DeLand Couple Arrested for Injecting Opioids While Toddler Was in the Car with Them
Sometimes getting arrested for drug possession can be the first step toward a life of sobriety. Some people look back on their drug possession arrest as the day that saved their lives. Whether things get better or worse after the police catch you with drugs depends on many factors. The best-case scenario is for you to go through a pretrial diversion program, where you attend an addiction treatment program of the court’s choosing, and when you successfully complete it, the prosecutor drops the charges. If that happens, you come away from the experience sober and without a criminal record. Some district attorneys prefer to offer pretrial diversion to everyone eligible for it; they see that it helps people receive the addiction treatment they need and avoids the costly process of locking people up for nonviolent crimes. In other cases, you need a drug crimes defense lawyer to fight for your chance at pretrial diversion.
Addiction Is Agony for Parents
In June 2019, when the temperature was over 100 degrees, David Dexter and Christan Wilson were sitting in their parked car in a public park in DeLand with their two-year-old daughter, when a police officer approached the car. According to the officer, drug paraphernalia was immediately visible, including syringes and a bottle cap containing a liquid that the officer suspected was drugs. Dexter admitted that the liquid contained Dilaudid, which he and Wilson had bought and injected while the child was with them. The officer asked about a scab on the child’s neck, and Wilson said that it was from when the child had walked into a lit cigarette. Dexter and Wilson were arrested on charges of drug possession and child abuse, and their bond was set at $5,50 each. The child was transferred to the custody of another family member.
Hydrocodone, sold under the brand name Dilaudid, is a prescription opioid about five times as strong as morphine. In a medical setting, it is usually given to cancer patients as a painkiller. It has also been used in lethal injections in several states. Like other prescription opioids, hydrocodone is a Schedule II controlled substance.
As for what happens next for the couple, it depends a lot on what has happened before. Because the quantity of drugs confiscated from their car was small, they are only facing charges of possession, which carries a lighter sentence than possession with intent to deliver. They might be eligible for a pretrial diversion program if they do not have any prior convictions. They will probably have to undergo addiction treatment before they can regain custody of their daughter or even have unsupervised visitation with her.
Let Us Help You Today
A Florida drug offense lawyer can help you turn your life around after an arrest for drug possession. FL Drug Defense Group only deals with drug-related cases, so all our focus is on avoiding unjustly harsh punishments for crimes which are symptoms of substance use disorder and not willful acts of malice. Contact FL Drug Defense Group to discuss your case.
Resource:
abcactionnews.com/news/state/florida-couple-used-drugs-near-toddler-in-roach-infested-vehicle-police-say
