Different Drug Charges in Richmond
There are a number of different drug charges you can face in the city of Richmond, all of which warrant contact with a Richmond drug lawyer. To learn more about your charges or how to build the strongest possible defense, call today and schedule a free consultation.
Common Drug Charges in Richmond
There are a wide variety of drug charges you can face in Richmond ranging from simple possession, which is possession of a small amount for personal use, to possession with intent to distribute which typically involves large scale possession usually over 5 ounces in the case of marijuana. Many of these cases stem from traffic stops, while larger scale investigations usually involve Joint Task Forces. In addition, a lot of these drug cases involve everyone from students to soccer moms to people that attempt to make a living selling drugs.
Possession of Prescription Drugs
Many of these cases involve traffic stops where the search of a vehicle occurs and results in the officer finding pills or a bottle that does not have a proper prescription on it and are drugs prescribed to someone other than the owner or operator of the vehicle in question.
You can be arrested if you don’t have a prescription or in cases where:
- You can’t verify who was prescribed the drug
- The prescription is either outdated or does not have amount of type of drug which was originally prescribed.
What If You Have a Prescription, Just Not On You?
If you have a prescription for the medication but you don’t have it with you, or if the prescription medication is not in its bottle, sometimes we are able to verify that. Furthermore, on an occasion you find an officer who will wait around and try to verify that. In cases where charges are filed an attorney will attempt to show the prescription was valid or that an error occurred which resulted in the charges.
What Determines the Severity of the Drug Charge?
What determines the severity of a drug charge is the amount and type of drugs. Drug charges involving cocaine, heroin are treated more severely while charges involving marijuana are treated a lot differently. Obviously the biggest factor is the amount in possession. Is it simple possession versus where an amount associated with distribution and coupled with cash, scales, etc. If there are prior offenses or if the drugs are found in connection with a weapon, then the charges and possible penalties become much more severe.
