Newport Beach Drug Crime Lawyer

Drug Crime Attorney In Newport Beach, CA

Being charged with a drug crime in California is a serious matter. Convictions can result in severe penalties, including imprisonment, steep fines, and more. If you have been arrested or charged with a drug crime in Newport Beach or anywhere in Orange County, you must take immediate action to protect your rights and future.

At The Law Offices of Jacqueline Goodman, our Newport Beach drug crime lawyer can help you understand your legal options and work to build a strong defense. Backed by three decades of experience, Attorney Jacqueline Goodman knows what it takes to challenge the prosecution and fight for the best possible outcome on your behalf.

Types of Drug Crimes

Drug crimes can be charged as either misdemeanors or felonies, depending on the circumstances. Misdemeanor drug crimes are those involving small amounts of drugs, while felonies typically involve large quantities of drugs, as well as other aggravating factors, such as the alleged sale of drugs.

Common drug crimes in California include:

• Drug possession: It is illegal to possess controlled substances, such as cocaine, methamphetamine, and heroin, in California. However, the state has decriminalized the possession of small amounts of marijuana, and it is now only punishable by a small fine.
• Drug possession with intent to distribute: Prosecutors will often charge people with this crime when they are found with drugs in an amount that is too much for personal use. Possession with intent to distribute is a felony and carries harsh penalties upon conviction.
• Drug trafficking: Drug trafficking involves the sale, transportation, or importation of illegal drugs. This is a felony offense, and a conviction can result in years or even decades behind bars.
• Prescription drug fraud: These crimes involve the illegal possession, use, or sale of prescription drugs. Prescription drug fraud is a crime in which the accused person allegedly used deceit or fraud to obtain prescription drugs.
• Drug manufacturing: California law prohibits the manufacturing of controlled substances, such as methamphetamine. Drug manufacturing is a serious felony offense that is aggressively prosecuted in the state.
• Drug conspiracy: Drug conspiracy involves an agreement between two or more people to commit a drug crime. This is a separate offense from the underlying drug crime and is punished severely.

Alternative Ways to Avoid a Drug Conviction

Drug courts are specialized court dockets that handle cases involving non-violent drug offenders. They aim to provide alternatives to traditional criminal justice processes for individuals whose criminal behavior is driven by substance abuse.

Participants in drug court programs typically undergo regular drug testing, attend counseling sessions, participate in substance abuse treatment programs, and comply with other court-mandated requirements. Successful completion of a drug court program often results in reduced or dismissed charges, while failure to comply may lead to traditional criminal penalties.

Furthermore, drug diversion programs are alternatives to prosecution for individuals charged with drug-related offenses. These programs aim to divert individuals away from the criminal justice system and toward treatment and rehabilitation services.

Drug diversion programs may be offered to eligible defendants at various stages of the criminal justice process, including pre-trial diversion, pre-plea diversion, or post-plea diversion. Similar to drug court, successful completion of a drug diversion program may result in charges being dismissed or reduced, and in some cases, the individual may be eligible to have their arrest record sealed or expunged.

How Our Firm Can Help

At The Law Offices of Jacqueline Goodman, our Newport Beach drug crimes lawyer understands the various defense strategies that can be used in drug crime cases. We can help you understand your legal options and work to build a strong defense on your behalf. Our team will investigate the circumstances surrounding your arrest and the evidence against you. We will also work with you to gather evidence of our own and challenge the prosecution’s case.

Depending on the circumstances, our firm may be able to help you by:

• Challenging the legality of the search: Law enforcement officers must follow specific rules and procedures when conducting searches and seizures in drug crime cases. If your rights were violated, we can file a motion to suppress the evidence, which may result in the charges against you being dropped.
• Challenging the chain of custody: In many drug crime cases, the prosecution’s evidence is the drugs themselves. We can challenge the chain of custody of the drugs and argue that they were tampered with or contaminated.
• Challenging the identification of the drugs: Similarly, we can argue that the drugs were not illegal substances or that they did not belong to you.
• Arguing that you did not possess the drugs: Drug possession charges require that the prosecution prove that you knew that the drugs were in your possession and that you could control them. We can argue that you did not know that the drugs were there or that they were not yours.
• Arguing that you did not intend to distribute the drugs: If you are facing charges of possession with intent to distribute, we can argue that you only possessed the drugs for personal use.
• Arguing that you were the victim of entrapment: In some cases, law enforcement officers use entrapment to catch people in the act of committing a drug crime. We can argue that you were not predisposed to commit the crime and that you only did so because of the officers’ actions.

If you have been arrested or charged with a drug crime in Newport Beach, we encourage you to reach out to our firm as soon as possible. When you call, we can discuss the specific details of your case and help you understand your legal options. Our drug crimes defense attorney in Newport Beach will work one-on-one with you throughout the entire legal process and fight for a favorable outcome on your behalf.