In Houston, Texas, the consequences of drug possession conviction are severe. If found with THC possession, then it’s considered the same level of offense as murder. A person, Eric Kohler, was driving from Colorado to Hurst and was found with three THC-laced sodas and a vape pen. He was charged with a first-degree felony before being acquitted.
Houston has a population of about 2,320,268 and has multiple high-intensity drug trafficking areas. If you’re ever charged with drug possession in Houston, you should hire a Houston drug crime lawyer to defend your case.
Fighting Drug Charges in Houston
In Houston, Texas, the penalties for illegal drug possession varies by the substance you’re found with and the quality. The penalties can range from Class C misdemeanor to 1st-degree felony.
If convicted of a 1st-degree felony, the charges raised against you are severe. A district attorney will prosecute you for the offense.
But the Texas laws also allow you to challenge the drug charges raised against you.
You can file an appeal at a higher court and seek to overturn the decision. In most cases, you’d aim to lower the intensity of charges raised against you.
So if you can provide sufficient evidence, you can lower your charges from 1st-degree felony to 3rd-degree felony or lower. Consequently, the prison time will reduce from 5 to 99 years to 2 to 10 years.
Why Hire a Drug Crime Lawyer?
Hiring a drug crime attorney is a significant step towards defending your case against illegal drug possession charges. They can help you strategize your defense strategy. It’s also essential to select the right strategy for your case, which can be any one of the following:
- Challenging lab findings of the substance or the amount found at the time of the arrest
- The arresting officer was wrongly searching your property and your possessions.
- The drugs found in your possession didn’t belong to you and were placed or planted by someone else.
- You hadn’t a chance to read your right at the time of the arrest.
- The prosecution didn’t handle your case promptly.
You need to move ahead with the correct strategy and gather the necessary evidence. The evidence is meant to prove that there are flaws and problems in the state’s case made against you.
An experienced drug lawyer in Houston will help you gather that evidence to strengthen your defense appeal.
The experts say that you hire a lawyer as soon as you’re arrested. It’s your legal right to avail yourself of the services of a lawyer and apply for bail.
What Should You Do When Hiring a Lawyer?
Before you hire a lawyer, you must cooperate with the law enforcement authorities. It would help if you didn’t attempt to hide any substances you might have or hold back any information. Otherwise, you’ll be charged with resisting arrest, which is another severe crime under Texas law.
If you’ve got health problems and the drugs are part of the therapy, you should demonstrate it to the officers. If and when possible, talk to your physician who prescribed you the drugs and get the necessary help.
Drug possession is not the only crime you can be charged with. Other common crimes that a district attorney may prosecute you with are drug conspiracy, distribution of controlled substance, or possession with an intent to manufacture the drugs. Whatever the charges might be, you need to seek immediate legal help from a Houston Drug Crime lawyer.
