Drug Crime Lawyer in Lexington, MO. Even just “simple possession” of an illegal substance can land you in prison. in particularly serious cases, you could be charged with drug dealing instead of just possession. On your own, without a knowledgeable Lexington, MO, criminal defense lawyer, your chances of a positive outcome are slim.
Combs Waterkotte is here to help you avoid that fate. Your attorney from our team is ready to defend against any drug charge in Lexington, MO, and a team that is available around the clock if you have any questions or need any help.
If you need an experienced Lexington, MO, drug crime lawyer, we’re just a call away. Call us at (314) 900-HELP or send us a note on line for a no-obligation review of your charges.
Lexington, MO, Drug Crime Lawyer: Page Summary
On this page, we outline how a drug crime lawyer in Lexington, MO, will take direct action to help you, Missouri’s illegal substance related laws and consequences, the top qualities to look for when deciding on a drug defense attorney, and list some helpful resources available to help people facing drug charges in Lexington, MO.
If there’s a specific topic you want to learn more about, you can jump ahead using the links below:
- What a Lexington, MO, Drug Crime Lawyer Does
- Lexington, MO, Drug Charges We Defend and Their Penalties
- Lexington, MO, Drug Crime Lawyer Essential Qualities
- Different Diversionary Pathways for Drug Accusations in Lexington, MO
- Resources to Help With Substance Abuse and Drug Crime Allegations
- Contact a Drug Crime Lawyer in Lexington, MO, Today
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Over 80 Years
What a Lexington, MO, Drug Crime Lawyer Does
When you call an experienced Lexington, MO, drug crime lawyer from Combs Waterkotte, you get skillful legal representation from day one. Regardless of the particulars, you need to have an attorney on your side to fight for your rights and won’t back down.
Here are the steps we take to help after your call:
- Listen to Your Side of the Story: The outcome of your case matters, but so does your experience while you fight it. We will treat you right and keep you informed through the process.
- Protect You During Interrogations: No matter what, whether or not you broke the law, having a lawyer in the room with you can protect you from negative outcomes.
- Fight for Bail: If you’re facing drug charges in Lexington, MO, you may or may not get bail; getting it depends on certain subjective factors. Our team will fight for your freedom and a low bail amount.
- Decide on a Powerful Defense Strategy: Every case has unique details and circumstances. We can help you find the best defensive strategy to fit yours.
- Explore Plea Deal Options: Plea bargains can be a powerful strategy to find a positive outcome for your case, without the high risk of a trial.
- Defend You at Trial: If the negotiations don’t give us an outcome that you find acceptable, our trial-ready team of drug crime lawyers will represent you in court.
- Represent You for Sentencing/Appeals/Parole: After a trial, you may have the option for sentencing, appeal, and/or parole hearings. Our lawyers can stay by your side and help you explore further options.
Effective Strategies Our Lawyers Use Against Drug Charges
There are many tactics that we can use when fighting drug charges. When you work with us, we’ll look at the below defense strategies and figure out what fits your circumstances best:
Lack of Intent
If you didn’t mean to break the law, many times, you can’t be held liable for your actions. Drug charges can often center around intent, because you can face criminal accusations just for being near a controlled substance, even if you’re not guilty of using it. For example, if there were drugs in your vehicle but they weren’t yours, you can argue that you did not have the intent to possess them.
Substance Analysis Errors
Before you can be convicted, the state needs to prove what that substance was. If there was an error in the scientific analysis used to identify it, we can exploit that to have the evidence thrown out.
Illegal Search and Seizure
Your Fourth Amendment rights restrict the police’s ability to search you for evidence. This means that police cannot search you for evidence with either a warrant or probable cause. Your Lexington, MO, drug crime lawyer can question the legitimacy of these warrants and probable cause inferences.
Entrapment
entrapment is a process where a state official (likely undercover) causes a person to commit an illegal act, when they wouldn’t have otherwise. If you were a victim of entrapment, that can be grounds for a dismissal of your charges.
Drug possession defenses require specialized expertise, because not every type of criminal defense strategy will work for them. This is because many are vice crimes, so strategies like “self-defense” aren’t applicable.
