Law Offices of R. Lane Lastinger, P.A. | Prescription Drug Issues | Video Transcript
[GRAPHIC: R Lane Lastinger, Working Exclusively in Pinellas County Criminal Defense, Call for a Free Consultation, Toll Free: 877-782-7151, 727-565-1259, www.PinellasCriminalLaw.com, 275 96th Avenue North, Suite 5, St. Petersburg, FL 33702-2526]
R. LANE LASTINGER: I've been handling drug issues for the entire 15 years of my practice. But only in the last five years have you really seen the explosion of prescription drug crimes.
Prescription drug crimes have exploded in Pinellas County, largely because there's a pain management clinic on every corner. People are getting hooked on drugs and that leads to them getting in trouble.
You don't need a lot of pills in order to get a trafficking charge. Four grams, or say, six Oxycodone pills can get you a three-year minimum mandatory prison sentence.
The scariest thing about trafficking charges are the minimum mandatory prison sentences. Depending on the quantity, you can 3 years, 15 years or 25 years, and you have to serve every day of that sentence.
Defending in a trafficking case, you're looking at one of three defenses. First, I didn't possess the pills. Second, I was entrapped. Or third, though I possessed the pills, I have a drug problem and putting me in prison is not going to fix it.
The majority of the trafficking cases that I see involve people with drug problems, not dealers. I'm frequently able to go to the state attorney's office, explain this to them, show them your past history and ultimately get them to drop the charges down so you avoid any prison time at all.
[GRAPHIC: R Lane Lastinger, Working Exclusively in Pinellas County Criminal Defense, Call for a Free Consultation, Toll Free: 877-782-7151, 727-565-1259, www.PinellasCriminalLaw.com, 275 96th Avenue North, Suite 5, St. Petersburg, FL 33702-2526]
