Drug Crimes

In 2016, Proposition 64, or the Adult Use of Marijuana Act, legalized the nonmedical cultivation and possession of cannabis for adults (21+). While it eliminated several marijuana-related crimes, it didn’t deliver a method of expunging or reducing past criminal convictions. In the last two years, state lawmakers have viewed the positive shift in public opinion about marijuana use as an opportunity to…Read More

Cops routinely conduct elementary chemical tests when they make drug arrests. This test often comes in a small plastic pouch that contains a vial of pink liquid. Offers will drop a tiny piece of what they suspect to be narcotics into the liquid. If the liquid remains pink, it rules out the presence of illegal drugs. However, if the liquid…Read More

It’s important for people to realize that it’s all about hiring the right attorney, which is true not just for drug-related crimes, but for any crime. It’s important to hire someone who is knowledgeable and who continues to stay involved with the changing rules, laws and published cases. Being involved and educated about the process is important. For example, I…Read More

Starting from the least to the most restrictive, the three most common options for dealing with any drug case in a rehabilitation type of sentence include diversion, which can be formal or informal, and can utilize the assistance of a judge or a prosecutor, which will usually happen in a very low-level misdemeanor case, such as someone who is charged…Read More

In larger cases, when multiple parties are involved, everything would come down to the level of involvement of the accused, my client. Because of the nature of the investigation, there will be wiretaps approved by a judge and a law enforcement officer will have to provide something similar to a search warrant, as a statement of probable cause, to a…Read More

A tremendous amount of investigation goes into drug cases, especially since the decriminalization of marijuana possession. Law enforcement still takes a very strong stance that any controlled substance is considered criminal, so law enforcement may try to say that the amounts of marijuana or narcotics suggested that it was possessed with the intent for sale, because it was not possible…Read More

Whether they can will depend on the circumstances; there can be circumstances in which they can enter a home or stop a vehicle and conduct a search without a warrant, irrespective of whether it was a crime or otherwise. However, such a search requires an exigent circumstance, meaning that, without their involvement, there may be destruction of evidence or the…Read More

Most drug cases that I handle are cases for possession and possession for sale, in part because of the way the system is set up. Possession means possession for personal use; larger amounts of narcotics or controlled substances can include wiretap cases, transportation cases and even cultivation when it involves marijuana. Certain cases may involve large amounts of money, firearms…Read More