Jacksonville Criminal Defense Attorney Blog
Twenty one people — including seven from Jacksonville — were recently indicted in Georgia for allegedly conspiring to distribute cocaine, marijuana and ecstasy throughout Jacksonville and into southeastern Georgia during the last four years, The Florida Times-Union reports.
Drug charges in Jacksonville, have become increasingly commonplace. Even a minor amount of marijuana can get a person charged with a misdemeanor and these are the types of cases that clog our criminal justice system.But even a misdemeanor should be taken seriously and can result in jail time and problems on a person’s criminal record. That’s why hiring a Jacksonville Criminal Defense Attorney to fight marijuana drug charges is important. Don’t allow the state to unfairly punish you if they can’t prove the charges. Fight for your rights.
In this case, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, along with local law enforcement agents investigated the case for more than two and a half years, the newspaper reports. One man recently pleaded guilty in a federal courthouse, bringing the total number of those who have entered into deals with the government to 10. Another 11 people face charges under the indictment.
According to the newspaper report, agents tapped three phones of one of the defendants and listened as he allegedly set up drug buys and told of his intention to sell drugs to distributors in Jacksonville. In exchange for the most recent defendant’s guilty plea, drug and gun charges were dropped. As part of his agreement, he must cooperate with federal prosecutors.
The problem with plea agreements for state or federal prosecutors is that these witnesses are automatically less-than-credible witnesses. They were once considered the enemy to the prosecutor, but now, all of a sudden, they’re on the side of the law. It doesn’t really make sense.
These people were once considered criminals, who would lie their way out of a paper bag if they could. But, after signing their name to a few pieces of paper and agreeing to tell the truth and testify against their co-defendants, they are now star witnesses for the prosecution.
A diligent Jacksonville Criminal Defense Lawyer will use years of experience to see through this trick and show a judge or jury the true score. A person can sign a piece of paper and tell someone they’re going to tell the truth, but there are no guarantees here. A co-defendant who flips and turns state’s evidence actually has more incentive to lie because they will say whatever it takes in order to get a reduced prison sentence. Whatever makes the deal stand up, they are willing to do.
A jury must see the truth and it is the job of a client’s criminal defense attorney in Jacksonville and throughout northeast Florida to see to it that they do. Hard-line questioning, filing motions to reduce evidence and preparing witnesses for a defense plan are all part of the job.
If you need a criminal defense attorney in Jacksonville or the surrounding area, call Mussallem and Associate, PA at 904-365-5200 for a free consultation.
More Blog Entries:
Gun and Marijuana Brought into Duval County Courthouse: July 31, 2011
Additional Resources:
21 indicted on federal drug case; 7 from Jacksonville, by Teresa Stepzinski, The Florida Times-Union