Did you know that 68 million people in America alone are living with criminal records? A criminal record is not something to be taken lightly. It can completely change your life — and obviously, not for the better. The issue with living with a criminal record is that it affects virtually everything that you do. Depending on the type of record you have, you might not be allowed to live in certain areas. You can be denied jobs, and even sometimes denied a chance at returning to school. For that matter, there is a certain level of prejudice that people have against those criminal records; even your social life can and probably will suffer if your criminal record becomes public knowledge. In many cases, it inevitably will become known to those who live around you. You may even be obligated to disclose your record. None of this is necessarily fair, and not all people with criminal records have them because they deserve them. Many relatively minor drug charges lead to people dealing with convictions that have permanent spots on their records. If you find a good attorney, you may be able to avoid a conviction altogether, and if not work with a much lighter penalty. You may also be able to deal with a conviction that will be wiped from your record after a certain amount of time. Below, we’ll look into the realities of dealing with drug charges today, and why you need a lawyer on your side.
Narcotics Possession: Why You’ll Need A Lawyer
In the States, there are many different types of illegal drugs, and they fall into different classes. It’s true that in some cases, being found in possession of marijuana might not be quite as bad as being found in possession of a “harder” drug — though this depends on what kind of judge you’re dealing with and where you live. But if you’re found in possession of narcotics, you’re always at risk of a serious penalty and should call a narcotics attorney immediately. As any narcotics attorney can tell you, narcotics are considered a serious issue right now, and the war on drugs is targeting them. Say you’re in Indiana — if you’re found in possession of a controlled substance within 1,000 feet of a school, park, housing complex, or youth center, you can be punished with a prison sentence of 20 to 50 years depending on the substance. Really, the punishment depends not on whether or not you were taking the substance, but on what it is and how much is in your possession.
Drug Offenses: The Different Types
Again, different types of drugs are viewed differently depending on where you live. For that matter, there are attorneys who specialize in specific types of drugs. There are prescription drug attorneys, narcotics attorneys, marijuana defense lawyers, and much more. A marijuana charge might not seem like a big deal at the time, but you’re going to want a defense attorney on your side no matter what. If you’ve been found in possession of narcotics in Indianapolis, you’ll certainly want to find a narcotics attorney in Indianapolis, because the punishment for such a crime can be severe there. Opiate charges certainly require the help of lawyers who specialize in such issues as well, as they tend to be handled rather aggressively in this day and age. Although you can technically defend yourself against such charges, the outcome likely won’t be in your favor.
Is An Attorney Worth It?
Do attorney services cost money? Yes. But ultimately, having an attorney on your side is worth much more than the money you’ll spend on one. If convicted of a drug charge, you could spend years in prison, and at the very least likely be forced to pay a penalty of some kind and have a conviction on your criminal record. Having an attorney stick up for you means that you’ll be more likely to end up with a decision in your favor in some way.