Drug possession charges in Florida can lead to jail time and big fines, in addition to lasting limitations on your future opportunities. The amount of drugs allegedly in your possession and the classification of the drug will influence what penalties you face.
There is a broad range of severity for the penalties associated with drug possession in Florida. Even a simple possession charge warrants fighting back to avoid a conviction, but more serious charges make it all the more important that you defend yourself.
If police officers think that the quantity of drugs they found was too much for personal use or if they found items like scales or individual packaging when arresting someone for possession, they might charge that individual with possession with intent instead of just simple drug possession.
What makes possession with intent different?
Possession with intent basically means that the police think you wanted to sell those drugs to others, but they interfered before you had the opportunity. Anything from your housing arrangements to your criminal record might make police officers suspect you of illegal drug sales.
Such charges carry more serious penalties than a simple possession charge would for the same amount of a drug. Under Florida state law, police can charge you with possession with intent for prohibited drugs like heroin and also prescription drugs, like hydrocodone. However, to secure a conviction, they will need proof that those drugs were for resale and not for your personal use.
Although the penalties associated with possession with intent charges may seem intimidating, you may have several possible means of defending against those charges. Reviewing the evidence against you can be an excellent starting point for planning a criminal defense strategy for your pending possession with intent charges.
