Bethesda Drug Conspiracy Lawyer
Drug conspiracy charges involve more than one person in the commission or moving forward of a drug-related crime. It is different from other charges because a conspiracy to commit a drug-related crime does not require a person to actively be involved or even have physical contact or control over the drug. If they did anything to further the actual criminal act, that in and of itself is enough to constitute a criminal offense under conspiracy laws.
If you are facing a charge of drug conspiracy, it is critical that you contact a Bethesda drug conspiracy attorney as soon as possible. An experienced lawyer can assist in mounting a defense to help minimize or dismiss any consequences you are facing.
Severity of the Charge
Drug conspiracy charges can carry the same penalty that the actual criminal charges themselves carry. They should be treated very seriously by anybody who is charged.
Bethesda prosecutors must prove that there was a meeting of the minds of some kind in the execution of the criminal act. They must prove that the person charged with conspiracy to commit the drug-related crime had some involvement in the implementation of that crime.
Further, A person can be charged with both conspiracy and underlying offenses making it even more imperative that a drug conspiracy lawyer in Bethesda is consulted.
Potential Penalties
The penalties involved depend on the kind of charge that is alleged. A conspiracy to distribute marijuana charge would carry a maximum penalty of five years. The conspiracy to distribute not marijuana could have decades of possible incarceration. There is some variation of the maximum penalties associated with any of these charges.
A knowledgeable Bethesda drug conspiracy attorney can assist an individual in lessening any penalties associated with their charge.
Gathering Evidence
Law enforcement often conducts their investigation based on warrants, confidential informants, wiretaps, video surveillance, and any number of other investigative tools to try and move forward with developing a probable cause to charge somebody with selling drugs in any criminal setting.
A few examples of evidence include a person who was charged with intent in a drug-related conspiracy case and had some conversation with another party where they were expected to gain some benefit as a result of the drug distribution related offense, or they had a conversation or interaction with the party and took action of some kind that assisted the other party in carrying out their criminal offense.
Drug Manufacturing
Sometimes linked to conspiracy, drug manufacturing is defined as the packaging or the creation of drugs to get them into a position where they are available for public use. The impact of packaging drugs in a drug manufacturing drug charge is that they are just some of the elements or theories that the prosecution can use to try and prove the manufacturing related charges.
Manufacturing is a type of criminal drug-related offense. It has a different element of proof than other drug related offenses might have. How the defense argues properly to defend against the charge is slightly different than other drug-related offenses.
Reducing the Charge
Someone involved in a drug manufacturing case may be able to reduce the charge to something different like conspiracy to manufacture. A person who is only involved in certain aspects of the crime is not any less likely to be charged with the actual manufacture of the drug. A person involved in any phase of the manufacture can be charged with manufacturing.
Involvement of the Federal Government
Bethesda law enforcement treats manufacturing charges and cases very seriously. Oftentimes, drug manufacturing is large enough and the concern is high enough that the case could be referred to the Federal Court System or handled by the Department of Justice.
People should recognize that these charges are taken very seriously by all law enforcement, not just Bethesda laws enforcement.
Importance of a Lawyer
With drug-related conspiracy to commit drug related offenses, it is important to look for certain qualities that a client’s Bethesda drug conspiracy attorney should have, particularly a mastery of the Fourth and Fifth Amendments of the Constitution. These areas of the law have some impact on the other areas of criminal law and often come up in other kinds of criminal cases.
Most often, drug-related offenses are defined by these particular areas of the law. So it is important to look for a lawyer who has a mastery of these particular amendments to the Constitution.
Meeting with an Attorney
When someone needs a drug conspiracy attorney in Bethesda, they should look for one that has a great deal of experience handling criminal cases in the Montgomery County District Court and Circuit Court Systems. The attorney should be aware of the prosecutors, the judges, and all parties that might be involved, and anticipate arguments from all sides when it comes to particular constitutional issues that are raised.
Before meeting with an attorney, an individual should gather all of the paperwork and documentation they have and be prepared to have a very frank conversation with their Bethesda drug conspiracy lawyer about the case so that the attorney can do a thorough investigation to formulate the most appropriate defense to the criminal charge.