Some people might know that Interstate 95, which runs through Florida, is a huge drug corridor. This means that many people who are handling drugs are likely going to face charges at some point. If you are caught with heroin in Florida, you are facing some very serious drug crime penalties.
In Florida, all crimes pertaining to heroin are felony charges, which means you can face time in prison, as well as fines. If you are charged with possession of heroin, you are facing a third-degree felony charge. Trafficking heroin is a first-degree felony. Selling heroin is a second-degree felony that could be upgraded to a first-degree felony under certain circumstances.
In each case, the penalties that you face could be seirous. If you are convicted of trafficking, you face penalties that start at three years for 4 to 14 grams of heroin. If you have over 30 kilograms of heroin, you are facing life in prison. The sentencing guidelines for other amounts of heroin range from three years up to 25 years.
If you are convicted of selling heroin, your sentence depends in part on where you were selling the heroin and how much heroin you had. Charge enhancements are possible if you are caught near a school or with more than 10 grams of heroin.
It is sometimes possible to enter a drug court program. These programs can help you to get the help that you need if heroin addiction is the reason you are facing these charges. Drug court isn’t possible in all heroin-related cases, so you should find out if it is possible in your case.