Possession of Less Than 20 G and Paraphernalia in Florida

My question involves criminal law for the state of: Broward County, FLORIDA.

This would be a first offense, notice to appear, for possession of less then 20 grams of marijuana and paraphernalia in Broward County, Florida.

The officer insisted that because of my clean record this would be the equivalent of a speeding ticket, and that I should show up in court myself and will just be fined and it will not show up on my record after the fact. Upon doing some research, and after a discussion with a defense attorney over the phone, it seems that Florida's law is open to much more possibilities then that. The goal is to have this incident completely erased from record, as potential future career choices may be destroyed by any record (as stated, "Criminal records including guilty pleas, regardless of adjudication, no contest pleas, or entry into a pre-trial intervention/ diversion may also disqualify an applicant for employment."). Is there any possibility of having this charge cleared and what would be the best route to accomplish that? Lawyer costs after a first estimate appear to be up around $1000 so if at all possible I would like to possibly explore options that would not require the extra help, but it appears that may not be possible. I wish it was as easy as taking the officer's word and moving on with life but it appears to be much more complicated then that. I greatly appreciate any time and advice you may offer on this.

I'm sorry this became such a lengthy post, thank you again for your time.

I don't think you're going to find a way to make your entire record magically disappear. Your short-term goal would be to avoid a conviction; your longer-term goal would be to get an expungement or, if your disposition prevents that, to get your record sealed. Your best bet is to work with a lawyer who is experienced with first offender drug cases.

You can try and speak to another lawyer and see if they give you similar advice.Spending a grand suxs but it's an investment for your future more or less. A straight out dismissal would be the best result,it not that then a diversion program or something that would allow you to get the charge sealed or expunged in the future.