Drug Crime Lawyers in San Antonio

Protecting Your Rights in Texas

Ever since the 1980s introduced the “War on Drugs,” state and federal governments have become increasingly more stringent in creating laws against the use of recreational substances. The claim is that drug crimes are “gateway” behaviors that ultimately result in other, more serious crimes, such as assault, robbery, or other violent crimes. However, it is important to remember that leading a successful drug bust allows politicians, prosecutors, and law enforcement officials to gain a lot of publicity and popularity amongst the public.

Unfortunately, this means that citizens who are connected in any way to drug possession or distribution serve as scapegoats. If you have been unjustly charged, immediately reach out to our drug crime lawyers in San Antonio. The Law Office of Derek S. Ritchie, PLLC is determined to defend your rights and freedom.

Comprehensive Representation Against Drug Charges

In the state of Texas, there are multiple laws against both possession and distribution of drugs.

You can count on our dedicated and experienced lawyers to defend you from a host of charges, including those involving:

• Cultivation and manufacturing of drugs
• Possession, trafficking, transporting, and importing drugs and controlled substances
• Possessing, using, and distributing cocaine or crack cocaine
• Selling or using heroin
• Possessing and selling marijuana without a legal, medical prescription
• Being found carrying or transporting the chemicals or equipment utilized to manufacture drugs
• Possessing, selling, and manufacturing methamphetamine (meth)
• Distributing or carrying drugs known as “club drugs” or “date rape drugs” including LSD, MDMA (ecstasy), or GHB
• Illegally using prescription drugs, including carrying these drugs without prescriptions
• Owning paraphernalia and precursors for drugs

Defending Your Drug Crimes Case

You can trust your dedicated attorneys to work aggressively to fight the prosecution’s case against you. In many cases, we have discovered that law enforcement officials have illegally utilized wrongful tactics against defendants, simply to make a drug bust. Improper tactics of searching and seizing substances are a violation of your rights. In other cases, there might have simply been an unfortunate event of mistaken identity. No matter what the circumstances, our drug crime attorneys in San Antonio can demonstrate that this incriminating evidence must be thrown out of your case.

Understanding the Harsh Consequences of a Drug Crime Conviction

To classify a criminal offense and allot a punishment range for a drug charge, Texas established 4 penalty groups:

• Penalty Group 1: Cocaine, heroin, methamphetamine, ketamine, and LSD
• Penalty Group 2: Mushrooms and Psilocybin
• Penalty Group 3: Anabolic steroids, Xanax, Lorazepam
• Penalty Group 4: Compounds with codeine or opium

Penalty 1 group drugs are considered the most dangerous and therefore have the most severe sentences for a conviction. The consequences for being convicted range from being convicted of a felony, paying a fine, and being sentenced to prison. If you have less than 1 gram of the drug in your possession you may face a $10,000 fine and a prison sentence of anywhere between 100 days to 2 years in jail. On the other end of the spectrum, if you are in possession of over 400 grams or more of the drug, you may have to pay a fine of $100,000 and serve anywhere between 10 to 99 years in prison.

The fines do go down slightly if you are in possession of Group, 2, 3, or 4 drugs, but you are still looking at prison time and a felony conviction.

Additional Consequences of Drug Crime Conviction

You could also face federal charges for possession of a significant number of drugs. Federal sentencing guidelines are much more severe, so if this is the case, you will want to hire a lawyer immediately.

There are also additional consequences you may face for being convicted of a drug crime in Texas. These are as follows:

• Driver’s license could be suspended
• Possess a criminal record
• Ability to obtain loans, financial aid, or grants
• Difficulty finding housing and/or employment
• Inability to pass a background check
• Ability to have child custody and visitation rights

If you have been charged with a drug crime in the state of Texas, it is never in your best interest to try and handle your legal matter on your own. Texas generally has a zero-tolerance policy when it comes to drug charges, and sentences and penalties for a conviction can be severe. In addition to the penalties for conviction, you will also be saddled with a criminal record that will follow you for the rest of your life.

Without criminal defense representation from The Law Office of Derek S. Ritchie, PLLC, you could suffer from being denied career opportunities, the ability to get housing and funding for education, and even the right to vote. Do not hesitate to get in touch with our office as soon as possible.