If Rich Kids Get an Endless Parade of Second Chances, You Can Get Pretrial Diversion
In more innocent times, we used to amuse ourselves by reading about the sons and daughters of the wealthy who acted like the rules did not apply to them, while their parents, and even law enforcement, proved them right. Many Floridians will remember the story of the University of Florida student from the Miami metropolitan area who caused a single vehicle collision, and his girlfriend, who was a passenger in the car, suffered fatal injuries. The young man had a long history of traffic violations, some of which involved speeds of travel by which it was just a matter of chance that no one died. In his previous traffic cases, the courts had taken a “kids will be kids” attitude; he had never served a jail sentence for his dangerous driving. By possessing small quantities of illegal drugs, especially marijuana, you are putting the safety of others at risk much less than you would by driving at double the speed limit. For help getting into a pretrial diversion program if you are facing charges for underage possession of marijuana, contact a Florida drug offenses attorney.
Being Young Is Not a Crime
Florida has relaxed its prohibitions on cannabis possession considerably in the past decade. While Florida has not decriminalized recreational use of cannabis at the state level, many jurisdictions within Florida have decriminalized it by local ordinances. Even in the 420 friendliest parts of Florida, though, the minimum age for legal possession of cannabis is 21. Underage possession of cannabis is a crime, just as underage possession of alcoholic beverages is.
In August 2024, police in Boca Raton pulled over a car because the driver was speeding. They searched the car and found cannabis, open containers of alcoholic beverages, and drug paraphernalia. The 19-year-old driver could have faced a host of felony charges, and if convicted, he could have served a yearslong prison sentence. Instead, prosecutors “no filed” the drug paraphernalia charge and the charge for underage possession of cannabis, and they downgraded the DUI charge and the fraud charge for possession of false identification to misdemeanors. The defendant has a history of traffic citations, including driving on the wrong side of the road and driving at 75 miles per hour on a road where the speed limit was 50 miles per hour.
If all you did was smoke a joint at a freshman orientation event, you have every right not to begin your adult life with a criminal conviction on your record. Contact a criminal defense lawyer to find out more about pretrial diversions such as drug court, which enable you to avoid a guilty plea or a conviction.
Contact FL Drug Defense Group About Drug Cases
A Central Florida criminal defense lawyer can help you if you are a defendant in a drug case where the offense is a minor one and you are new to adulthood. Contact FL Drug Defense Group in Orlando, Florida to discuss your case.
Source:
bocanewsnow.com/2024/08/10/boca-raton-teen-arrested-for-drugs-dui-notable-previous-history/