Marijuana Offense

[USFS]

My question involves criminal law for the state of: Florida

I live in student living apartments and on Saturday 3/24, not to my knowledge my roommate without even saying anything to me calls the cops. I get a knock at my own door and without identifying themselves thinking it's my roommate it was not. The cop was standing right in my doorway came into my room because he smelled marijuana, I got arrested for possession under 20g and paraphernalia. I can't even try and move to a different room without telling the leasing office that I can no longer live with this person now but if I tell them it could break my lease. Any legal advice how I should handle this? I have had one charge before for a DUI back in 2008.

[Mr. Knowitall]

How you should handle the criminal charge? Given your prior criminal history "with a lawyer".

You should investigate whether you are eligible for a drug diversion or a deferred disposition as a first time drug offender. From what I can see, you would not be automatically disqualified from a drug diversion program in Florida due to the prior DUI, because it's neither a felony nor a crime of violence.

In terms of how you want to handle things with your roommate, it's pretty clear for starters that you don't want to use illegal drugs in your apartment. I have no way of telling you what your apartment's policies are for getting reassigned, or how you might do that without letting them know that you committed a drug crime on their premises - read the policies and see what you can come up with.