Of the various offenses a person could be charged with, few are more serious than that of a drug-offense involving the distribution of illicit or controlled substances. Not only would a conviction have a detrimental impact on the immediate future of the person charged, their personal reputation and their ability to obtain a job after serving their sentence would be severely damaged.
If you have been charged, get in touch with an Arlington drug possession with intent to distribute lawyer today. A trusted defense attorney could review the details of your case and arrest to develop the most suitable defense for your case.
When the court is trying to determine a drug possession with intent to distribute case, they will consider whether the person possessed an elicit or controlled substance, whether the substance in question actually falls within a certain category of controlled substances in the State of Virginia, and whether that person had the intent to distribute or did distribute. If they are successful in doing so, the charged individual could face significant penalties.
When a person is charged with simple possession, it is possible for the charge to escalate to possession with intent to distribute. If the charge were to escalate, it would happen early on in a case. This escalation would depend on the amount of the controlled substance as well as the packaging of the controlled substance. If there is evidence that the defendant does not personally use those drugs, that would be taken as evidence for possession with intent to distribute. If a person has priors for distributing, that is also an indicator that it is going to be possession with intent to distribute charge.
Although both charges are similar, a person can be charged with both intent to possess and to distribute. In some cases, the arrested person will have several substances in possession. If so, they may have a personal amount of one substance and a distribution amount of another substance. While they may not be charged with both offenses for one substance, a person could very well be charged is multiple substances are present. However, there have been instances where only one charge is pursued, and that charge is usually the possession with intent to distribute.
Since drug cases are often complex, it is important to have a legal professional at one’s side when facing an offense of this nature. There have been several cases where a person’s constitutional rights have been violated, potentially erasing the validity of a drug-related charge. Law enforcement are also known, to ask several leading and confusing questions that could put the person charged in situations where they would be self-incriminate themselves.
To avoid falling for the tricks and tactics used by the State to prove this type of offense, be sure to schedule a consultation with an Arlington drug possession with intent to distribute lawyer today. With an attorney at your side, you could be capable of obtaining a favorable result to your case.