A Drug Possession Conviction Can Wreak Havoc On Your Finances
When the police pull you over and search your car for drugs, your mind races with ways that the drug charges that will inevitably result will mess with your plans for the immediate future. But my grandparents’ 50th anniversary party is this weekend! But I have to pick up my kids from my ex’s house tonight, or else I am not in compliance with my court-ordered parenting plan! But I’m on my way to work, and my shift starts in 20 minutes! Once you are sitting down with a criminal defense lawyer after your release from jail, though, you start to think about the big picture, about how your life will be after the court has ruled on this drug possession case. You might think that taking a plea deal is the fastest way to put this criminal case behind you. Yes, you will get a conviction on your criminal record, but if you get probation instead of jail, you can still work and exercise your parenting time. If it is a misdemeanor conviction, you can still vote in elections. Probation sentences for drug possession are more burdensome than you might expect; at worst, they put you in a no-win situation where the only way to comply with your sentence is to break the law and be subject to additional punishments. In many cases, fighting your charges is less costly than living with a guilty plea. For help making an informed decision about whether to fight your charges, contact a Florida drug offenses attorney.
How a Drug Possession Case Can Lead to a Cascade of Financial Hardships
If you get convicted of drug possession, you may not go to jail, but the court will order you to pay fines. If you get a probation sentence, you will also have to pay all the costs associated with probation, including but not limited to drug tests; you are also always in danger of bigger legal problems if you do not comply with one or more of the requirements of your probation. The criminal courts of Florida also routinely order driver’s license suspension as part of the sentence for a drug possession conviction, even if the police found the defendant’s drugs somewhere other than a vehicle. If the court happens to let you keep your driver’s license, it can still take it away if you do not pay your court-ordered fines.
This is as unfair as it sounds. Suspending driver’s licenses for reasons unrelated to driving leaves defendants with few options other than driving with a suspended license. If this happens to you, it only adds more financial obstacles before you can go back to leading a law-abiding life. Hiring a criminal defense lawyer costs a lot less than the endless parade of fines and penalties that the court can impose on you for reasons directly or indirectly related to your drug possession conviction.
Contact FL Drug Defense Group About Drug Possession Cases
A Central Florida criminal defense lawyer can help you if you are facing criminal charges for drug possession. Contact FL Drug Defense Group in Orlando, Florida to discuss your case.
Sources:
justice.gov/voting/file/1507306/download
vera.org/news/drivers-license-suspensions-for-unpaid-debt
