Annapolis Drug Charges

Annapolis drug charges can sometimes carry severe penalties depending on the nature of the charge. The legal processes associated with such a charge are often incredibly complex, and can be overwhelming for any individual involved. Penalties such as heavy fines, possible incarceration, and the loss of employment can seriously an impact an individual’s immediate future. If you are facing a drug charge in Annapolis, it is important that you contact an attorney immediately, who can begin mounting a proper defense and fighting for your rights in court.

Administering the Charge

Annapolis drug charges can be administered by either law enforcement agents or prosecutors. The circumstances of the investigation and how it unfolds can dictate which entity administers charges, but usually the police do so.

Once a person is charged, they can expect an arraignment where they will be advised of their charges, their right to counsel, and given the opportunity to get representation. Then, the individual will usually get a trial date set and, depending on the case, there may be a motions hearing set where discussions take place about the nature of the evidence and whether the evidence is valid to present in court.

Potential Consequences

The initial short-term consequences of a person being charged with possession may include reporting to a pre-trial agent and drug testing. Further, they may be facing a court hearing where, depending on their criminal history, they could be subjected to a period of incarceration.
Beyond the court’s incarceration sentencing, a person that is convicted of a drug charge also faces probation, loss of employment, difficulty securing new employment, loss of housing, and difficulty to obtain future loans.

Dropped Charges

It is unusual for an Annapolis drug charge to be dropped right away. If it was dropped right away, it would typically be because a police officer made a mistake in who they charged, or the drugs that they seized in a particular drug-related case went to a crime lab and were found to not be drugs at all.

Common Mistakes

The most common mistakes made in Annapolis drug charge arrests are usually violating the accused’s rights under the Fourth Amendment. Not providing the court with an appropriate reason to search a vehicle, not providing the court with an appropriate reason to seize particular items, and/or the substance behind a warrant that was used to search the premises was not valid are examples of those constitutional errors. These are the most common mistakes that law enforcement officers make when they are investigating drug-related offenses.

Contacting an Attorney

It is important to contact an attorney immediately when facing an Annapolis drug charge. As soon as someone knows that they are being charged or investigated for a crime, they should reach out to an attorney. An attorney can be extremely helpful in making sure that a person who is being investigated for a crime is given an opportunity to evaluate all their defenses and potentially subpoena any witnesses that might be necessary.
Time is of the essence in an Annapolis drug case. Evidence tends to disappear or become unavailable the longer that a person waits. Contacting an attorney right away to evaluate those issues is important in preserving a person’s defenses in any case.