Legal Question in Criminal Law in Florida

marijuana possession
I was arrested for possession of less than 20 grams of marijuana and possession of paraphenalia (sp?) over the weekend. The police officer who arrested me actually caught me smoking by my car. I am a resident of Hillborough County and this occured in Venice (Manatee County, I think?) Because I am not a resident of the county, they could not issue a notice to appear and instead had me arrested with the two misdemeanor charges. I have no previous record whatsoever. My court date is set for June 16. My questions: 1) Since I have no record and theses are misd. charges, can I represent myself and submit a not guilty charge in order to have more options available, such as deferred prosecution or pretrial intervention? 2) If I hire an attorney, can they push this through without me having to appear? I am starting work in Colorado in two weeks and I am trying to avoid having to fly back for another court date but understand if this is my only option. If I submit my plea in writing, will the court then reschedule another court date? I understand that my date on the 16th is an arraignment for the purpose of submitting my plea but many counties allow it to be submitted in writing to avoid having to appear in court. Please help!!

Asked on 5/30/06, 11:27 am

Valerie Masters Valerie Masters, P.A.

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Re: marijuana possession

If you hire a lawyer they can waive your appearance for arraignment. Please check out my website valeriemasters.com or call for a fee quote.

Answered on 6/01/06, 9:14 am

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