Bucks County Drug Trafficking Lawyer

Being arrested and charged with drug trafficking can be very overwhelming. It’s a very serious matter, and the legal process is often confusing. In this post, you’ll learn about the basics of drug trafficking. This may help you better understand the position you are in.

Additionally, you’ll find out what Bucks County drug trafficking lawyers do. Hiring a criminal defense lawyer is crucial to beat any charges. Make it a top priority to find legal representation. The repercussions of being found guilty of drug trafficking are life-changing.

What Is Considered Drug Trafficking In Pennsylvania?

Drug trafficking is defined as drug possession with the intent to distribute the drugs. Because of this, Pennsylvania law commonly refers to drug trafficking as “Possession with Intent to Deliver a Controlled Substance”. A prosecuting attorney must prove you planned to deliver – or traffic – a controlled substance.

It may seem like a black and white situation if you are caught with a controlled substance. However, this is far from true. It’s up to the prosecutor to show your intent, and the must prove it beyond a reasonable doubt. A good criminal defense lawyer will show reasonable doubt. It is your lawyer’s duty to dispute intent to distribute.

What Is Considered A Controlled Substance In Pennsylvania?

The term “controlled substances” is very broad. You may not even know that you posess or possessed one. Controlled substances are legally defined as illegal drugs or narcotics. Examples include:

• marijuana
• cocaine
• methamphetamine
• heroin
• magic mushrooms
• prescription medications in Schedule I through V categories

Are you wondering what other drugs are considered controlled substances? If so, consult with a Bucks County drug trafficking lawyer. You’ll get professional and legitimate information based on your exact situation.

You can also learn whether a controlled substance is considered Schedule I, Schedule II, Schedule III, Schedule IV or Schedule V. This information is important because penalties for Schedule I through Schedule V drug trafficking vary.

Pennsylvania Drug Trafficking Sentencing

Drug trafficking charges are usually felonies in Pennsylvania. Even if it’s your first offense, you face prison time if you’re found guilty. Sentences for drug trafficking range from seven to twenty years in prison. Various factors determine how long a sentence may be. Examples include:

• The amount of drugs found in possession.
• The type of drug found in possession.
• The classification of the drug found in possession.

An experienced lawyer can help you understand all of the possible outcomes of a guilty verdict. Lawyers are often familiar with common sentences in the counties they practice in.

How Can A Bucks County Drug Trafficking Lawyer Help You?

You know that your lawyer is responsible for causing reasonable doubt about your intent to distribute. But how is it possible to do so if you were caught with a controlled substance? There are many potential defenses a criminal defense lawyer may use. Some examples are:

• Posession with lack of intent to distribute.
• Being unaware of possessing a controlled substance.
• Wrongful search and seizure by law enforcement.
• Controlled substance belonged to someone else you were with.

Each defense a lawyer builds is 100 percent unique to a client’s situation. You will be asked several questions to help build yours. The hard facts of the case will also be used in your defense.

Hiring A Bucks County Drug Trafficking Lawyer

Finding a criminal defense lawyer quickly is important. Fortunately, it’s easy to set up a free consultation. This is a meeting where you’ll tell the lawyer about your arrest and situation. From there, you can work together to build a strong defense to fight drug trafficking charges.

Bucks County Intent to Distribute Lawyers

Being charged with possession of drugs is bad enough, but getting charged with the intent to distribute drugs only amplifies your charges. While you could be facing up to a year in prison and a fine up to $5,000 just for being found in possession of drugs, you could be facing up to 15 years in prison, depending upon the specifics surrounding your case. With such high penalties at stake, it’s obvious that you’ll need the best legal representation you can get when you’re charged with intent to distribute in Bucks County.

Consequences

There are various consequences of being convicted of intent to distribute drugs in the state of Pennsylvania. Pennsylvania seeks to impose harsh penalties on those contributing to the drug problem in the state. In addition to having to spend time in prison and having to pay high fines, you could also face a lot of other life-altering consequences too. For instance, if you have to go to prison, then that is time lost with your family. Your children could lose a parent for a few years as could the rest of your friends and family lose your presence in their lives for a time.

You might find that some of your friends and family will no longer associated with you when you’ve been convicted of a drug crime like intent to distribute, and you’ll likely lose your job. You can’t keep your job while you’re serving time, and most employers have a zero tolerance drug policy anyway. When you do get out of prison, you’ll could experience difficulty in obtaining a job again and rebuilding your life since many employers don’t want to hire someone who’s been convicted of a drug crime.

Moreover, your charges could become federal, depending upon how much of the drug and the type you had on you. You’d be branded a felon, and you could end up having to go to federal prison instead of state.

A Criminal Lawyer Can Help

A criminal lawyer who’s experienced with handling intent to distribute cases can assist you throughout your legal proceedings. You certainly won’t want to go into the courtroom without any legal representation. You’ll need someone who is willing to fight for your rights and who is familiar with the state’s drug laws.

The first action that a lawyer will take is to find out everything about your case, such as why you were arrested, any evidence the state has and so on. Usually, the lawyer will start at the beginning to determine whether the arrest itself was even lawful. If it wasn’t, then your case could end up being dropped entirely.

For instance, if you were arrested after a police officer found a large amount of drugs on you but didn’t find you selling them, then your lawyer might argue that you simply had a large amount of drugs that you were intending for personal use. The police officer might have simply charged you with intent to distribute due to the volume of drugs found, but that doesn’t necessarily prove that you were indeed selling.

In the best case scenario, a lawyer might be able to get your charges dropped entirely. If not, then he or she might at least be able to get them reduced to ones that carry much lesser penalties than intent to distribute. Even if you are convicted of the charges, lawyers have the relationships with the court officials and the negotiation skills necessary to work out the best plea deal possible for you. Sometimes if you’re willing to undergo a drug treatment program, the court will reduce the amount of time that you have to serve incarcerated and so on.

Regardless, when you are charged with intent to distribute, it’s paramount that you get a criminal defense lawyer to represent you. A lawyer can advise you on the best way to deal with your charges from a legal standpoint.