Category Archives: Drug Crime
Traffic Stop Leads to Drug Bust
Two men are in custody after officers discovered several illegal items in their car during a March 2026 traffic stop in Monroe County. At about 3:30 a.m., officers pulled over a speeding BMW on U.S. 1/Jimmy Buffett Memorial Highway in the Florida Keys, the sheriff’s office said. A deputy said the vehicle smelled like… Read More »
What’s the Difference Between State and Federal Drug Crimes in Florida?
Scope, severity, and jurisdiction are the three biggest differences between state and federal drug crimes in Florida. Drug possession is the most common state and federal drug crime. Others include trafficking, manufacturing, and distributing illegal drugs. Prescription drug crimes, such as altering a label, fall into this category as well. The substance could be… Read More »
DUI Drugs in Florida: What You Should Know
Almost all DUI cases in Florida involve alcohol intoxication. However, state law also makes it illegal to operate a vehicle while impaired by any controlled substance or chemical substance, including prescription medications and illicit drugs. Marijuana may be the most common driver impairment substance. Prescription painkillers and over-the-counter medicines, such as NyQuill, are near… Read More »
What is the Definition of Possession of Drugs?
Under federal law, “possessing” drugs is more than “having” or even “holding” drugs. Drug possession, as defined in 21 USC § 844. In federal court, drug possession is usually a misdemeanor, regardless of the amount of contraband. However, if the defendant possesses a significant amount, U.S. attorneys usually enhance charges to something like drug… Read More »
What is the Meaning of Drug Free-Zone?
A drug-free zone is a geographic area where additional penalties apply to drug crimes, like possession, distribution, and trafficking. Generally, the drug-free zone enhancement bumps up the penalties one level. For example, possession of a small amount of marijuana is usually a second-degree misdemeanor. Possession of a similar amount of this substance in a… Read More »
PIKing Through a Drug Possession Case
Here’s an interesting set of statistics, or at least interesting to us. Drug possession accounts for 85 percent of drug arrests, yet just over 25 percent of the nation’s jail and prison population. Why the large disparity? Why do so many cases result in so few prison sentences? The number of moving parts in… Read More »
The Bill of Rights and Drug Trafficking Cases
James Madison, the Founding Father who spearheaded passage of the Bill of Rights, initially opposed them. In fact he called the proposals “parchment barriers” that provided no individual protections. Madison wasn’t wrong. For many years, the Bill of Rights was little more than a statement of purpose. The Supreme Court didn’t introduce the exclusionary… Read More »
Resolving a Drug Possession Case in Florida
The Sunshine State isn’t very sunny when it comes to drug possession penalties. These penalties, which include mandatory minimums in some cases, are among the harshest in the country. Some of these laws are leftovers from the 1980s get-tough-on-drugs era which followed the overdose death of basketball phenom Len Bias. More recently, many states… Read More »
Procedural, Substantive, And Affirmative Defenses In Drug Possession Matters
According to many people today, including many Hillsborough County jurors, drug possession is a health and safety issue as opposed to a criminal law issue. However, law enforcement doesn’t feel the same way. About 80 percent of drug arrests are for simple possession. These arrests feed the beast. Drug possession cases keep police officers… Read More »
The Three Ps Of Drug Possession
In the late 1980s, mostly in response to the drug overdose death of college basketball standout Len Bias, lawmakers approved a slew of harsh anti-drug laws. Extremely aggressive enforcement of these laws continued until the late 2000s. At that time, lawmakers began rolling back some of the harsh laws. Moreover, former President Barack Obama… Read More »