A man in Sarasota was recently charged with numerous drug offenses and driving on a suspended driver’s license, while he was already on probation for prior convictions in Sarasota and Manatee County. When combined with the alleged probation violation, these new felony drug crimes for possession of cocaine and fentanyl with intent to distribute exposed him to mandatory prison time. To hopefully, avoid several years in prison, the man contacted Sarasota criminal defense attorney Erika Valcarcel.
Despite a lot of pressure on prosecutors to seek harsh consequences in drug cases involving fentanyl, attorney Valcarcel strived to find an outcome that best served her client. After an exhaustive process that involved depositions with the officers at the scene, attorney Valcarcel uncovered discrepancies in the chain of custody procedure for how the evidence was collected, analyzed, packaged, and transported. By leveraging these inconsistencies, attorney Valcarcel negotiated to reduce the second-degree felony charges to lesser offenses.
This removed the prerequisite for mandatory prison time and allowed her client to effectively deal with all of his charges once and for all by serving 11 months in a county facility, rather than state prison. Additionally, attorney Valcarcel obtained a revoke and termination order for his prior probation. While her client did need to spend some time in custody, it was drastically less than what was likely. Once completed, he would be free to resume his life with no further probation requirements.
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"Erika Valcarcel, Criminal Defense Lawyer, P.A. is the best you will find. Erika Valcarcel is completely honest and straightforward. She took a huge burden off my shoulders many times during difficult periods of my life knowing that she was doing everything that that could and should be done. Her knowledge is extensive and her advice has always been right on the mark. She is worth every penny of the fee she charges. You cannot go wrong securing her services."
Joni A. | Sarasota County
Domestic Violence Charges Dismissed in 10 Days
When a client was arrested for battery after an altercation with his girlfriend, he immediately contacted attorney Erika Valcarcel. The client was adamant that the entire situation was a misunderstanding, but nevertheless he was looking at a domestic violence conviction and potentially up to a year in jail. We acted fast on his behalf and discussed the situation with the State attorney’s office. We informed the prosecutor that our client's girlfriend did not want to proceed and highlighted the weaknesses in their case. Once they were aware of these developments, we successfully arranged to have the charges dismissed. This was all before our client's first court date and impressively all done within 10 days of the initial arrest.
