Petersburg Drug Lawyer
Drug crimes are taken seriously in Petersburg. Police departments develop focus and mission teams to stop the sale, manufacture, or possession of drugs. An experienced Petersburg drug attorney is necessary to navigate, investigate, and defend the nuances and constitutional elements that are present in every drug case.
Drug charges are intimidating because they can lead to long prison sentences and expensive court fines. A conviction can result in a criminal record. Further, constitutional rights can be lost upon conviction and there is a social stigma involved with being branded as an addict or a dealer. If you are facing charges, you need to retain the help of a Petersberg defense attorney as soon as possible to begin building your defense.
Drug Charges
Some of the most common drug crimes by Petersburg’s drug lawyers are simple possession of marijuana, simple possession of Schedule I and Schedule II drugs, and possession with the intent to distribute marijuana. Marijuana has become more accepted across the nation and has been decriminalized in DC, so being so close leads to mistaken beliefs about the substance.
Often people mistakenly believe that the consequences are nominal if arrested for charges related to it. Furthermore, individuals driving through the city with marijuana or transferring marijuana across state lines can find themselves in Petersburg while traveling on a major highway.
Law enforcement officers in Petersburg are trying to crack down all possession, distribution, and manufacturing of all scheduled drugs. This includes codeine, methamphetamine, heroin, and all prescription drugs that are possessed without a valid prescription. Furthermore, so long as marijuana is illegal in the commonwealth, officers are constantly cracking down on its possession and distribution.
Drug Classification
In general, the more serious drugs are the lower schedule classifications. For example, being in possession of Schedule I or Schedule II drugs, such as cocaine or heroin, is a felony offense, while possession of a Schedule III drug is a misdemeanor.
Generally, Schedule I and Schedule II drugs, such as cocaine or heroin, are said to have a high potential for abuse with little to no accepted medical use in treatment, a Schedule V and VI substance has a low potential for abuse, current accepted medical use, and limited physical dependence.
Prosecution
Petersburg officers use their training and experience to find marijuana and to notice patterns that suggest drug activity. They use that information to get search warrants which they hope will lead to arrests.
Police officers are taught to notice and to recognize potential narcotic situations. With more experience, they become better at tracking it. They use informants, and upon arrest, they encourage individuals to give information on other offenders in the area promising leniency in court.
Constitutional Issues
The Fourth Amendment protects the citizens of the United States from illegal searches and seizures. There has to be probable cause to search and seize individuals, and whether that exists is an issue that is involved in nearly every drug case.
The Fifth Amendment provides individuals the right to remain silent, which is also a constitutional issue that is present and prevalent in most drug cases, to which a Petersburg drug attorney may utilize in a defense.
Contacting a Petersburg Drug Attorney
As soon you find out that you are being investigated, you should contact a Petersburg drug attorney. If you are aware of the investigation before the arrest, you should contact a Petersburg drug attorney as soon as possible after the arrest.
A lawyer will assist you with pretrial matters, including bond, and file any motions that need to be filed. A skilled drug attorney in Petersburg will represent you during your trial, and if necessary, argue innocence. The sooner that an attorney is hired, the better outcome you will receive in your case.
