Tampa Federal Criminal Defense Lawyer

Woman facing felony drug charges following traffic stop

Jan 11, 2018 | Drug Charges

On Jan. 8, it was reported that a Florida woman was taken into custody after authorities found cocaine and drugs in her vehicle. Authorities said that the 31-year-old driver had her two kids in the car when she was pulled over.

An officer reportedly pulled the woman’s vehicle over on the Turnpike near Port St. Lucie for a window tint violation. After observing the children in the vehicle, the officer also reportedly noted that there was the smell of raw marijuana coming from the car. The woman told the officer that the vehicle was also regularly driven by her husband and gave consent for a search.

When the officer opened the trunk, a block of cocaine and a safe containing marijuana, illegal mushrooms and more cocaine was recovered. The woman told authorities that she had no knowledge regarding the drugs that were found in the vehicle. She was charged with a number of felonies, including cocaine trafficking, possession of a hallucinogen, possession of cocaine and possession of marijuana.

Those who are facing charges for alleged drug crimes in the state of Florida are at risk for experiencing serious legal consequences if they are convicted. Many felony drug charges, for example, have mandatory minimum prison sentences and probation requirements. Even though the potential consequences can be severe, there are still defense strategies that can be utilized to potentially result in the prosecution reducing or dropping the charges. A criminal defense attorney may investigate the traffic stop that resulted in the arrest to determine if the authorities followed proper procedures. The attorney may also challenge the chain of evidence if the prosecution cannot produce the drugs that were allegedly found during the traffic stop.

Source: CBS 12, “FHP: Florida mom found with block of cocaine, young kids in car“, Gary Detman, Jan. 9, 2018

Archives

FindLaw Network