Over the course of six to eight hours on May 17-18, a total of 20 people were arrested on a variety of charges along Interstate 95 by both the federal agencies and sheriff’s deputies that conducted the sweep.
The exercise, known as an interdiction, allows police to pull over vehicles for minor traffic violations and then search for evidence of other crimes. Previous efforts have focused on finding people defrauding or scamming people. Approximately 250 people were pulled over for either failing to maintain a line or not using their turn signals.
A large portion of the arrests were drug-related, primarily due to the presence of a K-9 dog trained to sniff for drugs. Small amounts of marijuana were the only discoveries in this particular area, with only two individuals possessing more than 20 grams.
One of those arrested, a 19-year-old man, attempted to avoid the process after seeing a sign near the Becker Road exit. Upon being stopped, he was found to be holding roughly 1.5 ounces of marijuana.
A 23-year-old man attempted to flee because he was one of three individuals without valid driver’s licenses. He was arrested after reversing onto Becker Road from the I-95 off ramp.
The drivers who found themselves under arrest now need a Fort Pierce criminal defense lawyer like Jonathan Jay Kirschner. That’s because his extensive experience in the courtroom has taught him that there are legitimate defenses to both driving violations and drug offenses.
Kirschner knows that the severity of many Florida laws doesn’t match severity of the crime. That means individuals lacking a quality attorney by their side in the courtroom could be looking at major jail time for a relatively minor defense.
The two people arrested for possession on more than 20 grams of marijuana could serve as examples of this philosophy. That’s because a conviction on these felony charges could result in a maximum sentence of five years in prison and a fine of $5,000.
In addition, the searching policy could be seen by many as a violation of privacy, with the driving violation a weak attempt at circumventing the laws in place against illegal search and seizure.
So if you or someone you know has been in a similar situation and needs a Fort Pierce criminal defense attorney, contact the law offices of Jonathan Jay Kirschner to set up a free consultation.
