West Palm Beach Federal Drug Crime Attorney
The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) has a budget of more than three billion dollars, which it uses to employ thousands of Special Agents and the most sophisticated, high-tech tools and equipment to help them crackdown on drug crimes. The budget of the U.S. Attorney’s Office tops two billion dollars, which it uses to hire the best lawyers in the country to prosecute drug crimes after the DEA builds its case and makes its arrests. This sounds daunting, and it is. But remember, the prosecution has the burden of proving every element of the charges against you beyond a reasonable doubt, and you have several constitutional rights to ensure you are treated fairly. One of your most important rights is the right to have an attorney help you with your defense and represent you in court or dealings with the DEA and federal prosecutors.
West Palm Beach federal drug crime attorney Bruce L. Udolf is himself a former Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, with years of experience in the prosecution of narcotics cases. He was even commended for his work in the investigation and prosecution of many high profile narcotics matters by the DEA and the ATF during his years at the Department of Justice (DOJ). If you’ve been arrested on federal drug charges in West Palm Beach, Bruce L. Udolf is the attorney to call on for skilled, knowledgeable and effective defense.
What are the best defenses against federal drug charges in West Palm Beach?
Generally speaking, there are about half a dozen defenses to federal drug charges, and one or more may apply to your West Palm Beach drug charges. Following are some of the defenses most likely to apply:
Illegal search and seizure – The U.S. Constitution prohibits unreasonable searches and seizures. In most cases, law enforcement agencies must have a warrant or probable cause before they can conduct a search. Even when law enforcement gets a warrant, it is sometimes defective, or the agents go beyond the permissible scope of the warrant. Any evidence which is illegally seized should not be admitted in court. West Palm Beach criminal defense attorney Bruce Udolf fights to get such evidence excluded or suppressed. If evidence is improperly admitted and leads to a conviction, you likely have grounds to appeal.
The drugs did not belong to you – You might be surprised to learn you can be arrested and charged with possession of narcotics even if you were not in actual physical possession of the drugs. If you were present where drugs were present, such as in your apartment or someone else’s apartment, you could be charged. However, you’ll have a defense if you can prove the drugs were not yours. You may be able to establish you did not know they were there, did not know what they were or did not know they were illegal.
You were entrapped – Police agencies love to set up sting operations where they have undercover agents buying or selling drugs. If you can prove that you were induced into conduct you otherwise would not have engaged in, you may have a defense of entrapment.
You are innocent – Drug transactions rarely occur out in the open; they are often done at night and out of sight. The police don’t always witness these transactions themselves; instead, they rely on the testimony of informants or other witnesses. It’s entirely possible the police arrested the wrong person through mistaken identity. It happens more often than you may think.
You lacked intent to commit a crime – Most criminal offenses, including federal drug charges in West Palm Beach, contain an intent element that must be proven as part of the prosecution’s case. If they can’t show you intended to commit the offense, they might not be able to secure a conviction. Other times, the level of intent plays a role in what crimes can be charged or prosecuted. For instance, the difference between simple possession and possession with intent to distribute may depend on the intent of the accused, as well as the quantity of drugs, the presence of paraphernalia and other factors.
You were not given Miranda warnings – Law enforcement officers put a great deal of effort into getting you to confess, plead guilty or give them incriminating statements; it makes their jobs easier. You have a right to remain silent and to have an attorney present during any questioning. If the police fail to inform you of your rights or properly follow the law, any statements you make should not be allowed into court.
Highly Skilled and Experienced West Palm Beach Federal Drug Crime Attorney
These are just some of the defenses that may be available to you. Your attorney may be able to get the charges against you dismissed or reduced, or you may have a strong, complete defense if your case goes to trial. If you’ve been arrested on federal drug charges in South Florida, call Bruce L. Udolf, P.A., for a confidential consultation with an experienced and successful West Palm Beach federal drug crime attorney.
