Narcotics
Defense
Expertise Overview
- ✓ Possession & Distribution Defense
- ✓ 4th Amendment Rights Advocacy
- ✓ Three-Strikes Law Expertise
- ✓ Strategic Plea Negotiations
"A narcotics charge changes your life in the blink of an eye. It is imperative not to go into this legal battle alone."
Los Angeles Narcotics Defense Lawyers
A narcotics charge changes your life in the blink of an eye. You face the minimum potential of fines and a serious black mark on your record. Depending on the gravity of the offense, jail time is a real possibility. Narcotics charges may also have brought you into close enough association with other crimes to create further difficulties.
Furthermore, if there are two previous convictions on your record, you are subject to California's "three strikes" law, wherein the third felony conviction means a minimum of 25 years behind bars and potentially life in prison. This is why it is imperative not to go into this legal battle alone.
Types of Narcotics Charges
Narcotics offenses cover a wide spectrum in the criminal code. The specific charge depends on the alleged activity and circumstances:
Possession
Simple possession of illegal drugs for personal use. Severity depends on drug schedule and quantity.
Sales & Distribution
Selling, transporting, or distributing controlled substances. Often leads to felony charges.
Trafficking
Large-scale operations, especially those involving organizations, may face racketeering charges in addition to drug offenses.
California Drug Schedules
The state categorizes drugs into five schedules based on addiction potential and medicinal value. The schedule, combined with quantity and the nature of the alleged activity, determines sentencing guidelines.
Narcotics Defenses in California
Was the Search Legal?
We all have Fourth Amendment rights that protect us against illegal search and seizures. If the search was not legal, then any evidence obtained—including the narcotics themselves—cannot be presented in court.
A legal search typically requires one of the following:
- The defendant's explicit permission
- A valid search warrant issued by a judge
- Evidence discovered in "plain sight"
- Exigent circumstances (emergency situations)
Even with a warrant, the officer must have had probable cause. It is our job to scrutinize every detail of the investigation to protect your rights.
Can Possession Be Proven?
Beyond the legality of the search, the prosecution must prove that you were actually in possession of the illegal substance. "Possession" is a specific legal standard that requires more than just being in the vicinity of a drug.
We challenge the prosecution's evidence by questioning whether they can truly establish that the drugs belonged to you, that you knew of their presence, or that you had control over them. In cases involving multiple people, shared spaces, or vehicle searches, this often becomes a pivotal point of the defense.
California considers the drug schedule, quantity possessed, and whether the charge involves buying, selling, or simple possession when formulating charges and sentencing.