Florida drug laws are known to be some of the strictest laws throughout the country. There are severe penalties for the unlawful dispensing of pain medications or in selling unlawful drugs, such as cocaine or heroine.
There are three main types of drug crimes in Florida, and they are drug trafficking, drug sales and drug possession. If you have been charged with any of these drug crimes, then you should contact an attorney as soon as possible.
Drug Trafficking
This is the harshest drug crime that a person can be charged with, and it is important for individuals to seek the help of a criminal defense attorney to decrease this charge.
A drug trafficking charge will impose a minimum jail sentence of three years if individuals are ultimately convicted of this crime. This type of offense is a felony. Depending on the seriousness of one’s crime, a judge may impose up to a 30-year prison sentence for individuals who are guilty of committing this crime.
In addition to serving a jail or prison sentence, an individual will also have to pay court costs, fines and may even have his or her license suspended. Individuals frequently have to perform community service work too.
Drug Sales
A drug sales charge also carries serious consequences. Individuals will be convicted of this crime if they are found to be in possession of drugs with intent to sell the drugs to someone else.
A police officer doesn’t need to catch someone in the actual act of selling drugs to arrest an individual for this crime. If convicted, individuals may have to serve up to 15 years in prison and will have to pay excessive court costs and fines.
Drug Possession
The penalty for this charge will be based on the amount of drugs that you have in your possession. A police officer will typically arrest you for this crime if you carry the amount that is intended for personal use, which is usually a very small amount. If you have a large amount of drugs, then you should get in touch with a criminal defense attorney who can argue that this amount was intended for personal use. This will help to keep the drug charges that you face to a minimum.
It is important for you to stand up for your legal rights with the help of an experienced criminal defense attorney, such as New Port Richey’s LMW Attorneys.