DRUG TRAFFICKING DEFENSE ATTORNEY IN CLERMONT, FLORIDA

Florida is known for having some of the strictest criminal drug laws in the nation. Among the different types of drug crimes in the state, drug trafficking is one of the most serious charges a person can face.  

In fact, drug trafficking is one of the few criminal offenses in the state that comes with a mandatory minimum prison sentence. A conviction can ruin your life in an instant. With so much at stake, you might want to contact Archer Law if you have been charged with drug trafficking anywhere in Polk County, Lake County, Seminole County, or Sumter County. Our drug trafficking defense attorney in Clermont, Florida, will stand between you and the prosecution to fight for the best outcome in your situation considering the facts of your case.  

Florida’s Drug Trafficking Laws

Under Florida law, drug trafficking refers to the intentional sale, purchase, possession, manufacture, transportation, delivery, or import into the state of certain types of controlled substances in an amount specified in the statutes. The drug trafficking statute applies only to certain Schedule I and Schedule II drugs that exceed minimum threshold quantities, weights, or amounts:  

• 28 grams of cocaine 

• 4 grams of heroin  

• 4 grams of fentanyl 

• 25 pounds or 300 plants of cannabis 

• 1 kilogram of GHB 

• 1 gram of LSD 

• 14 grams of hydrocodone 

• 7 grams of oxycodone 

• 10 grams of ecstasy (MDMA)  

Drug trafficking can be prosecuted at a federal or state level depending on the facts of the case. In most cases, the state of Florida will maintain jurisdiction in drug trafficking cases. However, a case may fall under federal jurisdiction if any of the following is true: 

1. There was an exceptionally large quantity or amount of drugs. 

2. The arrest was made by a federal officer. 

3. The case involves money laundering. 

4. The case involves large amounts of money. 

5. Controlled substances were moved across state lines. 

Federal cases are usually more complex and more difficult to defend. However, our drug trafficking defense attorney at Archer Law has successfully defended clients against drug-related charges in both federal and state courts.  

Accomplice Liability

Under the law, an accomplice is someone who helps or aids another in the commission of a crime. In drug trafficking cases, it could be someone who helped the defendant sell, manufacture, or distribute controlled substances. When a person is suspected of helping or aiding the defendant, that person could be charged with being an accomplice to the crime. The alleged accomplice can face criminal charges even if they were not with the defendant at the time the crime was committed. As long as that person played any part in the process of knowingly selling, manufacturing, possessing, purchasing, transporting, delivering, or importing drugs, they can face criminal liability as an accomplice.  

Possible Penalties

In Florida, drug trafficking is charged as a first-degree felony punishable by up to 30 years in prison, in addition to hefty fines and other life-altering penalties and consequences, such as a permanent criminal record.  

When facing drug trafficking charges, your freedom, future, and reputation are at stake. This is not something to take lightly, especially considering that the conviction is punishable by a mandatory minimum sentence no matter the circumstances of the offense. In other words, you will have to spend years behind bars even if it is your first offense and you have never been convicted before. If you have been charged with drug trafficking, you may still be able to prevent or minimize the devastating effects of a criminal conviction by hiring our attorney at Archer Law.  

Defenses to Drug Trafficking Charges

When it comes to defending clients against drug trafficking charges, our attorney at Archer Law uses a variety of defense strategies that may be available depending on the circumstances of the case. Some of the most common defenses in such cases are: 

1. Illegal search and seizure. If law enforcement violated the defendant’s constitutional right against unlawful searches and seizures guaranteed by the Fourth Amendment, any evidence collected by the police, including any controlled substances found on the person or in the vehicle or house, will be excluded from the trial.  

2. Entrapment. When the defendant is induced or coerced by law enforcement to engage in an activity that leads to drug trafficking charges the defendant would not have committed otherwise, that defendant is a victim of “entrapment” and cannot be convicted of drug trafficking.   

3. Lack of evidence. Florida law requires the prosecutor to provide sufficient evidence to prove that the defendant knew about the controlled substance and that the substance exceeds the minimum threshold quantities, weights, or amounts prescribed by the statutes. If the evidence is not sufficient, the defendant’s attorney can challenge the prosecution’s case based on the lack of evidence.  

Every drug trafficking case is different because it involves a unique set of facts surrounding the type and quantity of the controlled substance, the defendant’s intent, as well as the search, seizure, and arrest processes. For this reason, possible defense strategies in your specific case should be determined by an experienced attorney on a case-by-case basis.