Drug Crimes

Our Jacksonville Criminal Defense Lawyer has represented thousands of people charged with the all types of drug crimes in Florida. Depending on the amount of drugs involved in your case, “minimum mandatory” sentences may apply in Florida. “Minimum Mandatory” sentences are imposed if a client is convicted of a trafficking charge. “Trafficking” refers to the amount of drugs found in the case. You do not have to be selling drugs in order to be charged with trafficking.

There are many defenses available to you when you have been arrested for a drug crime in Jacksonville, even if drugs were found in your home, your car, or even on your person. Our Jacksonville Criminal Defense Lawyer knows law enforcement procedures for drug arrests and can identify violations that can lead to dismissal of all drug charges. She will defend your Constitutional rights and will scrutinize every element of your case.

The most common drug crime in Jacksonville is possession. Possession of drugs can be actual or constructive. Actual possession of drugs in Jacksonville means that the drugs were found on your person, in a container that was on you, or was well within your reach. Constructive possession means that the drugs were found in a place over which you had control. Possession charges in Jacksonville can be for many drugs, including Cocaine, Marijuana, Heroin, Ecstasy-MDMA, Oxycontin, Oxycodone, and Hydrocodone.

There are trafficking charges for all the illegal drugs. In order to be trafficking marijuana, you have to possess over 25 pounds or 300 or more plants. A trafficking amount of cocaine begins at 28 grams. For pills, such as oxycodone, hydrocodone, and morphine, you can be arrested for trafficking if you only possess 4 grams or more of the substance.

Another drug charge in Florida is Sale or Delivery of drugs. You “sell” drugs if you transfer or deliver the controlled substance to anyone. Most of the time, people are arrested for sale of drugs when they sell or attempt to sell drugs to an undercover officer. Even if you don’t actually do the selling, you can still be arrested for this charge if you deliver the drugs. That means that you were involved in some way with the buyer buying drugs from a seller.

In addition to possessing and selling drugs, it is also a crime to grow marijuana in Florida. The crime is Cultivation of Marijuana, which is a third degree felony punishable by up to five years in prison. Even if you are growing only one pot plant, you can be arrested for this felony in Jacksonville.

There are also misdemeanor drug crimes in Jacksonville, such as Possession of Less than 20 Grams of Marijuana and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia.