If you or a loved one has been arrested on a drug charge, you know that this is serious business. We have been defending people charged with drug offenses for more than 30 years, ranging from misdemeanor possession of marijuana to major federal cocaine conspiracies.
In some cases of simple possession — where the government does not allege an intent to distribute — we may be able to have your case handled in the Drug Court or through the first offender program. Both of these programs involve drug addiction treatment, and they can result in having no conviction if you complete the program successfully. Unfortunately, not every case is appropriate for one of these alternative dispositions, but we’ll try for you. (Warning — if you are not a United States citizen, even a Drug Court or a first offender disposition can result in your being subject to deportation — make sure you tell us if you are not a U.S. citizen.)
In every drug case, there are a few common themes. Most drug cases involve a search of some sort; your lawyer needs to be well-versed on Fourth Amendment search and seizure law, to be able to have illegally seized evidence suppressed. Some drug cases involve an entrapment defense — the argument that the only reason that you committed the crime was that a state undercover officer persuaded you to do something that you wouldn’t have done under normal circumstances. (Caution — lots of people call us and say that they want to argue that they were entrapped, but when we explain that if we argue entrapment, the government gets to bring into evidence all kinds of testimony about their prior drug dealings, suddenly it becomes less attractive as a defense.) Almost all drug cases ultimately come down to sentencing, and you need a lawyer who knows how the various sentencing guidelines schemes will affect you. Sometimes the main issue is getting treatment for someone who has a drug problem.
And regardless of what the issue in the case is, we find that what clients and their families most want is reassurance — reassurance that if something can be done, it will be; reassurance that their lawyer will be honest with them about what the chances really are.
We have represented hundreds of people charged with drug charges. Call us at 434-293-8185, to see if we can help you.
