South Florida Criminal Defense Lawyer Blog
ARRESTED IN FORT LAUDERDALE? WHAT IT MEANS TO BE A PRINCIPAL
In any criminal courtroom in South Florida, Fort Lauderdale or Miami or West Palm Beach, those charged with possession of cocaine or possession of any controlled substance are convicted for things they didn’t do? How can that be?
The principle rule, derived from Florida criminal statute 777.0 11 says if a criminal defendant helped another person to commit a crime, the defendant is a principal and will be treated as if he had done all the things the other person did. The only thing they prosecutor needs to establish is that you did some act or word which was intended to encourage or assist the other person with the intent for them to act criminally.
If you have been charged with a crime in Fort Lauderdale, or Miami, or If you’ve been arrested and charged with possession of a controlled substance, for example possession of cocaine, you should and must understand the so-called criminal principal rule. In simple terms: in for a penny, in for a pound.