1st drug arrest

[FL-Mom]

My daughter, 18, was arrested for possession of cannabis, (less than an ounce). This is her 1st offense. People tell me that the judge will almost certainly sentence her to probation and after attending a class and community service, expunge her record. My question is, should I take that chance or should I hire a lawyer to make sure? She has been accepted to college and has almost $13,000 a year in scholarships. If she's convicted of a drug crime, she'll lose all that. Would a lawyer help anyway or am I at the mercy of the judge?

Thanks for your help.

 

[Tracey]

Being sentenced to probation occurs only AFTER a conviction. You aren't at the mercy of the judge, you're at the mercy of the prosecutor.

Hire a lawyer to check the legality of the search and to beg the State to drop the charges or give her a deferred prosecution. Maybe if he explains that she's a good kid and this will REALLY screw up her life all out of proportion to her offense, the prosecutor will help you.

Whether she does treatment or not, she needs to get this plea bargained down to a non-drug offense. She won't be able to get federal student loans with a drug charge, either.

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This is not legal advice and you are not my client. Double check everything with your own attorney and your state's laws.