You work extremely hard to protect your children and their futures. Unfortunately, they still make mistakes. A mistake such as a drug arrest can have serious consequences for your child. Any plea to a drug charge could result in a one-year suspension of your child’s driver’s license. It can also lead to the loss of eligibility for student grants and loans. If your child is charged with a drug crime in adult court, he or she can end up with a permanent criminal record. Speak with an Orlando juvenile drug possession lawyer.
In Florida, possession of 20 or fewer grams of marijuana is a misdemeanor. Possession of even a trace amount of cocaine, meth or most other illegal drugs is a felony. Selling or delivering most drugs is a second-degree felony. Selling or delivering drugs within 1,000 feet of a school is a first-degree felony, subject to a three-year mandatory minimum prison sentence.
When a juvenile is accused of a drug crime, the case is usually handled in juvenile court rather than adult criminal court. Juvenile punishments typically include fines, community service and drug treatment programs. However, children can be tried in adult court, where they would be subject to adult penalties.
Juvenile records are not as sealed as many would believe. If your child is arrested on drug charges in the future, those juvenile records would be accessible to prosecutors and could lead to your child facing more serious consequences as an adult. While some records do become sealed when your child reaches his or her mid twenties, it is advisable to contact a lawyer to discuss.
If your child is a first-time offender, he or she may be eligible for a number of programs such as Teen Court or Drug Court, in which you could get the charges dropped. Our founding partner, Bill Umansky, is actively involved in the juvenile court system in Orlando and currently serves as a judge in the Orange County Teen Court program and on its board of directors.
At The Umansky Law Firm our Orlando juvenile drug lawyers are here to get your child the help he or she needs so that drug use is not continued. Our lawyers will work hard to ensure the focus stays on treatment and rehabilitation, not on criminal consequences that could affect your child’s future career and educational opportunities.