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If you were charged with possession of a illicit substance, you need to consider working with a Chattanooga drug possession lawyer. Depending on what you alleged had and the reasons for having it, you could work to either mitigate sentencing or outright fight the state’s charges. Importantly, and to better your chances of an ideal outcome, choose to work with an attorney.
Possession of a drug means that one is able to exercise control over that drug. Possession does not necessarily require one to have the drug in their hand or in their pocket. Someone is able to exercise control through another person. They might exercise control of a drug that is contained within property like a house, a car, a safe, or the backseat of a car.
One of the most difficult cases is when people who did not even know there were drugs in their possession in a vehicle because another friend or family member may have dropped something and an officer had probable cause to search a car. That unsuspecting person could be charged with possessing a drug in Chattanooga.
A person could be found possessing illegal drugs in Chattanooga in a traffic stop or a roadblock. Officers simply ask for consent to search a car, and unwittingly, many people not wanting to appear to be criminals, grant this permission to search. Before they know it, officers have patted them down, have looked through their car, and have found something that the individual either knew or did not know was there. They are in handcuffs and charged with a crime.
Other more serious cases in Chattanooga may happen before they know it with a knock on the door and police announcing a search warrant. Some cases begin when something falls out of their pocket in the presence of law enforcement. Exercising control of their particular illegal drug is enough to get them a charge but not necessarily enough to lead to a conviction with the right representation. With the help of a Chattanooga drug possession lawyer, alleged offenders could work toward a favorable outcome and challenge the state’s findings.
Why Not Interacting with Officers Helps a Defense Team
It is important to make no statements to police if they find themselves interacting with an officer inquiring about possessing narcotics in Chattanooga and to contact a lawyer as quickly as they are able to do so once they are released or otherwise given access to a telephone to discuss their drug charges and how to beat them. Officers tend to illicit responses from unsuspecting people, but what many do not know is that they are under no obligations to disclose information. The less they speak to an officer, often, the better the chances of a favorable courtroom outcome.
Drugs that are considered illegal to possess in Chattanooga include LSD, ecstasy, cocaine, heroin, psilocybin, which is often associated with magic mushrooms, crack cocaine, and speed. Other illegal drugs include methamphetamines, methadone, or amphetamines. Pain management drugs like Lortab, Percocet, hydrocodone, and oxycodone, attention deficit drugs like Adderall and Ritalin, and anabolic steroids could lead to significant penalties and punishments for individuals caught possessing any amount of these drugs in Chattanooga.
Schedule 4 drugs such as sedatives, anti-anxiety medication like Xanax or Valium, and other tranquilizers must be kept in their containers if they are lawfully prescribed to someone or they are subject to being arrested.
Possession of larger amounts of drugs lead to more serious felony charges like possession with intent to distribute. These felony offenses are the sale, manufacturing, or delivery of a controlled substance. Trafficking is the most serious of these drug offenses, and these felony drug offenses range from Class A to Class E felonies.
Ranges of sentences vary based on one’s criminal history and the class of a particular felony. A Range 1 offender with limited or no criminal history could see a Class E felony carry a range of 1-2 years, a Class D felony carries a range of 2-4 years, a Class C felony carries a 3-6-year range, Class B goes up to 8-12 years of incarceration, and a Class A felony can carry a range of 15-25 years in prison.
Talking to officers looking to arrest you is never a good idea. In fact, giving consent for any search could prove equally unideal. Regardless of how your charge came to be, it is a good idea to work with an experienced Chattanooga drug possession lawyer who could help you fight the circumstances brought against you by the state. Reach out today for an initial consultation.