Stamford Drug Possession Penalties
Drug possession can be considered very serious if the person has it packaged or looks like the may distribute or sell it. Heroin, fentanyl, and controlled substances that are not prescribed are being taken a lot more seriously these days.
Some drugs are more serious than others. Marijuana is considered to be less serious than something like heroin or a non-prescribed narcotic. Stamford drug possession penalties can increase if someone has been in trouble before for drug possession. Speak with a distinguished drug possession attorney about how to defend and protect your rights throughout trial.
Possession of Marijuana vs. Other Illegal Drugs
Possession of marijuana can be a misdemeanor. Serious misdemeanors for possession of narcotics can come with potential jail time, fines and possible probation. Stamford drug possession penalties can escalate if they are found in possession near a school. There are certain enhancers depending on where the person is located and what they actually have on their person.
Impact of Conviction
Stamford drug possession penalties and arrests must still be taken very seriously. Police departments are often tacking on additional felony charges that they otherwise would not and that will be another charge for them to have to face. The state’s attorney’s office and from the judges is to prosecute these vigorously even with the nation’s changing attitude and climate for drugs.
If someone was convicted, have a permanent criminal record and could face potential jail time. They could be on probation for a period of time. They may have to pay a fine. Once all those punishments are over, they would still have a permanent criminal record and negative social stigma to deal with.
Diversion or Alternative Sentencing Programs
The pretrial drug education diversionary program is available in Connecticut. This program would allow the individual to complete drug education classes as well as community service over a period of time and earn an eventual dismissal of the charges.
Common Constitutional Issues
Constitutional issues can occur when the search is not being conducted in accordance with the constitution. In most Stamford drug possession penalties cases, the officers are required to either have a warrant or a consent before they search someone’s vehicle or their person. There are exceptions to that rule so the defense attorney would want to take a look at the police report and speak with the individual about how the search was conducted to see if there was any violation of the Fourth Amendment.