Men Arrested for Bag Marked 'BAG FULL OF DRUGS'
"Discretion is the better part of valor," as the famous saying goes. This essentially means that being a bit cautious instead of recklessly brave will serve you better in the long run.
A pair of Florida men, uh, missed out on that one.
Transparency Not Always Better
Our tale starts just outside of Holt, Florida, located in the Panhandle region. A Florida Highway Patrol officer who was running a speed trap stopped a car for allegedly going a tad over the speed limit (95 in a 70).
After discovering that the passenger had an outstanding warrant, officers conducted a canine search. The dog alerted the officers to drugs in the car.
While searching the car, officers discovered two bags sneakily labeled "BAG FULL OF DRUGS," filled with, you guessed it, drugs and paraphernalia with an estimated street value of more than $15,000.
The men were booked on multiple felony and misdemeanor drug charges. Perhaps worse, they became the internet's latest viral "Florida men," a distinction that could last much longer than any criminal sentence.
Now, What Could We Have Done Differently?
"They don't always make it that easy for us," Lt. W. Robert Cannon of the Florida Highway Patrol told The Washington Post.
The "BAG FULL OF DRUGS" bag may be easy to find on the internet, but — hear me out here — it probably isn't a good idea to buy one, especially if you plan to store actual drugs in it. Maybe for a Halloween costume, but it's probably still a no, unless you're planning on going as "Florida Man."
Also, while most people speed a little bit, going 95 in a 70 is extremely dangerous and could lead to reckless driving charges. It also — it shouldn't be necessary to say this — will attract police scrutiny, which you really don't want if your car is loaded with drugs.
The most these Florida men can hope for, since they voluntarily identified themselves to police, is that a skilled criminal defense attorney will be able to suppress the evidence from the search.
Related Resources:
- Find a Drug Crime Attorney Near You (FindLaw's Attorney Directory)
- Pot, Cops and Wacky Phone Calls: A Brief History (FindLaw's Legally Weird)
- Wisconsin Man Claims Nunchucks, Meth-Filled Backpack at Police Station, Gets Arrested (FindLaw's Legally Weird)
- Iowa Man Defends Right to Cuss Out Cops on Facebook (FindLaw's Legally Weird)