Los Angeles Drug Possession Lawyer

Defending Against Drug Possession Charges

Even if you were caught in possession of illegal drugs, you may have a very good chance of clearing your name of the charges and avoiding the serious consequences of a conviction. The fact is that you have powerful legal rights that can often defeat drug possession charges if the police or prosecutor has violated those rights.

The Fourth Amendment to the Constitution secures your right against unreasonable search and seizure, and this means that the police cannot legally search your person or your possessions without a properly executed warrant or a so-called "exigent" (i.e. emergency) situation.

The police officer must have probable cause to believe that you have committed a crime. If this right was violated, an experienced criminal lawyer may be able to have the evidence in the case suppressed. Similarly, it is often possible to overcome possession charges by arguing that the defendant did not know that the drugs were there and/or that they belonged to another person.

Penalties for Drug Possession

The sentence you can receive for a drug possession conviction depends on certain factors including the specific type of drug, whether you have previously been convicted, and the quantity of drugs found in your possession. For example, possession of less than 28.5 grams of marijuana is an infraction which is punishable by a $100 fine, but if you are caught with more than this amount you can be charged with a misdemeanor, sent to jail for 6 months and fined $500.

To learn about the penalties you could receive and to begin working on the defense for your case, contact the Law Offices of Kenneth H. Lewis now.