Drugs are taken very seriously in Virginia and can cause immense problems in a person’s life if they are arrested and convicted on drug offenses. Those who are arrested on drug charges in Virginia should remember the potential consequences they are facing and take steps to deal with them. These consequences can include fines, incarceration and long-term problems. There are various levels to drug offenses and these come with various penalties. Taking this seriously is a must.
For example, even though marijuana is increasingly being treated as a lower-level offense, it remains illegal in Virginia. It might not have the same penalties for other drugs, but it is still treated as a crime. For those arrested and charged with possession or the sale of harder drugs like cocaine, methamphetamine and other serious drugs, the penalties will be of greater severity. In any case, legal help is a must.
There is a difference between being charged with possession of drug paraphernalia and a small amount of drugs and having an amount that leads to charges that go beyond possession and enter into drug dealing and distribution. The law accounts for this and has heftier penalties for those who are selling drugs. Regardless of the situation and the drugs in question, a lawyer will have the ability to examine the circumstances of the arrest, determine if it was handled according to protocol by the arresting officer, and formulate a defense. If the arrest was made after a traffic stop and the stop was not done according to the law, that could be the basis for a defense.
Whether the arrest is a misdemeanor or a felony, if it was a prescription drug or a street drug, a lawyer who has extensive experience in helping those who have been arrested on drug charges can help to plan to combat the charges, seek alternatives to harsher sentences and try to come to an agreeable resolution. This is the first call that should be made after the arrest regardless of the drugs and allegations.