Tampa Drug Manufacturing Lawyer

Defending Manufacturing of Drugs Charges

Drug manufacturing cases are common in the Tampa Bay area and include a wide variety of activity. Florida law defines "manufacture” as the production, preparation, propagation, compounding, cultivating, growing, conversion, or processing of a controlled substance, by extraction from substances of natural origin, or independently by means of chemical synthesis, or by a combination of extraction and chemical synthesis, and includes any packaging of the substance or labeling or relabeling of its container.

Notice that the definition of "manufacture" includes "cultivation and growing" which encompasses marijuana grow houses. Manufacturing charges often arise when law enforcement receives a tip that someone is manufacturing or growing a controlled substance in a residence. Law enforcement does a background check to determine if anyone connected to the house or property has a history of drug charges.

Frequently law enforcement will go to alleged location and conduct covert surveillance and determine if they can smell anything that can contribute to the probable cause necessary to get a search warrant (they can always smell growing marijuana) and to determine who is frequenting the location. Power bills for the suspected location are also checked and compared with neighboring houses and any trash that has been put out for collection is searched for drug paraphernalia or evidence of ownership. If law enforcement believes that there is probable cause for a warrant, a search warrant is prepared and presented to a judge.

Penalties For Drug Manufacturing

A drug manufacturing charge is a serious criminal charge in Florida. Depending upon the circumstances of the case, you could be charged with a first, second or third degree felony. Manufacturing charges are enhanced to the next level felony under certain circumstances such as proximity to schools, churches, public housing, child care facilities, parks, community centers, colleges and even adult assisted living facilities. Furthermore, there are additional charges that are often filed in these situations if the property used was owned, leased, rented, or possessed for manufacturing (or cultivating) a controlled substance. These charges not only apply to a person who was renting a house for manufacturing but also to the owner of the house that knowingly rented it to a person for manufacturing a controlled substance.

Whatever the charge is which you are facing a Tampa drug crime defense attorney with years of experience can help fight to avoid conviction, either in negotiations prior to formal charges being filed, or in defending the case in the courtroom. The most common error most individuals make is in talking to police officers or narcotic detectives without legal representation. You have the right to remain silent and you should. The legal team at our firm is fully prepared to assist you in your defense.

Manufacturing of Drugs Lawyer Serving Tampa

Law enforcement is committed to finding and arresting those who manufacture drugs in the Tampa area. In some cases, they make mistakes, and don't follow their own legal procedures in search and seizure or in the arrest. A skilled drug crime defense lawyer at our firm can determine if police officers violated your rights. If this has occurred we will act quickly to demand evidence be deemed inadmissible and charges be dropped completely or reduced. Having charges reduced could make the difference between spending years in jail with huge fines and a sentence of probation with a small fine. Defending the case at trial can lead to a positive case outcome for those accused of this serious criminal offense.

Attorney Tim Hessinger has many years of experience as a former state prosecutor working closely with police investigators. With this inside knowledge and experience, our drug crime defense team can help you to create an effective defense strategy to pursue the best result for you. Call The Law Office of Timothy Hessinger to discuss your circumstances and work out your strategy.

Contact a Tampa manufacturing of drugs attorney at our firm for assistance in seeking an effective defense against charges of manufacturing.