Florida:
Why Where You are Arrested, Matters
Drug possession cases may depend on a number of factors for how serious they may be. You may face bigger penalties if you have large amount of drugs on you, at the time of your arrest. You may face harsher sentences if you are a repeat offender or if you have materials that would suggest you were going to sell the drugs that you have on you. And you will face more punishment if you are arrested with drugs near a school, a daycare center, a housing complex or any other area that could be deemed "family oriented".
Getting arrested in the back alley of the local strip club is bad, getting arrested in the main parking lot of the local fast food restaurant can be very bad.
Drug possession lawyers in Central Florida must work hard to get some of their clients reduced jail time or fines, and in some cases may be unable to do so. The fact that their client was arrested in these areas may be difficult if not impossible to defend against. A possible defense might be if there was a chase before the initial arrest which could be used to explain why the defendant was there in the first place. On the other hand, if the arrest was made after police investigated a suspicious vehicle in the area and came upon a parked car, that defense is no longer viable.
No matter where you are arrested, you should try to remain calm, cooperate but do not incriminate yourself and as soon as you are given the opportunity to do so; call a qualified drug possession lawyer. Central Florida has many good criminal defense lawyers that can assist you with your case, including helping you to decide whether you should take an offered plea agreement or not. Pleading guilty to drug possession and accepting minimal jail time or fines may be better than allowing the case to move forward with the implication that the prosecution will use your arrest location to make the case stronger.