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Miami Drug Crime Attorney - Florida Drug Trafficking Lawyer

The severity of different drug crimes rises as you move up the ladder from possession, to sales, to drug trafficking.  Each of these levels carries its own definition and associated penalties, and the key to reducing your sentence is to secure the lowest possible charge.  Often the rules governing these drug crimes can be confusing, which is why you want an experienced Miami drug crimes attorney to help make sense of the system and protect you.

Drug Possession – Get The Facts

Drug possession is charged when a person is caught with a drug, such as cocaine, heroin, marijuana, methamphetamines (crystal meth), and when the amount of that drug does not exceed a level known as "personal use."  Although the police apply a strict metric to determine how much of each drug constitutes personal use, a competent Miami criminal lawyer may be able to look into actual case law to argue that a slightly larger amount of drugs were intended for personal use.  Be aware, however, that the drugs don't have to be on your person for the police to determine they belong to you – they can be in a purse, a car, or anything else you possess.  The key difference in arguing that the drugs were for personal use is that the client is usually only facing a third degree felony with maximum prison exposure of 5 years state prison or in the case of marijuana under 20 grams, the client is only facing a misdemeanor.

Drug Sales – Too Much For One Person?

Drug sales are defined by the law as “Possession of Controlled Substance with Intent to Sell, Manufacture, or Deliver” – usually shortened as possession with intent.  Law enforcement officials make this determination based solely on the amount of drugs in your possession according to a set of proscribed quantities.  They do not have to catch you in the act of selling for a drug sales charge to stick, so you will want to retain a good Miami drug possession lawyer early to avoid this charge. 

Drug Trafficking – The Most Serious Charge

Drug trafficking does not mean that you belong to an organized crime cartel.  It simply means that the quantity of drugs that you had in your possession has risen to the level of trafficking, which is the most serious of Miami-Dade County's drug charges.   A drug trafficking conviction comes with far stiffer penalties, and will automatically bring three years in prison unless your Miami drug trafficking attorney can prove that police misconduct or a similar error occurred. 

The Best Defense

An effective Miami criminal defense attorney is the best shot you have of beating the drug charges against you.  A good Miami drug crime attorney will pore over every detail of your case in search of errors, gaps, or any issues with your arrest.  If the police violated your rights or did anything improperly, your attorney will fight in court to get the evidence suppressed.  Common issues that can result in dropped charges include an illegal traffic stop or an illegal search.  Even if the charges are warranted, Miami criminal defense attorney Antonio G. Jimenez aggressively negotiates to have the drug charges reduced and seek a better resolution.

Penalties and Jail Time: What You Are Up Against

Why should you retain a Miami criminal defense attorney?  Drug crimes are serious charges in Florida, and the last thing you want is to give up your freedom over a dubious police procedure.  The following is a summary of the punishments associated with various drug crimes.  Read them over, and then contact us for some better options.

  • Drug possession in most cases can easily be resolved with credit for time served, drug court (charges dropped after completing program), and drug probation.
  • Drug sales carry stiffer penalties – these are almost always second degree felonies, which carry prison time up to 15 years, depending on the circumstances.
  • All drug trafficking cases are First Degree Felonies punishable by up to 30 years in state prison, with the exception of Capital Trafficking cases which are punishable by life in prison.  The penalty for trafficking cases is dependent on the quantity of the drugs.  Drug trafficking cases also carry a minimum mandatory sentence from that can be either 3, 7, 15, or 25 years in state prison depending on the drug and the quantity of the drug.

If you or a loved one is facing a drug charge or drug trafficking charge, you still have many options.  Please contact Miami Criminal Defense Attorney Antonio G. Jimenez today for a free consultation on your case.