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Drug distribution/transporting laws penalize the selling, transport, and unlawful import of unlawful controlled substances into the US most notably marijuana, methamphetamine, cocaine, LSD, heroin, and “club drugs”.
Thus, drug distribution/transportation violations may perhaps fall under a group of crime viewed as an organized illegal activity that can add additional criminal charges to a defendant’s crime and increase the penalties if found guilty. Ownership or sale of these drugs is not necessarily a component of the offense, making objective a factor within the prosecution of distribution/transportation cases. Drug distribution/trafficking laws can implicate a single individual or a broad ring of men and women involved within the criminal offense. Transporting of controlled substances over a state line or possibly a country’s border is a federal crime with significant penalties that may possibly include the death penalty for drug kingpins.
Delivery of a drug is defined as the actual or attempted transfer of a drug from one individual to another. Delivery and distribution are treated as separate violations under the Controlled Substance Act. Cash does not have to change hands for someone to be charged with the selling of drugs. For example, you may perhaps be found guilty of delivering a controlled substance even though others perform the physical act of delivery and you do not receive any money for the transaction. As an example, a defendant was present while another individual delivered and sold cocaine to an undercover agent. Evidence that the defendant brought a mirror to the transaction in order to help measure the cocaine was virtually all that was necessary for an arrest of delivery and sale of drugs. Even though the defendant told law enforcement officials that she received a mere one-half gram of crack in return for her help with the drug sale, she was convicted for illegal delivery and sale.
Dispensing of drugs for medical purposes is permitted under quite specific regulations. However, should a physician dispense drugs outside the scope of his medical practice, this individual can certainly be found guilty of drug crimes, as in U.S. v. Singh, (4th Cir. 1995), in which a physician traded drugs for sexual favors with patients hooked on prescription drugs.
Distribution is defined as the delivery of a controlled substance other than for the administering or dispensing of it. An individual is frequently guilty of distribution when he or she transfers a controlled substance to another individual. The transfer can be actual, constructive, or attempted. The transfer is actual whenever a person physically transfers the controlled substance to another; it is constructive, when the federal government can prove that a person intends to sell or distribute an unlawful substance through their actions or when the quantity of drugs in their possession is considerable; it is attempted when that person attempts to transfer the controlled substance to another, but is otherwise prevented from doing so. Anyone who intentionally participates in contributing to a drug transaction, even if only as a translator, is regarded as a deliverer of a controlled substance.
Transportation and distribution of drugs tend to be more serious crimes than is the criminal offense of drug possession; and these crimes bring about the potential for significant consequences. Anyone facing drug charges for drug importation, drug transportation, or drug distribution and sale (excluding small quantities of marijuana) are typically charged with a felony. A drug transportation/distribution charge might bring about one or more years in a state prison along with a permanent criminal record. Automobiles, residences together with other possessions tied into a drug transaction may also have to be forfeited.
The sale of drugs is invariably a felony arrest. A sale of under 40 kilograms of marijuana is known as a felony under federal law, and is punishable by five years in jail and a $250,000 fine. The penalty for the sale of “harder” drugs, crack and heroin, can certainly include a life sentence. Sentences and fines are usually in line with the quantity of the sale, the previous criminal history of the defendant, the presence of firearms on the defendant through the transaction, and whether minors were involved in the transaction or not.
Mere possession of a controlled substance does not demonstrate specific motive to distribute or sell the drug. Motive cannot be proven by use of direct evidence (evidence primarily based on a witness’s firsthand knowledge) or circumstantial evidence (evidence based on inference); a distributor must know that he/she is in possession of a drug meant for distribution.
Defenses for Distribution/Transportation
Defenses for drug distribution/transportation charges ordinarily involve the violation of the Constitutional privileges of the person charged. Due process requires that every element of the crime be proved beyond a reasonable doubt, a high standard when attempting to demonstrate the elements in a distribution/transportation offense. In addition, the 4th Amendment to the United States Constitution protects individuals from unreasonable searches and seizures. The unreasonableness is determined by the specifics and circumstances of each case. If the police unlawfully searched you, or illegally seized your property, an Experienced Houston Criminal Defense Lawyer could very well be able to have the charges dismissed. Various other proven successful defenses for distribution/transportation criminal charges include entrapment and illegal surveillance, both of which an individual is constitutionally defended against under certain situations.
If you had been in a vehicle containing drugs that was stopped, but you were a passenger, the prosecution needs to establish that you had been in possession and had knowledge of your possession. You may not be found guilty of any drug charge ;if you didn’t realize the drug had been there.
An Experienced Houston Criminal Defense Attorney will make sure your legal rights are defended and if the authorities didn’t follow correct procedures, they will have resulting evidence dismissed.
Houston Drug Distribution Defense Lawyer
If you face any sort of of drug criminal charges, the prosecution will try to press the most severe charges potential. Should you encounter drug distribution criminal charges or you have been arrested for conspiracy with intent to distribute, a conviction could mean a long jail sentence and forfeiture of property and assets.
Law enforcement are not your pals. Your very best chance is to get in touch with an aggressive criminal defense lawyer and keep your mouth shut.
If you are found with scales, drugs, and other distribution materials, you will probably be charged with possession with intent to distribute. Depending on the amount of the drug involved, you could lose vehicles, cash, and even your home if found guilty. Providing the aggressive criminal defense you deserve, a skilled Houston Lawyer will be available twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week.
A knowledgeable Houston Criminal Defense Attorney will make certain the burden of proof rests on the prosecution.
The Charles Johnson Law Firm will treat you and your legal issue with dignity and go to war for you to protect your life, nearest and dearest and future. Whenever you or perhaps a family or close friend are dealing with legal charges or a criminal defense inquiry, you would like an individual you can rely on to assist you.
