TEXAS DRUG DEFENSE

     Drug charges in Texas, range from the Class C misdemeanor charge of Possession of Drug Paraphernalia, to the First Degree felony offense of Manufacturing/Delivering a Controlled substance in Penalty Group 1. Different drugs, different charges, and different enhancements, all lead  to different consequences, and different results. You need someone who knows the difference.

      There are 3  levels of Misdemeanor drug charges, and 4 levels of Felony drug charges  in the State of Texas (see the charts below). Depending on the drug you  possessed, the amount, and the location of where you were arrested, you  may be facing serious jail time. Luckily, being arrested for a crime  and being a convicted of a crime are different things. Just because you  were arrested and charged with an offense, doesn’t mean that you are  guilty.

      Officers often times  over charge drug cases; attempting to make a person face higher  punishment. One example that is used time and time again, is the Drug  Free Zone enhancement. If a person is charged with possessing drugs in a  drug free zone (ex. within 1,000 feet of a school, daycare, etc.), his  offense level is raised by one level. With this enhancement, you are not  only facing additional jail time, but you are also facing a higher bond  amount. Cops abuse this enhancement, which is why we do the work to  determine if a drug free zone actually exists. This is just one example  of how police abuse the drug laws in Texas. There are other enhancements  that cops also abuse. The bottom line is that you need an attorney that  is willing to do the work, to make sure that you are not taken  advantage of.

      Conviction of a  drug offense can result in serious consequences in Texas. If you are  convicted of a drug offense, your driver’s license will be suspended,  you may incur surcharges, and you will have a conviction on your record.  Don’t let the stigma of being a convict follow you around. Hire an  attorney that knows the courts, knows the prosecutors, and knows how to  fight for you.

                                   MISDEMEANOR PUNISHMENT 

LEVEL                        PUNISHMENT RANGE                    FINE

Class A                        Up to 1 year in jail                         Up to $4,000.00

Class B                        Up to 180 days in jail                    Up to $2,000.00

Class C                        No jail time                                     Up to $500.00

                                    FELONY PUNISHMENT 

LEVEL                        PUNISHMENT RANGE                    FINE 

1st Degree                  5-99 years in TDCJ                        Up to $10,000.00

2nd Degree                2-20 years in TDCJ                        Up to $10,000.00

3rd Degree                 2-10 years in TDCJ                        Up to $10,000.00

State Jail                    180 days-2 years in STJ                 Up to $10,000.00