Richmond Drug Trafficking Lawyer
Although drug trafficking is not very prevalent in Richmond, the penalties are very strict. The most common drug trafficking charges violate the Virginia code 18.2-248.01 which includes transporting drugs into the Commonwealth. Depending on the amount of illegal substances discovered and the type of drug, probation and rehabilitation programs will not be awarded. With that being said, it is very important to have a Richmond drug trafficking lawyer by your side in court, if you have been charged with this crime. The benefits of a highly qualified drug attorney are countless. They will also help guide you through every step of the process. If you have been charged, contact a drug attorney as soon as possible.
Effects of Endangering People by Transporting the Drug
Whenever a person is charged with the transportation statute, the people that affect these cases the most are going to be minors and individuals who are incapacitated. If a person is found transporting drugs into the Commonwealth by any means with the intent to sell or distribute them and they have either minors or incapacitated individuals with them, their exposure to criminal penalty will be anywhere from five years in jail to no more than 40 years. In addition, three years of that time is going to be a mandatory minimum, which means the person is guaranteed to do three years. Also, a person will be sentenced to pay a fine that is not to exceed more than a million dollars. These drug charges and penalties apply to a first penalty. If a person is charged with a second or subsequent offense, then the person is going to have the same penalty. The only difference is that the mandatory minimum exposure is going to go up to 10 years. In those cases, that person is guaranteed to serve three years on a first offense and guaranteed to serve 10 years for a second offense.
Role of Jurisdictional Borders in Drug Trafficking Charges
The role of the border is only to establish if the person brought drugs into the Commonwealth or not. Essentially, the way the 18.2-248.01 works is that it states in the code section that a person cannot bring drugs into the Commonwealth by any means with the intent to sell or distribute one ounce or more of cocaine, coca leaves, any salt compound or other compounds used in preparation for production of drugs. These are described in Schedule II of the Drug Control Act. Additionally, this applies when a person attempts to bring one ounce or more of any other Schedule I or Schedule II controlled substance or five pounds of marijuana.
Issues
There are a few jurisdictional issues to address. The first is the jurisdictional border of the Commonwealth of Virginia. If a person is outside of Virginia and they come into Virginia with any of these drugs as listed in the schedules under the Drug Control Act, with the intent to sell it, they have broken the drug trafficking law.
Essentially, once a person crosses the border into Virginia, any jurisdiction that they are caught in or passes through can charge them with an offense.
If a person is coming down from Washington D.C or Maryland and is caught, all of these jurisdictions can charge someone with this offense if they are caught in them. And these jurisdictions can technically charge a person if they feel so inclined, even if they are not caught in them, they still passed through that jurisdiction in order to sell. However, it is more common that only a single jurisdiction that will charge a person with a crime.
Richmond Law Enforcement Treatment on Drug Trafficking
Richmond is such a small jurisdiction, therefore, law enforcement officers are not overly concerned with cracking down on drug trafficking because there are generally low levels or no proof of drug trafficking in Richmond. It is far more common for a person to be caught and arrested in a large county such as Ricoh, Hanover, Chesterfield, Carolina, Amelia or one of these other larger counties. Therefore, Richmond drug teams do not really focus on drug trafficking so much as they focus on the possession with intent to distribute and the distribution aspect of it.
How Often do Drug Trafficking Cases Involve Multiple Defendants?
Rarely, unless the accused are together at the time of the arrest. When you have two to three people in a vehicle then you will see the police try both defendants or you will see the offense be wrapped around more than one person. If there is only one person in that vehicle, though, unless that person is a part of a bigger multi-leveled type of criminal enterprise it is more likely that this will be charged by federal officials rather than in the state system.
Contacting a Richmond Drug Trafficking Attorney
The legal system can be intimidating and often overwhelming. However, having a Richmond drug trafficking lawyer represent you and help you build a defense can help minimize the damage and ensure that all facts and circumstances are taken into account. Call today to set up a consultation with an accomplished defense attorney.
