Drug Possession Lawyer, Florida:
What to Expect From a Drug Case
You and some friends were arrested on a Friday night. You had a small bit of marijuana, not really a big deal you thought at the time, but now you are facing drug possession charges. You have never been arrested before, never even had a speeding ticket and are worried about what to expect. You do not know what you should do first. The answer to that is simple, call a drug possession lawyer. Florida drug possession laws may vary according to the amount that you have at the time, your arrest record and most importantly, the type of drug that you are caught with. The harder, more addictive drugs tend to have the higher penalties attached to them purely because they represent a bigger threat to society as a whole.
The amount of the drug you have in your possession may be the second most important aspect to your case. Drug possession lawyers in Florida will try to get the case classified at its lowest possible category- the more drugs you have on you, the harder that will be to accomplish. For instance, if you only have a small amount of cocaine or marijuana, it will be simple possession of a personal use amount of drugs. If the amount is large though, the charge could become possession with intent to distribute. If you also have certain items in your vehicle (or friend's vehicle) at the time of your arrest, the charge could become drug trafficking which is even more serious.
Where you are arrested can be important as well. If you are arrested with drugs within the area of schools, day care centers, housing projects or similar places you may face harsher punishment. Repeat offenders may face harsher punishments as well. A drug possession lawyer can help, but in some areas of the state there are minimum penalties in place that are imposed regardless of circumstances.
It should be noted that nearly 90% of drug related cases never go to trial at all with the defendants accepting a plea agreement and pleading guilty to a drug possession charge and accepting the punishment that is offered rather than take their chances at trial.