The Drug Crimes Attorney Las Vegas Calls First
Drug charges in Nevada are serious. The kind of drug, the situation, and most of all, how your attorney handles those charges, can mean your life is hang in time until the situation is prosecuted, dropped, or plea bargained. You need a drug defense attorney Las Vegas recognizes for experience, knowledge, and action. Call or contact the law firm of David Brown Attorney Las Vegas for experienced handling of your drug related charges as soon as possible to start getting your life back on track.
Las Vegas drug laws follow Nevada statutes, and those are strict. Too often we see clients who thought since Las Vegas is known as party central, anything goes. Nothing could be further from the truth. Many drugs fall into one of the five controlled substance categories under Nevada law. The categories are based on the addictive qualities and potential for abuse of the drug, the potential or common use for medical purposes, and the potential results of that drug’s abuse. The lists are lengthy and often in minutiae, making it very difficult for a layman to know just how serious the charges against them might be.
One of the most misunderstood laws is recreational marijuana. While up to 1 oz. of marijuana is legal for personal use in the privacy of your home, to smoke, vape, or otherwise consume or possess pot in public, such as in the casino, on the street, in a cab, in a hotel room, a restaurant, or most anywhere else, is a crime. Fines and penalties start at $600 and go up to and include life in prison, as marijuana is still a Class I substance in Nevada over 1 oz. Greater Las Vegas passed an ordinance that has since been tabled for legal smoking lounges, and an additional year of study was requested. Driving under the influence of marijuana is treated as a DUI in Nevada, and DUI laws are strict.
Drug charges can easily ruin someone’s life, as most carry felony charges in Nevada. It is often the case that charges can get reduced or dropped, or the case reaching a plea agreement so as to not damage your record as severely. Call the law office of Brown Brown & Premsrirut for a free consultation about the charge and how we may be able to help you.
Drug Charges Require a Strong Criminal Defense Attorney Las Vegas Expert
When you are facing drug charges, you are facing a fine balance between your freedom and going on with life, or a life behind bars for a while. It may be a long while in Nevada, as we have some of the toughest drug class laws in the nation. While many commonly known controlled substances are on the list, things like paraphernalia fall under a different category in Nevada and carry only misdemeanor charges. The circumstances and charges you are dealing with may be different than what actually happened. An experienced Las Vegas criminal law attorney will know what to look for and use those facts to attempt to get your charges reduced, plea bargained, or dismissed. Your best defense on drug charges starts with a strong criminal defense attorney known throughout Las Vegas for getting things done, and that is why you should contact David Brown first.
There are many other CS such as hydrocodone that carry their own intensified penalties due to the potential for abuse and addiction. Many prescriptions are on the controlled lists in our state, such as Ritalin, and buying or possession of those without a valid, current prescription can be equally damaging. An experienced Las Vegas criminal law attorney knows the details and how the courts respond to the drug, the quantity, and the circumstances of particular types of cases.
It not uncommon for errors to be made during arrest and booking, or evidence seizure, related to drug charges. This is especially true if someone besides the police took your stash, such as a security guard at a casino. Often the chain of control is poor at best, and the prosecutor has no way to assure or prove the substance was not tampered with during seizure and transfer to the police. Lab errors occur in identifying substances. A drug possession attorney can often find details that make the difference when argued before the court or in pre-trial negotiations that make the difference on charges being reduced, dropped, or plea-bargained.
Affordable Criminal Defense Attorney Las Vegas
Handling the charges brought against someone for drug possession, trafficking, or other serious crimes can be an expensive defense. We believe that everyone should have access to a prepared, knowledgeable criminal defense attorney in Las Vegas. The amount it costs for defense of drug charges should be according to the amount of time it takes to deal with the seriousness of the charge. A misdemeanor for possession of paraphernalia is far different than a complex drug trafficking charge that could take many months to prepare, depose, do discovery, and other things necessary when your life and future are in balance.
There are a number of things that a good defense attorney looks at to determine what may have been done before and during arrest that weakens the case of the arresting agency. Among those how the stop and/or search was conducted, if appropriate warrants were obtained for search and wiretaps, and the chain of custody are major. Chain of custody is often a key piece in the defense of someone on drug charges as many times poor investigation and handling of evidence creates a favorable situation leading to reduction of charges, probation in lieu of jail, community service, or other options.
Nevada Drug Trafficking Laws are Stringent
Nevada’s approach to controlled substances and the severity of charges in generally based on several things, namely the total drug weight/quantity, the classification on the schedule list, and the level of felony involved. Drug quantity is particularly important as there are three key break points for possession as viewed for trafficking charges – 4 grams, 14 grams, and anything over 28 grams. Other things that can add issue include if large amounts of cash are seized, firearms and other weapons are present, there is proof of sale, presence of minors or engagement in manufacturing. Nevada has particularly stringent approach to LSD, heroin, meth, particular natural compounds like peyote, opium, and large amounts of marijuana, Ecstasy, PCP, cocaine and crack.
One important note is a substance does not have to appear on the Schedule I or II list to be charged as Schedule I or II. The DEA standards state that if a substance is “structurally or pharmacology similar” to a Schedule I or II item, the police can choose to charge it as such. There is grey area allowing them to charge things at a higher point as well if it is not listed anywhere, is in significant quantity, is altered, and other factors including local opinions. All these points allow a felony drug possession criminal defense attorney in Las Vegas to question and demand proof for those charges to stand, since the charge is based often on unproven data.
Hire a Criminal Defense Attorney in Las Vegas Nevada to Handle Drug Charges
If your charges relate to a narcotics sale, there is a good chance you were “set up” for the sale by an undercover officer, or an actual cash exchanged hands sale was witnessed by one. You do not have to actually complete a sale to be charged with one in Nevada, only arrange one. There is a fine line regarding entrapment, and a qualified felony drug charge attorney knows the difference and can review the case facts to determine how the information obtained by the police can affect your case or if it is even admissible in court.
Nevada does not stop at outright selling of drugs, either. The law states that the acts of importing, transporting, exchanging, bartering, dispensing, administering, giving away, supplying, or manufacturing are just as serious a crime as possession, especially for Class I & II. If you find yourself charged with any of these crimes, please contact our office. Many times charges may get reduced when insufficient evidence is present to warrant the charge if no criminal intent was present. An experienced drug charge criminal defense attorney will know that, and what may or may not be approachable with the court for a better potential outcome for your charge.
A Good Las Vegas Drug Lawyer is a Must
Your best interest is at stake in any drug charge of any type. Since nearly all drug charges in Nevada are felonies, it is imperative you hire the best criminal defense attorney Las Vegas NV has on the books who specializes in drug charges, David Brown Attorney Las Vegas. Our office stays up with current law, how individual judges handle particular kinds of cases, and the workings of the Clark County system. We know that many times the police make errors, or overstep their bounds, and that we can use that information to negotiate, reduce, or eliminate your charges. Our initial consultations are free and we will give you an honest assessment of where we think your case stands. Call us or send in the contact form and we will set up a meeting to talk about how we can help you deal with what you have been charged with for the best outcome we can arrange.