It’s tough to avoid drug trafficking conviction if you are in Florida. However, you would want to avoid it by any means as the conviction can bring in stiff penalties. A drug conviction can send you behind bars. The state has a minimum mandatory jail sentence for drug offenders.
In Orlando, drug trafficking charges are extremely common. You will get the charge if you possess illegal drugs in a certain quantity. In this part of the world, people mostly deal with drugs like methamphetamine, cocaine, heroin, hydrocodone, and marijuana. Your chance of facing legal consequences are pretty high if you possess any of these drugs in high quantities.
However, with a qualified lawyer by your side, you will not find it difficult to protect your rights in Orlando, FL. He will use the right defenses to help you avoid drug trafficking charges. The section below talks about common defenses, lawyers use to bring drug cases in the defendant’s favor.
Lack of Knowledge
It will be the duty of the prosecutor to prove that the defendant was aware of the whereabouts of the drugs. He will have to show evidence suggesting that the defendant knew that the drugs were present at the location the authorities captured them from.
However, some situations will make proving the charges difficult for the prosecutor. For example, suppose, the drugs were inside a hidden compartment of a rental car and you were driving the car. As it’s a rental car, the prosecutor might fail to prove that you knew about the hidden compartment and things present in it.
Entrapment
The lawyer representing you may use entrapment as a defense to protect your rights. The term “entrapment” refers to events where the police or government forced the defendant to play a part in a drug trafficking crime. Your lawyer will have to prove that the police or government made opportunities for you to procure, possess, or sell drugs.
Mitigation
It is common for notorious drug dealers to threaten and force innocent citizens to carry illegal drugs. There are high possibilities that your drug charges are the result of one such situation. If that’s the case, you are not a criminal but a victim.
Your lawyer will successfully downplay the role you played in the drug crime and help you get a waiver. You will not need to serve even the minimum mandatory jail sentence.
How to Protect Yourself Against Drug Trafficking Charges?
The prosecution is known for pursuing drug trafficking convictions with significant aggression. If you fail to come up with the right defenses, you will be subject to some serious penalties. Other than serving jail time, you may also need to pay a hefty fine. If you want to avoid any such consequences, hire a criminal defense lawyer to protect your rights in Orlando, FL.
Make sure that the lawyer you are hiring has the experience of handling similar cases successfully. There’s no use of hiring someone who has decades of experience but has never dealt with drug cases. Additionally, he should also have in-depth knowledge about the state and local laws.
