Titusville Woman Arrested For Drug Possession After Telling Police She Left Baby At Publix

The Fifth Amendment to the United States Constitution protects you against being coerced into making statements that incriminate you.  That is why you have the right to remain silent if you are arrested.  Even if you are not under arrest, the police do not have the right to force you to say anything.  Therefore, at a traffic stop, it is best to say as little as possible.  At the very minimum, do not tell far-fetched lies that would not be out of place as “Florida Man” memes.  If the police suspect you of DUI, you also have the right to refuse a breathalyzer test, although this might make the police even more suspicious of you.  No matter how much or how little you say at a traffic stop, if you get arrested, you should contact a Central Florida drug crimes defense lawyer at the first opportunity.

Traffic Stop Leads to Discovery of Fentanyl in Vehicle

There are plenty of reasons to approach Publix at a faster than leisurely pace, but when a Titusville police cruiser signaled for Jessica Lawton to pull off the road, it did not occur to her to tell the officer that she just couldn’t wait for the deli meat trays, chicken wings, or those chocolate-filled leaf cookies that come in shades of emerald green and fuchsia.  One evening in March 2021, Lawton was driving erratically on Cheney Highway, and her driving became even faster when she noticed that a police car was following her.  The officer caught up to her in the parking lot of the Publix on Cheney Highway.

Lawton got out of the car and asked the officer where her baby was.  She claimed that she had been speeding because she had suddenly realized that she had left her baby at the supermarket.  (In fact, the baby was at home with other family members, and Lawton apparently knew this.)  The officer smelled alcohol on Lawton’s breath and conducted a field sobriety test.  The officer then arrested Lawton for DUI and then searched the car.  The search yielded a syringe and two packets of folded foil.  A test of the contents of the foil packets identified them as fentanyl, so Lawton is also facing charges for possession of fentanyl.

Lawton has a history of DUI; she was convicted on DUI in 2002.  She also has two convictions for refusing a breathalyzer, one in 2009 and 2016.  Therefore, she could face a prison sentence if convicted.  If there is a silver lining to this story, it is that, from a legal standpoint, making up an excuse about leaving a baby in a supermarket is less bad than drunkenly leaving a baby in a supermarket; that would be child endangerment.

Contact an Attorney Today for Help

A Florida drug crime defense lawyer can help you if you got pulled over on suspicion of DUI and then the police searched your car for drugs.  Contact FL Drug Defense Group for help today.

Resource:

fox35orlando.com/news/police-woman-who-thought-she-left-baby-at-publix-arrested