Posted by iberkovits iberkovits in on February 20, 2023
If you are arrested and charged with drug trafficking in Atlanta, it is essential to contact an experienced attorney as soon as possible. An experienced attorney can review your case and identify the optimal defense strategy to minimize the impact of your conviction.
In Georgia, drug trafficking is a felony offense that comes with harsh punishments, such as mandatory prison time and a fine. The penalties you face depend on the amount of drugs involved in your case and the severity of your offense. Having a conviction on your record can negatively impact your life for years to come.
Possession of Marijuana in Georgia
Even though marijuana is legal in many parts of the country, Georgia law prohibits the possession of a small amount of marijuana. Having only an ounce of marijuana in your pocket or on you can be sufficient to get you arrested and charged with a drug crime, especially if you are a first-time offender.
Whether you are facing charges for possessing marijuana or any other drug, it is crucial to contact an experienced attorney who can challenge the legitimacy of your arrest and build an effective defense. An experienced attorney can also look at the police investigation to see if sloppy investigators tainted your case and led to a false charge.
The State of Georgia has an extensive list of controlled substances that are illegal to possess, manufacture, distribute, and sell. These include cocaine, ecstasy, heroin, and marijuana.
There are also other types of drugs that are illegal in Georgia, such as amphetamines and fentanyl. The amount of the drug, the type of drug, and the schedule it is under will determine the seriousness of your criminal conviction.
Cocaine is a Schedule II drug and the penalties are severe for trafficking cocaine. The penalty for cocaine trafficking is a felony and is punishable by up to 10 years in jail.
Marijuana is a Schedule I drug and the penalties are harsh for trafficking marijuana. The penalty for marijuana trafficking is a felony and is punishment by up to 15 years in jail.
In addition to a criminal conviction, you can face civil liability for damages caused by the illegal distribution of drug products. The damages are usually large, and can cause a lot of financial problems for the defendant.
The prosecutor has a lot of work to do when it comes to proving that you committed a drug trafficking crime. They must prove that you had knowledge of the intended sale, knew the person who was selling the drugs, and that you shared in their criminal intent.
It is also important to consider whether the law enforcement officer followed proper procedure in obtaining a search warrant, if they read you your Miranda rights, and whether they performed a valid search and seizure. This is a crucial issue in every case. An experienced criminal lawyer can challenge these issues and find a way to have the charges dropped or reduced before they go to trial.