Changes To Florida Drug Laws Can Affect Teens

In most years, Florida’s legislature will make at least some changes to the state’s criminal law. This year’s changes include the creation of a new drug offense that can place your teenager in serious legal trouble if they are not careful. Fentanyl is a serious problem affecting Floridians, and law enforcement takes a very hard line in terms of holding those who use, sell, or distribute it accountable.

Stakes Rise For Drug Offenses

Florida has a criminal offense on its books that is referred to as ‘drug-induced homicide.’ The relevant statute holds that if a person provides drugs to a person who later overdoses and dies, the person providing the drugs may be tried for their murder. The previous statute explicitly only applied to those over the age of 18; however, on July 1, 2025, an amended statute will apply this provision to minors as well – but only in cases involving fentanyl.

While at first, this may seem too harsh – the statute specifies drug-induced homicide as a second-degree felony, which can carry up to 15 years in prison – the state of Florida has a history of prosecuting this kind of offense extremely aggressively. Drug offenses are treated as crimes against society, even if the perpetrator had no intent to sell or otherwise procure drugs for anyone else, and this does not exclude those under 18.

Parents Must Act Quickly

What all this means in the long term is that those under 18 will potentially face felony charges if they inadvertently cause the death of another person via giving them fentanyl. Before the change in the law, it was more possible for a minor to avoid jail time even for a serious offense – for example, more of them would be offered entry into pretrial diversion programs, or even possibly have their cases adjudicated in juvenile court.

If you are a parent and you have a child who has been charged with this type of offense, it is crucial to find a knowledgeable attorney quickly. Because this provision in the law only takes effect on July 1, 2025, there will be little to no case precedent by the time your child’s case is heard. You need an attorney on your side who is able to adapt quickly in order to give your child the best chance to avoid jail time.

Contact A West Palm Beach Drug Crimes Attorney

While it remains to be seen how the new law will affect Florida’s minors, a good parent can do their best to ensure that their child stays out of trouble. A West Palm Beach drug crimes attorney from Perlet & Shiner, P.A. can try and ease your mind while answering your legal questions – call us today to speak to an attorney.

Source:

leg.state.fl.us/statutes/index.cfm?App_mode=Display_Statute&URL=0700-0799/0782/Sections/0782.04.html