Philadelphia Possession of a Controlled Substance Lawyer

Each year, thousands of people turn to a Philadelphia possession of a controlled substance lawyer to help them when facing serious consequences as a result of being arrested for drug possession charges.

Drug possession charges often carry substantial mandatory minimum sentences depending on numerous factors, including the quantity of the specific drugs involved. A number of other circumstances also factor into sentencing for these cases, such as being arrested in a school zone and whether a firearm was involved.

Whatever the circumstances of your case, securing legal representation from the law firm of Young, Marr, Mallis & Associates could be the most beneficial decision you make in your case.

Exercise Your Miranda Rights

If you are arrested or charged with the possession of a controlled substance, you should always exercise your right to remain silent. You absolutely do not want to speak to either the law enforcement officials arresting you or the prosecutor asking you questions later.

Never answer any questions or make any statement without the advice of a Philadelphia possession of a controlled substance lawyer. You have the right to an attorney, and it is wise to take advantage of it.

When you are arrested, the officer making the arrest will read you your Miranda Rights, which state, “Anything you say can, and will, be held against you in a court of law.” This is not a suggestion to confess, but rather a warning of the consequences of speaking with either law enforcement or a prosecutor without having your own attorney present.

Possession Is a Serious Crime

The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania takes possession of a controlled substance very seriously. There are severe mandatory minimum sentencing guidelines depending on the substances in question, the amount of the substance, what the individual intended to do with the substance, whether the person was arrested in a school zone, and whether there was a firearm involved at the time of the arrest.

All of these factors are of critical importance to your Philadelphia possession of a controlled substance lawyer, who will need to know all of these details when building your defense.

Common Defenses for a Philadelphia Possession of a Controlled Substance Charge

Addiction is not a defense for possession of a controlled substance. If you do not want to spend between one and three to five years in jail or have to pay large fines that start at around $5,000, you will need a Philadelphia possession of a controlled substance lawyer to mount a proper defense.

Depending on your case, this may include trying to have the drugs themselves excluded from the trial as evidence by demonstrating stop-and-frisk or stop-and search practices used by law enforcement. If this happened in your case, the search used to find the drugs was unconstitutional.

Other defenses that can be used include the following:

• An insignificant quantity of the drug
• A lack of knowledge about the drug’s legality
• The drug was prescribed by a medical doctor
• A lack of intent to use or distribute the drug
• The drugs did not belong to the defendant
• Entrapment by law enforcement

Consult a Philadelphia Possession of a Controlled Substance Lawyer

Whether you were arrested for possession of marijuana, ecstasy, cocaine, or some other drug, your case could benefit from the knowledge and experience of a Philadelphia possession of a controlled substance lawyer.

For assistance, call (215) 701-6519 and schedule a case evaluation with one of our attorneys. We will take your controlled substance charge every bit as seriously as you do.