Drug Offenses / Possession Charges
At the Law Office of Olegario Estrada, P.C., We Can Help You With Drug Charges
Texas is tough on drug crimes, and the consequences you will face if convicted are enough to destroy your life. The legal penalties are stiff, including jail or prison time, large fines, probation, and community service. There are other negative effects of a conviction, as well. You could struggle to secure gainful employment; your finances could be negatively impacted; you will have a black mark on your criminal record; it may be hard to get approved for certain things on applications. Signing a plea agreement is tempting, because you are scared of what may happen if you do not sign. However, discussing your drug offense case with a good defense lawyer is always advisable before admitting guilt. Do not give up your future without letting the Law Office of Olegario Estrada, P.C. help you in your fight.
Types of Drug Offenses in Texas
Although there are many different types of drug offenses in Texas, they all result in penalties if convicted. Even marijuana crimes are taken very seriously, and you will face legal consequences after a conviction. The circumstances of your case will affect the penalties.
For instance, if you were selling drugs, you would be charged with a higher-level felony offense than if you were accused of possession for use. If you have prior drug offenses on your criminal record, your charge could be more serious.
No matter what type of drug crime you have been charged with, a drug crime defense lawyer can help. Our firm will examine every detail of your case to find the best defense possible. Do not assume that the prosecutor’s case is strong. There might not be much evidence against you, or your attorney might be able to get key evidence thrown out.
There are a variety of drug charges prosecuted at the state level. These include:
- Dealing: Drug dealing involves exchanging drugs for money. When a person is caught dealing drugs, he or she faces state criminal charges.
- Use: The act of using drugs is a state offense. Penalties can vary depending on the type of drug.
- Possession with intent to distribute: This type of state crime deals with large amounts of drugs. A person charged with this crime faces serious charges, including imprisonment and major fines.
- Selling: Drug selling, as opposed to drug dealing, does not have to occur on a regular basis, but is a state crime nonetheless.
- Trafficking: Drug trafficking is the process of shipping drugs from location to location. It becomes a federal drug crime when it involves interstate trafficking and extremely large amounts of drugs.
- Selling prescription drugs: Selling prescription drugs to others is a crime, regardless of whether or not there is nefarious intent, even though these drugs are legal.
Drug Crimes
In many drug crimes, the penalties a person faces depend on the type and amount of drug involved. For example, drug crimes involving cocaine, heroin, or methamphetamines carry much more serious punishments than a drug crime involving marijuana. However, the trafficking of marijuana carries more serious punishments than the use of cocaine.
The following is a list of some drug crimes.
- Possession of controlled substances
- Intent to Sell / Intent to Deliver
- Property Forfeiture
- Manufacture, Sale, Trafficking, and Distribution of controlled substances
- Use of a child in the commission of a drug crime
- Delivery of drugs to a minor
- Possession or delivery of drugs in a drug-free zone (Schools / Churches)
- Possession of drug paraphernalia
- Delivery of drug paraphernalia
Penalties for Drug Offeses
Legal penalties will range greatly depending on the circumstances of your case. Texas drug penalties are tied to a few key factors. For starters, as mentioned, if you have prior drug offenses, the seriousness of your charge will be increased. The quantity of the drug you were in possession of plays a large role in your charge, too.
Other factors that play a role in your drug case are:
- Whether children were involved in the commission of the offense
- If the drugs were sold or possessed in or near a school zone
- If the drugs were being sold to a minor
- The type of drug you were in possession of
The legal ramifications of a drug conviction are bad enough, but you will face other negative consequences that can ruin your life, as well.
- First, your criminal record will be forever marked by a conviction.
- Second, your financial future will be greatly impacted by the fines you’ll face and by the difficulty you’ll have in securing decent employment.
- Third, your family will suffer many of the negative consequences you’ll face. They will have to deal with financial effects, emotional suffering, and vicarious embarrassment.
- Fourth, your conviction could keep you from living in good neighborhoods that do not welcome those with criminal convictions.
- Finally, you could be denied loans, housing, and other programs the government offers to those without a criminal record.
Do Not Make the Same Mistake That So Many Other People Make
There are always defenses against conviction, including many you probably have not even considered. For instance, many people do not know that evidence can be thrown out if it was illegally obtained.
You can fight your charge and look into these:
- Illegal Search and Seizure
- Lack of Probable Cause
- Motion to Suppress Evidence
We will do everything possible to see that you are not convicted of the charge against you. Even if the very best outcome you can get is through a plea agreement, you can bet that your lawyer can get you a better deal than you can yourself.
Get the Help You Need
Additionally, a lot of people do not even make the call to an attorney, fearing that they cannot afford to hire one. Even if they believe they can afford to hire one, they sometimes think they will be wasting their money to do so. Your future is worth a phone call to an attorney to at least learn what your options are for your particular case.
Attorneys from our firm are often able to work out payment arrangements so you can receive the services of a criminal defense lawyer.
Some defenses that could be available in your case.
- The drugs did not belong to you.
- The police violated your rights.
- The drug crime lab made errors.
- There is not enough evidence to convict you.
- There was not enough quantity of the drug in your possession to be charged with a crime.
- You were in the wrong place at the wrong time.
- Someone used your name in the commission of an offense.
If you are in need of legal representation for any drug offense, call the Law Office of Olegario Estrada, P.C. right away.
What Our Clients Have to Say
Our experience with this law firm was simply everything we could’ve asked for. They answered all of our questions in a timely manner, followed up with us. As far as pricing, it was very reasonable and honestly less than we anticipated. Last, but not least, thank you Liz and Vianey for being so helpful throughout this process.
This attorney takes his time with every client, I love that he speaks Spanish so it was nice to fully understand him. I recommend him to anyone that has a criminal case.
This attorney did a good job. He helped bond my brother out of jail, kept us updated and went above and beyond to get his case dismissed. Prices were reasonable and he still let my family work out a payment plan. Thank you mr.olegario and team.
I was honestly stressing about finding a lawyer who would take my Criminal Case. However, Olegario firm made me feel like I was at home. As soon as I walked in the receptionist was very kind and professional. Then I was greeted by Vanessa whom was just wonderful. She helped me understand my case and explain to me all the process. When I went to court it was easy because everything is mention happened in that order. Sakina was so kind and helpful too. Even though she had a lot of client she made me feel like I was the only one. Thank you for all the hard work. I recommend them 100% to anyone looking for an attorney.
Hired this attorney for a dwi for my brother. It was his first time being in trouble so we had a lot of concerns, he made sure he addressed all of our questions and put us at ease. He never made it seem like we were an inconvenience for him . Sakina also stayed in contact with us for court dates . Very friendly, and prices were good and he worked with us on payment . I’m glad I chose him as our attorney.