Coral Gables Drug Crime Attorney
Florida lawmakers and law enforcement authorities take drug crimes very seriously. The Florida Drug Abuse and Prevention Act sets out many different unlawful acts with regard to controlled substances and provides for harsh penalties for convicted offenders. This means that you may be facing serious consequences including fines, probation, and jail time for offenses involving even a small amount of drugs. Additionally, many prosecutors tend to aggressively over-charge defendants in drug cases, hoping to get the highest-level conviction possible. For these reasons and more, every individual facing any kind of drug charge should be represented by a highly skilled and experienced Coral Gables drug crime attorney who understands Florida criminal laws.
Drug Possession
You may face possession charges if a law enforcement officer believes that you actually or constructively possessed any type of controlled substance. Constructive possession means that, even though the drugs in question were not actually on your person or in the immediate vicinity, an officer claims that you somehow had access to the drugs or otherwise had the ability to control them. This could mean you had a key to a locker where drugs were found or similar circumstances. Constructive possession allegations often lead to wrongful charges as you may have not even known that the drugs existed in the first place.
Additionally, you may face charges of possession with the intent to sell drugs under certain circumstances. For example, if you allegedly had more drugs than usual for personal use, a prosecutor may claim you were planning to sell or distribute them to others. This charge is often based on subjective factors and an experienced defense attorney can argue that you never had the intention to make any type of sale.
Drug Sales and Trafficking
In addition to possession charges, you may face more serious sales or trafficking charges if the prosecutor alleges you did any of the following:
- Sold a controlled substance to another person;
- Delivered or transported a controlled substance; or
- Brought an unlawful controlled substance into the state of Florida.
You can be charged with selling drugs even if you are not connected with any type of drug dealing operation. If the amount of drugs in question is particularly large, your charge may be increased to the serious offense of trafficking.
Drug offense penalties
The penalties you face for a drug charge under Florida law will depend on many factors including the type of charge, the type of drugs involved, and the amount of drugs involved. Charges in Florida can range from a second degree misdemeanor to a first degree felony, with maximum jail sentences ranging from 60 days to 30 years or life.
Do not hesitate to call an experienced Coral Gables drug crime attorney for assistance
Anyone who has been arrested based on suspicion of any type of drug-related offense in Florida should contact a qualified criminal defense attorney as soon as possible. There are many possible legal defenses that an attorney may use to defend against various drug charges and it is important to begin working on your case as soon as possible. Call the office of attorney Alfredo A. Izaguirre today at 305-442-0425 for help.
