How To Avoid Getting A Large Fine When Caught In Possession?
If you are being charged with possession of drugs and facing a fine, you will want to know if there is anything that you can do to minimize the damage to your life. Everyone makes mistakes, and if you are in a sticky situation, there are ways to reduce the stress and damage caused to your life. First, we will look at the possible fines faced for charges of possession, then we will talk about why you need a great drug crime attorney to help you through this time. A good lawyer will seek a reduced charge or even prove that police had no right to conduct a search of you or your property in the first place. Let’s look at these ideas in more detail.
Fines for Possession
If you are found in possession of one or a mixture of controlled substances, except for a small amount of marijuana, or you attempt to procure a controlled substance by fraud or deceit, you could be found guilty of Controlled Substance Crime in the Fifth Degree. This is a felony, so it is punishable by up to five years behind bars and a $10,000 fine.
The “fraud or deceit” part refers to using a false name or false credit, or falsely using the name of someone authorized to obtain a controlled substance, such as a pharmacist, doctor, veterinarian or wholesaler.
There are also Fourth Degree, Third Degree, Second Degree and First Degree drug possession fines. Each of these charges gets more serious than the last. If you are found guilty of Controlled Substance Crime of the First Degree, you could face a $1,000,000 fine and 30 years in prison. This is a significant step up from the albeit steep Fifth Degree punishments.
To be guilty of this crime in the First Degree, you would have to have sold mixtures of ten grams or more containing cocaine, heroin, or methamphetamine, mixtures of 50 grams or more containing amphetamine, hallucinogen, or phencyclidine, or sold at least 50 kilograms of mixtures containing cannabis.
Get A Great Lawyer
If any of the above scenarios apply to you and you have been charged with possession of controlled substances in amounts that could lead to fines and jail time, you need to get a great lawyer. Contact a law firm that specializes in defending drug-related crimes and discuss your case with them. Whether you are being charged with possession of a small amount of marijuana in a motor vehicle or a large amount of class-A drugs with the intention to sell, you can still use the help of an expert and dedicated lawyer to reduce the charges or have them dropped.
Your attorney will look into the situation around your search and arrest and consider whether they have a case where the police search was invalid or illegal in any way. This brings us to our final point.
Establish if Police Had A Warrant
One of the things that could save you is if your lawyer can prove that police had no right to search you without a warrant or that the warrant was not obtained in the correct way. If a search is deemed invalid, the charges can be dropped. The Fourth Amendment’s protection against unreasonable searches and seizures is paramount in defending controlled substance cases.
It is very important to know your rights and consult legal professionals because it is so easy otherwise for the police or the legal system to tell you that you are in the wrong and make decisions about your future for you. You need a strong, compassionate and expert lawyer on your side who knows the possession laws inside and out and will work tirelessly to defend you.
With a great lawyer, there is no judgment or shame, just understanding and a determination to win you the best result possible in court.
This has been a brief look at how you can avoid getting a huge fine when you are charged with possession. First, we have established that you could face fines from $10,000 to as much as $1,000,000. On top of that, you could face jail time. So, you need to contact a great lawyer today who can help you either reduce the charges or have them dropped altogether. If a lawyer can prove that police had no right to search you or your property, for instance, the charges can be dropped. Contact a lawyer today if the issues in this article apply to your current situation, and good luck!
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