The recent arrest of a 25-year-old Fort Pierce man on drug and other charges illustrates the ongoing “war on drugs” that this nation has been waging for decades. It also shows the importance of legal assistance for those charged with drug-related offenses. It is this type of service that is provided by a Fort Pierce drug defense lawyer.

The arrest in Fort Pierce began with the detection of what was first believed to have been the odor of burning marijuana, which remains illegal in Florida, and which was traced to a parked car. Law enforcement personnel found in the vehicle a woman, who was positioned in the driver’s seat, and the man who, according to a police spokesman, tried to hide a small bag under the passenger’s seat.

No marijuana was found in the vehicle, but police did recover from it a bag containing 20 cocaine rocks. The suspect was charged with possession of cocaine with the intent to sell the substance within 1,000 feet of a school. He was also booked on other charges, including eluding police. Although charges will apparently not be filed against the woman who was in the car, it is not unusual for police to arrest and charge everyone who is in a vehicle in which drugs are also found.

Tens of thousands of arrests are made every year throughout Florida on an assortment of drug offenses that range from simple possession to trafficking or even cultivating illegal substances. However, a person is not legally guilty of a crime simply because he or she was in a house, building or vehicle in which drugs are found. Prosecutors must prove that someone both knew of the presence of the drugs and had the desire and ability to in some manner use them. It will in such cases take the involvement of a drug possession criminal lawyer to obtain an acquittal or a dismissal of charges.

Mounting a defense against either state or federal drug charges can be complicated. Those so charged will need the assistance of a drug possession criminal lawyer who can and will challenge every aspect of an allegation, from search and seizure techniques to the testimony of others. An attorney can under the circumstances be the best advocate for anyone facing criminal sanctions. Those who find themselves in these types of situations should contact a Fort Pierce drug crime defense lawyer at 722-489-2200.