For most people, an arrest for drug possession in Florida can have serious consequences. If the arrested person is an attorney and assistant prosecutor, it can bring about the end of a career. An assistant state attorney for Broward County is facing this possibility following a recent traffic stop in Wilton Manors.
According to police, the woman was initially pulled over for having a vehicle tag that did not match the registration on the vehicle, failing to signal a turn and having an expired tag. The arrest report claims that when the officer asked the woman if she had anything illegal in the car, she said she didn’t know but that some lawyer friends had been in the car and had some Molly and smoked some marijuana. When cops searched the car, they claim they found a capsule containing a substance that later tested positive for methamphetamine.
The woman has been with the state attorney’s office for just over a year. She was suspended without pay following the arrest.
In many cases drug possession will be charged as a misdemeanor in Florida. The potential consequences of a conviction will vary depending on the type of drug and the amount discovered in the possession of the accused. In possession cases there is often an issue whether police violated the constitutional rights of the accused in conducting the arrest and search that led to finding the drug. An experienced Florida criminal defense attorney can help a person facing drug charges evaluate their options and develop a strategy to fight the charges.
Source: NBCMiami.com, “Broward Prosecutor Arrested on Meth Charge,” May 8, 2014
