LSD Trafficking

LSD, also called acid, is a powerful hallucinogenic drug. It is known for its psychological impact, which can include a changed awareness of one's environment, feelings, and perceptions. It is associated with countercultural movements and is usually swallowed or held under the tongue in the form of a piece of blotter paper or gelatin. However, it can be injected. People who are caught with a certain threshold amount of LSD can be charged with drug trafficking. If you are charged with LSD trafficking or a related drug crime, you should consult an experienced Clearwater LSD trafficking lawyer. At Hanlon Law, we fight for the rights of the accused against charges of trafficking in LSD or other substances, such as meth or cocaine.

Drug trafficking charges are punished harshly. When a prosecutor is able to prove LSD trafficking beyond a reasonable doubt, you will face a mandatory minimum sentence. Mandatory minimum sentences are sentences over which a judge does not have discretion. In other words, the judge cannot look at such facts as this being your first offense when deciding which sentence to impose. Instead, he must sentence you to at least the minimum set forth in the statute. The situation can be even graver if other crimes are also being charged in connection with the same set of circumstances. For example, if there was a raid on your home and both child pornography and a certain quantity of acid were recovered, you may face even harsher consequences. It is important to retain an LSD trafficking attorney in Clearwater who can look at all of the charges and develop a cohesive defense strategy to address them.

You can be convicted of LSD trafficking if it is proven beyond a reasonable doubt that you knowingly carried into Florida, bought, sold, made, or possessed at least 1 gram of acid or a mixture that included acid. One gram is not very much acid, and yet you can face years in prison for simply having that amount on your person or within your control.

The mandatory minimum sentence when the trafficking involves 1-5 grams of acid is 3 years in prison and a fine of $50,000. The mandatory minimum sentence when the trafficking involves 5-7 grams of acid is 7 years’ imprisonment and a $100,000 fine. The mandatory minimum sentence when the trafficking involves a minimum of 7 grams of acid is 15 calendar years and a $500,000 fine. When you import at least 7 grams of acid or a mixture including acid into Florida, knowing that a likely result of this is a person's death, you may face a capital felony conviction.

Although it is stress-inducing to be charged with trafficking in acid or other drugs, there may be strong defenses that a Clearwater LSD trafficking attorney can raise, and it is important to consult us as soon as you realize that you are being investigated for a drug crime. There is a presumption of innocence in criminal defense cases that can sometimes work to our advantage. We do not need to disprove what the prosecution is claiming, but instead we need to raise a reasonable doubt about those arguments. A reasonable doubt can be raised by showing conflicting evidence or revealing a lack of evidence.

Sometimes there are constitutional violations by the police that can allow a Clearwater criminal attorney to file a motion to get the evidence of acid suppressed. You have a Fourth Amendment right to be free from unreasonable searches and seizures. The jurisprudence is somewhat complex, but in most cases (with some exceptions), to search your home, the police need to have a warrant. To get the warrant, they need to have probable cause rather than a mere hunch. If we can show that they did not have probable cause to search, it may be possible to get the evidence suppressed. Similarly, if you were pulled over, and the police did not have a reasonable suspicion of criminal wrongdoing in pulling you over but found acid in your car, it may be possible to have evidence found in that stop suppressed.

LSD trafficking charges in Clearwater can have substantial consequences. The amount of LSD involved in the charges will affect the severity of the penalties, but even being charged can result in a loss of social reputation and stigma. It is important to hire someone who can protect your rights. Will Hanlon is dedicated to protecting the rights of people accused of trafficking in LSD or other controlled substances, such as morphine and GBL, and he has provided tough criminal defense representation to clients since 1994. You can call Hanlon Law at 727.897.5413 or complete our online form.