Drug trafficking charges can lead to serious consequences in Florida. If convicted, the accused faces mandatory prison time. In addition, those convicted of drug charges will have a criminal record, which can make employment and housing difficult to obtain in the future.
A 47-year-old man in southwest Florida is looking at these possible consequences right now. He was arrested after a detective spotted him driving a white Cadillac in Okeechobee County. The detective claims he knew the man had a revoked driver’s license, so he pulled him over. The detective arrested the man for the revoked license, and then searched his car.
The search turned up nothing, but the detective then allegedly asked the man if he had anything illegal on him. At this point, according to the detective, the man produced a plastic bag from a pants pocket. The plastic bag allegedly contained smaller plastic bags of cocaine and marijuana, which authorities claim were packaged for resale. The man was jailed and then released on $5,000 bond.
Anyone facing charges of drug possession with intent to distribute requires an aggressive defense. In any drug case a critical issue is the arrest and search which led to drugs being found. If there was no probable cause for the arrest, or if officers violated the accused’s civil rights, the drug evidence can be ruled inadmissible at trial. This generally results in the case being dismissed. The success of this type of defense requires a detailed factual and legal review of the circumstances of the arrest and search.
Source: florida.newszap.com, “Task force arrests Okeechobee man on felony charges of possession of cocaine with intent to sell,” Eric Kopp, Nov. 8, 2013
