You never thought it would get this far. At first it seemed like no big deal. Sure you had the cravings for another pill but that was normal. You just finished surgery for a deviated septum. However weeks after the surgery and when the pain should have been gone, you still found yourself looking for another pill. It wasn’t an instantaneous addiction like on those Just Say No commercials. It was slow. You would pop a pill then skip it for a week. You felt special; why weren’t you addicted? Obviously, it was because you could handle it.
Until you couldn’t. Now here you are in the back of a black and white because you tried to buy drugs from an undercover cop. You never thought you were a bad person yet here you are being cuffed and booked.
A single drug felony charge can carry steep penalties; however, it all depends upon the facts, the trial, the attorneys and the verdict. You can get everything from community service, mandatory meetings and rehab to prison, waiver of Fourth Amendment rights and being precluded from certain jobs. Criminal defense is as much about the practice of law as it is who is practicing it. You want an attorney that is both experienced and respected in the field. If prosecutors believe they can rely on your attorney’s good judgment to represent only good criminals, then that perception can go a long way toward reducing your punishment.
Criminal defense, much more so than any other area of law, is highly focused on the facts. The courts really want to get to know you as a person. The judge wants to know if you are the kind of person that can rebuild with a second chance. The prosecutor wants to know if he can scare you straight or if he needs to really punish you. A smart defense attorney will help you present your best face to the prosecutor, judge and jury.
Felony drug charges are serious, but there are many steps between arrest and prison. Your attorney knows this and you should, too.