When you are charged with drug possession, this is not a charge you should consider fighting on your own. Especially when you are charged with possession of cocaine, you could be facing some more serious penalties even if this is your first drug possession charge. Criminal defense attorneys are here to help you fight this drug possession charge and want you to know you do not need to go to court and accept whatever the results are. Instead, we believe in fighting for your rights and defending you against these charges. You should understand what goes into these kinds of charges, including what kind of punishments there are and if there are options to reduce these charges. Give our office a call now to see what we can do.
Categorizing Cocaine Possession Charges
Like most laws, different states have different ways of determining how serious your cocaine possession charges are. For example, you may find that many states will begin determining the severity of your punishment by how much cocaine you allegedly had on your person. If, for example, you had a gram or less of cocaine on your person, this would likely give you the smallest form of punishment (a low-level felony charge). Thus, you can go on to guess that the higher the weight of cocaine that was found the more severe the felony charges would be.
On the other hand, if it appears that you have enough cocaine to where it looks like you had the intent to distribute (the officer says that found several baggies of crack cocaine rocks on your person or in your possession), then you may be dealing with a far more severe charge, such as possession with intent to distribute.
Can you reduce the sentence?
We want our clients to know that the punishments they google or the first punishments they hear when in court may not be the ones that they will be convicted of. In fact, our jobs are to help get your sentence reduced or dropped. While we can never promise you a specific outcome, there are certain ways we can attempt to reduce your sentence.
- You’re a User. If you are a user instead of a dealer, it can be easier to paint you in a more sympathetic light. If you are caught with the drugs, it is possible to work with the judge to discuss different kinds of rehabilitation options, probation, and less jail time than it would be if you were a cocaine dealer. Even if you receive prison time, many people who complete different treatment programs find that enrolling in these programs in addition to good conduct is very favorable.
- You Have Information. If this is not your first time being caught with cocaine (and you have been caught with intent to distribute), one possible strategy is to see if you have information that could be helpful in finding others who distribute high amounts of cocaine or other drugs. If you have access to information that would be beneficial like this, it could work in your favor when it comes to a plea bargain.
If you are interested in seeing other options for defending your drug possession charges or getting your sentencing reduced, give a top drug possession lawyer in Bloomington, IL a call now.
Thanks to Pioletti, Pioletti & Nichols for their insight into criminal law and cocaine drug possession charges.