Florida ranks 17th in the nation for drug overdose deaths. The extent of opiate addition in the state produces situations like the one encountered recently by a Volusia County sheriff’s deputy. He wrote in his incident report that he watched a woman buy heroin with a toddler sitting behind her in a car.
He arrested the 43-year-old woman and warned her about exposing a child to narcotics, which might contain fentanyl. Even small exposures to this substance could harm a child. The child with the woman was only 2 years old.
Upon searching her vehicle, the deputy reported finding a white substance on the floor. A test showed the substance to be heroin. He also found a cut straw and plastic bag with heroin in it. She admitted to the deputy that she had just spent $20 on a bag of heroin. Authorities filed criminal charges against her for endangering a child and possessing heroin and drug paraphernalia. The sheriff’s department found the child’s mother and placed the child in her custody.
A person arrested for drugs might benefit from contacting an attorney before making statements to law enforcement. An attorney could potentially build a defense strategy that limits the likelihood of harsh penalties for drug charges. Due to the pervasiveness of drug crimes, prosecutors want to appear tough on criminals. Issues such as an unlawful search and seizure or an unreliable field drug test kit could weaken a case. An attorney could cite these problems and possibly secure a lenient plea deal or even get a case dismissed.
Source: FOX News, “Florida great-grandmother busted after allegedly buying heroin with 2-year-old in car“, Vandna Rambaran, June 20, 2019
