First Time Drug Offense in Florida
Me and 3 friends of mine were on our way to a party one night in my car, I was driving. We pulled into the neighborhood of the party and see that there are cop cars by the house so we started driving away. We start looking for another exit in the neighborhood to get out so I turn left onto a street before the cop cars. As soon as I turn left the cop starts following me throughout the neighborhood. I drive around looking for a way out and come to a stop sign at which point the cop throws on his lights. Then within a minute 2 other cop cars roll up to the scene.
My 2 friends in the back seat have beer under their feet so they hide it under clothes.
The cop does license, registration, insurance, then asks me why I think that I was pulled over. I said, "well my tag expired in January so Im assuming thats why". He says, "Oh I didn't even notice that", So he goes around the back of the car, looks, then comes back and tells me to get out of the car. He asks to search me and I say no, because he has no cause to search me. He gets pissed and tells me that I was pulled over because my tags were expired, because i was in the area of a party, and that they suspected my tint to be too dark. They tell my 3 friends to get out of the car and start shining their little flashlights in my car. They say the shirts in the back look suspicious so they search my car.
With this they of course found the beer along with a bowl in the center console and less than a gram of marijuana.
I get charged with the weed and having the bowl and my friend gets the beer charge because he had his fake ID on him.
I have a clean record with no priors.
So my questions are:
Were any of my rights violated?
What are my options?
What punishment will I receive?
Re: First Time Drug Offense in Florida
Police are allowed to be smart enough to realize that if you pull up to a house where a party happens and then pull away, that you have something to hide.
A search for weapons could be considered depending upon how the beer was disguised... and, of course, once the beer was found the game was over.
When you tell us exactly what you were charged with, we will help with the rest.
Re: First Time Drug Offense in Florida
Well I didnt exactly pull up to the house, I saw the cop cars and turned before we reached where the house was. I was just in the area.
I got charged with having the marijuana and the paraphernalia because my friend had a 21 year old fake ID so he got charged with the alcohol.
Re: First Time Drug Offense in Florida
You saw the cop cars and turned.
That's like the guy who sees a cop and starts running....because he knows he is doing something wrong....
Re: First Time Drug Offense in Florida
That analogy isn't really applicable to this situation, as we were in a suburban neighborhood and anyone could be driving through.
All things off topic aside, what are some opinions on what will the consequences be?
Probation? Suspended license? Fines? Along with the durations and severities.