In Virginia, drug crimes are treated very seriously and are high on the list of things that the Falls Church police task force looks for. Reducing drug use and abuse in the community is definitely one of the goals of the prosecutor and law enforcement officers in Falls Church and as such, they are on alert for ways that they can prevent people from engaging in drug use. The city does so by engaging in undercover operations and monitoring individuals that are known to possess or use drugs, in an effort to find the distributors are and stop them. With this in mind, if you have been charged with a drug crime, it is imperative to contact an experienced Falls Church criminal lawyer who will work diligently to ensure that the penalties you are facing are minimized as much as possible.
In Falls Church, some of the more common drug charges are possession of marijuana, or possession of paraphernalia charges. Marijuana is facing an ambiguous move into legality in various states, which makes a lot of people think that possession is not a serious offense anymore. For example, a lot of people that live in DC, where they are able to possess some marijuana legally, drive into Virginia with marijuana, where it is illegal to possess it. In doing so, they are also crossing a state line, which is a separate crime. That can cause a slew of problems.
The more frequently marijuana becomes legalized in other states, the more the Virginia legislation fights to keep marijuana illegal and the harsher the punishment for possession. Crossing the bridge into Virginia with a marijuana joint, which is not very much marijuana, could certainly result in a misdemeanor charge here in Virginia thereby warranting contact with a Falls Church drug attorney.
There are countless number of ways that a drug conviction in Virginia can affect your life. With this in mind it is important you consult with a drug lawyer in Falls Church to avoid consequences on the following:
A drug conviction is a big red flag for employers to see on your criminal record because it can give them cause to question whether or not you have a drug problem, and to wonder if that drug problem will affect your ability to perform your job duties. A lot of employers are going to err on the side of caution and elect not to hire someone with a drug conviction to work for their company.
A drug offense may also have immigration implications. Depending on the type of offense, it could prevent someone from meeting the good moral character standard needed to become a citizen of the United States, or could serve as a permanent bar to gaining lawful status here.
A drug conviction will not go away; it will always show up on your background check and you will have to explain it for the rest of your life.
It could also disqualify an individual from certain federal government aid, such as financial aid, and various need-based government assistance programs, including federally-funded housing.
The social stigma of a drug charge is also problematic because it will damage your reputation among your peers and colleagues. Even one drug conviction can lead to that assumption and the after-effects will stretch out farther into your future life than you can anticipate.
A drug lawyer in Virginia can help minimize the impact of drug charges by getting involved in the case early on and limiting the negative evidence that law enforcement officers will attempt to obtain to use against you. The sooner that you get a drug attorney in Falls Church, the better your chances are for a positive outcome in your case. Additionally, the less that you say to police officers, generally the better, in drug cases.
Additionally, if you are falsely accused of using or possessing drugs, sometimes your attorneys can preemptively have you complete a voluntary urine screen or blood analysis to show that you were not using drugs or to establish doubt that you possessed drugs. The attorney may also choose to have the drugs tested to see if they are illegal drugs under the law. Your attorney could also choose to file motions and produce documents that would effectively bar some of the evidence that is being used against you, based on any errors made by the police officers or by the prosecution when assembling your case.