Arlington County Drug Lawyer
If you have been arrested and now face charges for a drug crime, you need to protect your freedom with an Arlington County drug lawyer. Aggressive prosecutors seeking to make an example of you may push for the most severe penalty allowed under Virginia law. However, even when a drug case may seem open-and-shut, it quite frequently is not.
Most cases will involve witness credibility issues, constitutional search and seizure questions, technical and scientific analysis, and other comprehensive evidentiary matters. In light of these complexities, a top-quality criminal defense attorney can make all the difference in a successful defense. You will find this kind of professional and dedicated service in Arlington County drug lawyer Donna Murphy.
Protect Your Freedom with an Arlington Drug Lawyer
In the Commonwealth of Virginia, any drug crime is considered to be a serious offense that brings severe repercussions to those found guilty. If the alleged crime involved methamphetamines, cocaine, heroin, or another highly addictive drug you may be facing significant jail time.
This is true even if you only had a small quantity of the drug in your possession. However, if the arresting officer suspects that you are manufacturing, distributing, or trafficking the drugs in your possession, you will most likely face serious felony charges. The only way to know for certain what kind of sentence you’re up against, and to eliminate or mitigate the legal damage you face, is to retain the services of a dedicated Arlington County drug lawyer.
Possible Drug Charges
Because the penalties can be harsh and the consequences for your future can be severe, you should immediately seek the competent legal counsel of a skilled Arlington County drug lawyer. An experienced attorney will understand the mechanics involved in prosecuting and defending a narcotics case. The most common charges are possession or possession with intent as a federal or state drug charge. The specific charges might be:
- Possession of a drug (Section 18.2-250 & Section 18.2-250.1)
- Possession of a drug with intent to distribute (Section 18.2-248)
- Drug sale / distribution / trafficking (Sections 18.2-248, 18.2-248.1, 18.2-248.03)
- Drug cultivation / manufacturing (Sections 18.2-248 & 18.2-248.1)
- Transportation of a drug (Section 18.2-248.01)
- Prescription medication fraud (Section 18.2-258.1)
- Drug paraphernalia possession (Section 18.2-265.3)
- Drug conspiracy & attempts (Sections 18.2-256 & 18.2-257)
- Juvenile drug offense
Although those arrested are informed of their constitutional right to remain silent as required by law, many drug crime defendants are apprehensive about exercising this right. Some are afraid that refusing to speak to police constitutes an acknowledgment of wrongdoing. Having a drug attorney by your side provides peace of mind during the process and relieves you of some of the burden of dealing with aggressive authorities. The reality is that even when they appear outwardly friendly, law enforcement officers work hard to force a drug offender to provide incriminating evidence against themselves or others.
This is especially true when the actual evidence obtained by the investigating officer might not be admissible at trial. When you have a skilled attorney representing you during interaction with investigating officers, you can avoid self-incrimination or other mistakes that can hurt your case.
Negotiating with the Prosecutor
As your advocate, your Arlington County drug lawyer can negotiate directly with the prosecutor’s office — the Commonwealth’s Attorney for Arlington County and the City of Falls Church — to have the case dismissed, negotiate an agreement for a reduced sentence, or take other efforts to prevent you from receiving an enforced maximum penalty.
Upon consultation, your attorney can assess and evaluate all of the evidence held by the prosecutor to support their case. And a dedicated drug attorney with years of experience in this particular field of criminal law will possess proven tactics in their effort to have your charges reduced or, if possible, dropped altogether.
Your skilled criminal defense attorney will thoroughly investigate every piece of the facts involving your arrest, along with the method used in the evidentiary search performed by local law enforcement. An Arlington County drug attorney might be able to suppress the contraband evidence if they can prove an illegal search was performed, and will thoroughly review all the facts of your case to determine if this defense option is viable.
If your drug crime arrest sprang from a routine traffic stop the officers making the stop are often ill-prepared to perform a narcotics investigation. This may provide the opportunity for your dedicated Arlington County drug attorney to prove that there is insufficient probable cause, or that the search and seizure performed was illegal. Many times, this issue can provide the basis for suppression of all necessary support of evidence in your case, which could result in a reduction or dismissal of charges.
Talk to an Arlington Drug Attorney Today
To find out if these options are available to you in your defense, contact Donna Murphy for a no-cost consultation. He will patiently and thoroughly walk you through aspect of your case, discussing all the possible strategies that he can employ in protecting your rights and reputation.
