Every year, thousands of people are facing serious consequences as a result of their Philadelphia drug arrest. These cases often involve crack cocaine, cocaine powder, heroin, marijuana, ecstasy, or prescription drugs such as Oxycontin, Percocet or Xanax and are treated seriously in Philadelphia.
Each of these drug crimes can carry large mandatory minimum sentences depending on the weight of the drugs involved, whether the offense occurred within a school zone, or whether a handgun was possessed during the commission of the drug offense in PA.
You Will Want A Drug Crime Lawyer For Simple Possession Or More Serious Drug Crimes in Philadelphia
Many people figure the case is over if they are caught (or alleged by the police to be) possessing or selling drugs and that they ought to just cut their losses and consider taking a deal from the prosecution. Sometimes this is the most prudent action, and you will want an experienced Philadelphia drug lawyer to use whatever leverage is available to get the best possible result.
The law involving how/when police can stop, investigate, detain and arrest individuals before drugs are recovered is constantly changing. Mr. Link has litigated over a thousand cases involving these issues and knows how and when to claim that the police acted illegally and that all evidence should be suppressed (which typically results in dismissal of the case). This is often times the best way to beat a drug case.
However, many attorneys perpetuate this thought process and charge outrageous fees to negotiate pleas that a client could have gotten for himself/herself. They simply don’t have the knowledge to look for defenses that are lurking within the case.
Why Hire An Experienced Drug Lawyer in Philadelphia?
Each situation requires its own investigation and strategies to present an aggressive challenge to the case. In addition to challenging the case on constitutional grounds prior to trial, Philadelphia criminal defense attorney Patrick R. Link has won hundreds of drug cases at trial.
Cases can and frequently are won at trial by challenging the credibility of the police officers involved in the arrest, calling expert witnesses to rebut prosecution witnesses who testify that an amount of drugs is consistent with being a drug dealer, and presenting defense witnesses of our own.
Although every Philadelphia drug case is unique, charges for drug dealing arise in a number of circumstances, including but not limited to:
– Police stop a car for a real or fabricated motor vehicle violation. During the car stop, police conduct a search and find a large amount of drugs and/or cash that is more consistent with being a drug dealer than a drug user;
– Police serve an arrest warrant on a house and find large amounts of drugs, money and/or paraphernalia;
– Police utilize a confidential informant (CI) to make a purchase from an unsuspecting dealer with pre-recorded buy money; and
– Police set up a surveillance of an open-air drug market and arrest people buying and selling drugs.
How A Drug Defense Attorney Will Help Your Drug Possession With Intent To Distribute Case
Hiring a drug defense attorney will be your best option to tackle any type of drug crime in Philadelphia. As mentioned in this article there are a few ways that you can be tried for drug possession as well as for drug dealing.
If there was a hand gun in the presence of the drugs that will cause serious mandatory sentences and an experienced drug defense lawyer will help you to fight the gun charges in tandem with the drug charges.
When police allege that an individual had actual possession of drugs, the case often boils down to whether the officers are credible in the eyes of a judge or a jury. In cases where police do not observe an individual in actual possession of drugs (such as drugs being found in a glove box), the Commonwealth must prove that the person had constructive possession.
Whether you have been arrested for crack cocaine, marijuana, heroin, ecstasy, cocaine powder, or prescription drugs such as Oxycontin, Percocet or Xanax you will want representation and a trusted lawyer who has tried hundreds of drugs cases in Philadelphia.
Call LinkLaw, LLC today at 267-858-4774 for a free consultation as to what strategies can be used to effectively defend your Philadelphia drug case.
Constructive possession is defined as “conscious dominion and control”, meaning that the person knew the drugs were present AND had the power and intent to control the drugs. Attorney Link has proven strategies that have been successful at trial after a person has been arrested under both scenarios. Don’t hesitate and get in touch with Mr. Link today!
