Does the Evidence Incriminate You or Your Twin?

At first it sounds like a Florida Man tall tale.  Police executed a search warrant at a Florida residence because they had seen an Instagram video that they were sure had been filmed there.  The video showed a young man lip syncing in front of the bathroom mirror, and a firearm was visible in the background.  They recognized the young man because he had a prior criminal conviction, and therefore it was illegal for him to have a firearm.  As for the bathroom, they recognized it because they had previously executed a search warrant at the same house.  When they searched the house with the new warrant, they found two backpacks full of marijuana packaged for resale, one belonging to the young man in the video, and the other belonging to his twin brother.  If you and your identical twin are facing different drug cases, contact a Florida drug offenses attorney.

Three Bags of Weed, Two Twins, and One Photogenic Bathroom: A Florida Story

The story of the Instagram video with the instantly recognizable bathroom does not end there.  As the police searched the backpacks and arrested the twins, their older brother attempted to leave the house, but the police detained him.  They found a small bag of weed in his possession.  Thus, the older brother is facing misdemeanor charges for illegal possession of cannabis.  The protagonist of the Instagram video is facing charges for possession of marijuana with intent to distribute, plus possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.  His twin brother is facing charges for possession of marijuana with intent to distribute.

The police were able to tell which backpack belonged to which brother because of the presence of photo I.D.s in the backpack.  As for telling which twin was the one who appeared in the Instagram video, they could identify him by a tattoo on his neck which was visible in the video.

In the old days, anyone who had an identical twin had an automatic mother lode of reasonable doubt about his or her guilt.  It was virtually impossible to prove that an eyewitness who did not know the twins personally saw one twin at the crime scene but not the other.  With photographic evidence, jurors can compare a photograph entered as evidence to both twins and see which one it resembles more.  Furthermore, many identical twins make an effort to look as different from each other as possible, through their clothing styles, hairstyles, and, as in this case, tattoos.  It is even possible for today’s DNA testing to tell your DNA apart from your twin’s DNA.  Twins have identical DNA when the embryo splits in two, but by the time the twins are born, enough epigenetic changes happen that modern DNA tests can detect them.

Contact FL Drug Defense Group About Drug Cases

A Central Florida criminal defense lawyer can help you if you and your twin are both facing charges for drug crimes.  Contact FL Drug Defense Group in Orlando, Florida to discuss your case.

Sources:

cbs12.com/news/nation-world/instagram-video-family-felon-twins-brothers-siblings-florida-criminal-record-repeat-offender-ocala-elijah-lee-hanks-joelle-davon-elisha-emmanual-firearms-guns-ammunition-bullets-drugs-marijuana-possession-convicted-rap-song-detective-identify-recognize

eurofins.com/media/2448/twin-dna-test-why-identical-criminals-may-no-longer-be-safe.pdf