Resolving Florida Drug Crime Charges in the Clearwater - St. Petersburg Area
While popular culture sometimes appear to accept or even glorify drug use, the fact still remains that cultivation, possession or distribution of drugs such as marijuana, cocaine or heroin is illegal, and violations can be punished severely under Florida law.
At the Clearwater law firm of Joseph Montrone, Jr., P.A., my previous experience as a prosecuting attorney helps me find the weaknesses that can appear in the government's case against a person facing drug charges. Contact my office to schedule a free initial consultation with a seasoned criminal defense lawyer.
Florida Drug Crime Convictions: What Is at Stake?
In the more serious range of drug cases, including state trafficking charges, the sentence can include prison time, with the term usually based upon the quantity of a particular illegal drug associated with the offense. Conviction of even a simple possession charge can lead to a two-year driver's license suspension. My goal as a defense lawyer is to minimize my client's exposure to punishment on any given charge.
I defend clients in the following types of drug cases:
- Drug possession and possession of drug paraphernalia
- Distribution of illegal drugs
- Drug cultivation or manufacture
- Drug trafficking under Florida law
- Doctor shopping or prescription fraud
- Possession with intent to distribute
If you have no prior convictions on your record and have been charged with a first-time possession offense, you might achieve a positive resolution through a diversion program such as pretrial intervention, drug court or a stipulation to withhold adjudication. Pretrial intervention usually involves counseling with a state attorney-run diversion program. Successful completion of the program typically results in dismissal of the criminal case while protecting your driver's license.
Putting My Criminal Defense Experience to Work for You
If pretrial intervention won't be available in your case, a thorough investigation of the facts can possibly lead to defense strategies that I can apply in pretrial motions, plea negotiations or a trial defense. These strategies might include a motion to suppress the evidence based on an illegal traffic stop or defective search warrant, improper use of statements against you, entrapment by law enforcement or even a solid alibi. Under some circumstances, we can even challenge the allegation that you were in actual possession of the drugs discovered in your case.
Learn more about your options for protecting your interests in a Florida drug crime prosecution. Contact the office of Joseph Montrone, Jr., P.A., to schedule a free initial consultation about your case.
