Drug crimes carry both criminal penalties such as fines, jail time, probation and community service, as well as the collateral consequence of losing your driver’s license, or possibly becoming ineligible for other governmental benefits. Simply having a bar of your friend’s Xanax in your possession can lead to permanent criminal history, and the loss of your driving privileges for 180 days, and forfeiting any prescription drug benefits you may obtain through governmental programs. The criminal penalties for drugs such as methamphetamines, cocaine, or heroin are significantly more severe depending upon the quantity involved.
In Texas, law enforcement has a tendency to arrest everyone in a car if they suspect that there is marijuana – remember, it is hemp until a lab says differently, or any other illegal drug. However, just because they arrest you for being in the wrong place at the wrong time, that does not mean that you actually possessed the contraband. The bad news is that you now must defend yourself against this serious charge unless you attain the help of a skilled criminal defense lawyer. It is important to remember that merely being in the wrong place at the wrong time is not a crime.
Because drug crimes carry such a range of punishment, and the facts surrounding the stop, detention and arrest, are extremely important, you need the assistance of an experienced criminal defense lawyer to help you. Depending upon the specific facts of your case, there may be options worth pursuing to minimize any long-term effects that a drug case would have such as participating in the Pre-Trial Intervention Program, or Williamson County DWI/Drug Court, or Veteran’s Court.
