Drug charges in Virginia are treated incredibly seriously. Since Virginia is widely considered to be one of the states that treat drug offenses most severely, they also carry some of the harshest penalties for drug possession. A drug charge can often impact a person’s future in the long-term, by barring them from achieving gainful employment or receiving any sorts of loans.
To avoid such harsh penalties, a person should contact a Chantilly drug lawyer as soon as possible. The right defense attorney will be able to properly defend your case, while assisting in reducing any consequences you are facing.
Drug charges are often intimidating because the penalties are sometimes high, and the stigma associated with a drug conviction can stick with an individual for a long time. In some occasions, a drug charge will make an individual ineligible for certain government programs. Financial aid, for example, will be difficult to attain when an individual has a drug conviction.
There will also be the idea that drug users are considered to be individuals who may be lazy, or who may not be efficient to work, so future employers might be concerned about any type of drug offense on an individual’s record.
There is also the idea that if an individual’s family, friends, and community learn about their drug related arrest or the drug conviction, they are going to assume judgment. This will often play a role in an individual’s personal and professional interactions in their community.
All of these social stigmas are on top of the usual drug penalties, including hefty fines and jail time. To avoid such grand consequences, it is pertinent that an individual contact a Chantilly drug attorney immediately.
The constitutional issues that arise in a drug case can vary. Fourth Amendment rights are the most often implicated. The Fourth Amendment protects an individual from unreasonable searches and seizures.
An individual’s right to be free from unreasonable searches and seizures in a drug case will depend on the officer’s reasonable suspicion. However, after a recent case decided by the Supreme Court, an individual’s right to be free from unreasonable searches and seizures is going to depend a lot on whether or not the officer is later able to find a warrant for an arrest.
Most constitutional issues are extremely limited by the case law as far as what evidence will be excluded from the trial. As such, it is important to have a Chantilly DUI attorney that understands the constitutional implications of a lot of these cases, and many of these rights.
An attorney can help minimize the impact of a drug charge by working to gather all of the evidence in an individual’s case, and use it to their advantage. For example, while investigating an individual’s case, the attorney will look into all of the evidence recovered, hear all of the statements their client remembers from the case, and look at all video or forensic elements that have been gathered by the Commonwealth’s attorneys. An experienced Chantilly drug lawyer will analyze this evidence and work to pick it apart to an individual’s advantage.
They will also help prepare their client for their court appearances so that they know what to say and what to expect. Further, an attorney will negotiate plea bargains with their client, and assist in giving their client the best possible outcome they can.
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