If you’re facing drug charges, challenging the chain of custody in Florida drug cases can be a powerful defense.
This is where chain of custody becomes a powerful defense. The Florida Department of Law Enforcement outlines evidence handling requirements in their Evidence Submission Guidelines.
At Michael White, P.A., we’ve helped clients in Fort Lauderdale and across South Florida beat drug charges by exposing breaks in how law enforcement collected, stored, and presented the evidence.
🔗 What Is Chain of Custody?
Chain of custody in Florida drug cases is the documented process that shows who had the evidence, when, and what they did with it.
If there’s a gap — even a small one — the defense can argue:
Evidence tampering
Misidentification
Contamination
That the drugs tested in court aren’t the ones seized
It’s one of the strongest tools we use in cocaine, fentanyl, MDMA, marijuana, and prescription drug cases.
🚨 Where Chain of Custody Breakdowns Happen
We’ve seen chain of custody errors in:
Traffic stop searches where drugs were tossed into a common evidence bag
Field tests done by officers, not labs
Evidence logged hours after the arrest
Transfers between agencies with no receipts
Packaging errors (missing seals, broken bags, unlabeled envelopes)
One mistake can cast doubt on the entire case.
🧑⚖️ How We Use It to Defend You
At Michael White, P.A., we:
Demand full evidence logs and property receipts
Cross-examine every officer who touched the evidence
Compare timestamps on reports, videos, and test results
File motions to suppress if proper procedures weren’t followed
In some cases, the prosecutor drops the charge when they realize they can’t explain the chain clearly.
📍 Facing Drug Charges in Fort Lauderdale? Chain of Custody Could Be the Key
If the State can’t prove how the drugs got from point A to B without contamination, loss, or tampering — they can’t prove the case beyond a reasonable doubt.
👉 Talk to a Fort Lauderdale Drug Crimes Defense Lawyer Today
📘 Florida Drug Defense FAQs: Chain of Custody Issues
❓ What is chain of custody in a drug case?
It’s the documented process of how evidence was handled, stored, and tested — from the scene to the courtroom.
❓ Can drug charges be dropped if the chain of custody is broken?
Yes — if the break creates enough doubt, the court may suppress the evidence or the State may dismiss the case.
❓ How do police break the chain of custody?
It happens when drugs aren’t properly labeled, documented, or transferred — or when there are gaps in who had control of the evidence.
❓ Do lab tests fix chain of custody problems?
No. Even valid test results can be challenged if there’s uncertainty about where the sample came from or how it was handled.
❓ Can a lawyer use chain of custody as a defense?
Absolutely. It’s one of the most powerful technical defenses — especially in possession and trafficking cases.