What You Need To Know About Drug Possession Defense Bartlett TN

By Ida Dorsey


Illegal drugs and narcotics are referred to as controlled substances in criminal law. Some of the commonly abused substances are cocaine, heroin, methamphetamine and marijuana. Some inhabitants of Bartlett, TN think that the crime of possessing illegal substances is minor, but this is not the case. If you get arrested for possessing drugs, you have to deal with serious repercussions.

In Tennessee, the first and second convictions of possessing a controlled substance are class A misdemeanors. Penalties include a fine of up to 2,500 dollars, a year in jail or both. The third and subsequent convictions are class E felonies and the penalties include a fine of up to 3,000 dollars, one to six years in jail or both. People who are found carrying a controlled substance can hire a criminal defense attorney. By working with attorneys who provide drug possession defense Bartlett TN residents can get the representation they need to avoid getting convicted. If they get convicted, their sentences can be reduced.

You can be charged with the crime of possessing a controlled substance if you knowingly used or carried such a substance. In court, a prosecutor has to show that you knew that the substance you were carrying was illegal and you intended to use or sell it. A prosecutor can show this from the circumstances surrounding your case.

If you have been arrested for possessing a controlled substance or you are being investigated for the same, you should take immediate action. Whether you are being charged for committing a felony or misdemeanor, a defense lawyer can advise you about the steps you should take. After you inform this professional about your case, he or she will represent you in the best way possible.

Criminal defense attorneys are able to handle various kinds of cases involving drug crimes. When defending their clients, they can dispute the evidence, testimonies or facts presented by the prosecutor. They can also target procedural mistakes such as seizure or search breaches.

If the law enforcement officer who arrested you did not perform the search for illegal substances lawfully, the drugs that were found in your possession cannot be used at trial. In such a case, the charges can be dismissed. A criminal defense lawyer can also defend you by pressuring the prosecutor to prove that the drugs found in your car or house belonged to you, but not to another person who was in the car or house with you.

Your attorney may also coerce the prosecutor to prove that the drugs found in your possession are illegal by sending them to a crime laboratory to be analyzed. After analysis, a laboratory analyst has to give his or her testimony during the trial so that the prosecutor can support his or her claims. Your attorney can also ask the prosecutor to display the actual drugs that were found in your possession.

If a prosecutor loses or lacks the actual drugs, the case can be dismissed. Defense attorneys never assume that evidence still exists when a trial is going on. If you hire an experienced attorney, you can avoid paying hefty fines or going to jail. The professional can negotiate alternative sentences such as community service, house arrest or drug rehabilitation.




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