South Florida Criminal Defense Lawyer Blog
Drug trafficking’s most serious offense, and one that can include a possible death sentence in Florida, is Armed drug trafficking. The statute appears as Florida statute 893.135 (for punishments it refers the reader to the Florida sentencing and punishment sections). You can also look for it in the basic parts of F.S. 893 which, although quite long and confusing, is Florida’s drug abuse prevention and control statute. If you want to obtain a basic understanding of drug trafficking criminal offenses in Florida, start with a read of the criminal jury instructions, Section 25. Reading the Jury instructions for drug offenses and crimes in Florida, (such as purchase, sale, and cocaine delivery, and trafficking in cocaine and heroin), is the best place to get a good understanding of what these crimes are in Florida. Once you have read the jury instructions for possession of cocaine, delivery of cocaine or trafficking in cocaine, you can see and understand Florida’s statutory scheme for drug possession and trafficking offenses. Basically, Florida’s criminal laws on possession of drugs and selling of drugs fall into three categories. Simple possession, the drug possession statute that has the least exposure to prison (five years) is for arrests of “personal use” amounts of controlled substances. Drug “users” and “abusers” are charged with possession when they have enough for one dose or “high”….possession of personal-use amounts. Possession charges are for those who are users, but not dealers, sellers, or aren’t in the “business” of buying or selling cocaine, marijuana, oxycodone and other mind altering drugs. Possession of more than enough for one dose, or being caught either giving away drugs or buying or selling a “small” amount is Delivery. Delivery of any controlled substance such as cocaine, heroin, oxycodone, or any “salt” or derivative of the many listed controlled substances in Florida can land you in prison for fifteen years.
The drug offense laws in Florida are for people who use, buy or sell any lesser or greater amounts of controlled substances. Most common drugs offenses are for cocaine, oxycodone, marijuana, and the many manufactured cocaine distillates and heroin substitutes in their many and various synthetic forms.