Protect Your Rights in Court
When you are charged with a crime like cocaine possession, you face serious penalties. But long before your day in court, the charges can negatively impact your life. From the moment you are arrested, being charged with a crime can cause stress, both mental and financial. If you are accused of cocaine possession, call me today to see how I can help.
Whether you were holding the cocaine for someone else or if you admit it was yours, you have options. A cocaine charge is not the same as a conviction and there is still a chance you could overcome these charges in court.
You don’t have to have cocaine in your pocket or purse to be charged with this offense. On the contrary, if it’s within your reach or on your property, that’s enough for the prosecution to potentially get a conviction. Even if someone else shoves it under the passenger seat in your car, you can be charged and convicted.
Virginia Cocaine Possession Laws and Penalties
Under Virginia laws, cocaine is classified as a Schedule II drug. This means the drug has a high risk for addiction. Though it’s not penalized as severely as heroin, the stakes are still high when you are accused of an offense like this.
A cocaine possession conviction can result in up to 2 years in prison and fines reaching $2,500. Though it’s rare for a defendant to be sentenced to the maximum allowable penalty, it does happen.
In addition to prison time and fines, as well as the loss of driver’s licenseassociated with drug possession charges, a conviction like this could cause you to lose your job and even your home. Carrying the stigma of a felony conviction can have negative effects long into the future.
Drug Possession Defense Options
When you work with a local defense attorney, you will look at the facts of your case to determine the best course of action. What led to your arrest, your criminal history, and the police behavior throughout will determine what direction to take in your case.
If you need help for addiction, the drug courts of Virginia are one option. They allow for offenders to avoid jail time by participating in a program with frequent court check-ins, random drug tests, treatment, and a variety of other requirements.
Maybe the police violated your rights in the search or arrest. If that’s the case, your attorney can work to have the charges dismissed in court.
Whatever the circumstances are, your attorney is there to advocate on your behalf for the best results possible.
If you are facing a drug charge in Virginia, get the benefit of speaking to an experienced local criminal defense attorney right away. Call now for a no-obligation, no-risk, free consultation at (888) 205-9314. Find out what you are facing, and what an attorney can do to help.
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