What does it matter?” The girl looks at the starfish in her hand, throws it back into the water, and says: “Well, it mattered to that one.”

That is how we approach criminal defense. We can’t fix the entire broken system today. But we can help you.

John’s 2026 Update: Fentanyl & Failed Reform

Note: Since I originally wrote this, the Legislature has doubled down on “More is Better.”

1. The Fentanyl Crackdown Dr. Dre would be horrified by Florida’s 2026 drug laws. Instead of “taking out” harsh penalties, the Legislature added more.

• The New Reality: Trafficking laws now target Fentanyl with extreme aggression. The threshold for a mandatory minimum sentence is incredibly low (4 grams), and recent laws have introduced life sentences for selling to minors or if the drugs resemble candy.
• Death by Distribution: If an overdose occurs, prosecutors now routinely charge First Degree Murder, regardless of intent.

2. The Failure of HB 183 (2025) There was a glimmer of hope in 2025 with House Bill 183, which proposed reducing the “Truth in Sentencing” requirement from 85% to 72% (allowing earlier release for good behavior).

• The Result: The bill died in committee in June 2025.
• The Takeaway: Florida remains committed to the 85% rule. There is no shortcut out of a mandatory sentence.

3. The Starfish Strategy Today Because the laws have become stricter, our “Starfish” strategy is more vital than ever.

• Motion to Depart: We aggressively file motions to “Depart” from sentencing guidelines, arguing that the Legislature’s mandatory rules shouldn’t apply to your specific situation.
• Addiction vs. Trafficking: We use expert testimony to prove you are an addict needing help, not a Kingpin needing a cage.

We Can’t Save the System, But We Can Save You

The system is designed to process you like a number. We are here to treat you like a human being.

Call me at (407) 423-1117. Let’s get to work on your case.

About John Guidry II

John Guidry II is a seasoned criminal defense attorney and founder of the Law Firm of John P. Guidry II, P.A., located in downtown Orlando next to the Orange County Courthouse, where he has practiced for over 30 years. With more than three decades of experience defending clients throughout Central Florida since 1993, Guidry has successfully defended thousands of cases in Orange, Seminole, Osceola, Brevard, Lake, and Volusia counties. He has built a reputation for his strategic approach to criminal defense, focusing on pretrial motions and case dismissals rather than jury trials.

Guidry earned both his Juris Doctorate and Master of Business Administration from St. Louis University in 1993. He is a member of the Florida Bar and the Florida Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers. His practice encompasses the full spectrum of Florida state criminal charges, with a particular emphasis on achieving favorable outcomes through thorough pretrial preparation and motion practice.

Beyond the courtroom, Guidry is a prolific legal educator who has authored over 400 articles on criminal defense topics. He shares his legal expertise through his popular YouTube channel, Instagram, and TikTok accounts, where he has built a substantial following of people eager to learn about the law. His educational content breaks down complex legal concepts into accessible information for the general public.

When not practicing law, Guidry enjoys tennis and pickleball, and loves to travel. Drawing from his background as a former recording studio owner and music video producer in the Orlando area, he brings a creative perspective to his legal practice and continues to apply his passion for video production to his educational content.