On the other hand, this allows for other defense strategies that only work against drug charges. For example, let’s look at a hypothetical marijuana criminal charge. While Missouri has largely decriminalized it, adults over 21 cannot carry more than 3oz of marijuana at a time. If you only had 3oz on you, but something was wrong with the law enforcement’s scale, and it showed more than 3oz, you can claim that there was a measurement error and you were actually innocent.
Vice Crimes Definition: Vice crimes refer to a category of actions that are illegal, but committing them typically does not harm anyone other than the alleged offender. Common examples include using drugs, prostitution, and certain kinds of gambling.
Lexington, MO, Drug Charges We Defend and Their Consequences
There’s no such thing as a drug accusation in Lexington, MO, that isn’t serious. Here are some of the charges we will defend you against:
Drug Possession
Drug possession is probably the most common drug-related charge in Lexington, MO. You would ‘possess’ a drug if you allegedly had it on your person, or it was somewhere else, but you had control over it.
Drug Possession Penalty: For controlled substances other than Marijuana, possession is a class D felony, with up to seven years in prison if convicted (Marijuana possession can either be a class A or class D misdemeanor).
Drug Distribution
Drug distribution is treated harsher by the law, in most cases. These charges include when there was any form or plan for drug sales.
Drug Distribution Penalty: Distribution charges can range from a class E felony (up to four years in prison) to a class C felony (three to ten years in prison).
Drug Trafficking
Drug trafficking charges most often apply in cases with a large quantity of illegal substances. Trafficking is mostly centered around transporting drugs into Missouri, but even just possessing enough can lead to trafficking charges.
Drug Trafficking Penalty: Depending on the exact charge you face, you could be up against anything from a class C felony to a class A felony (ten years to life in prison).
Drug Manufacturing
Drug manufacturing charges arise when someone allegedly grew, mixed, or otherwise made a controlled substance.
Drug Manufacturing Penalty: Different drug manufacturing cases can face different penalties, depending on the type and quantity produced. The exact level of felony also depends on other circumstances, such as if someone was hurt or killed in the production process. The sentence can range from a class E felony up to a class A felony.
DWI With Drugs
A DWI with drugs is often treated very much like a DWI with alcohol: If you were driving with drugs in your system (even legal ones) that could impair your ability to drive, you can be accused of a DWI with drugs.
DWI with Drugs Penalty: Previous DWIs can increase the penalties for subsequent DWI convictions. If you’ve never been convicted before, the penalty is a class B misdemeanor (up to six months in jail). On top of that, you will face a license suspension.
Juvenile Drug Crimes
Juvenile drug charges need special treatment from a defense attorney to fight properly. These typically include variations on the allegations listed above. This also includes some special crimes, such as a minor in possession of marijuana.
Juvenile Drug Crimes Penalty: The potential penalties are the same as for adults, but the defense strategies are different. Your juvenile drug crime lawyer can help you maximize your chances of exiting the regular legal process and using a Lexington, MO, diversionary program.
As you probably noticed, nearly any drug charge has the potential to be a felony. To protect yourself from lifelong consequences, it’s vital to work with an expert felony drug crime lawyer to protect your freedom.
Federal Drug Charges in Lexington, MO
Most minor drug crime allegations are prosecuted by the state. But major ones, or cases in which you are alleged to have crossed state lines, are frequently taken over by the federal government. If you are facing federal charges, contact a leading federal drug charges lawyer with the strength to take on the United States Government right away.
What to Look For in a Lexington, MO, Drug Crime Lawyer
Your Lexington, MO, drug crime lawyer can’t be just anyone. If you’re trying to pick a a lawyer, look for the following:
- Experience in Lexington, MO, courtrooms
- Care for how you’re doing
- Fair and understandable payment structures
- Familiarity with the statute(s) you’re accused of violating
- A history of positive outcomes for clients
Combs Waterkotte checks off all the boxes for a high-quality drug crime lawyer. We can offer you expert legal counsel and guidance on how to move forward.
Treatment and Diversion Programs for Lexington, MO, Drug Charges
If you’re facing drug charges in Lexington, MO, you might be imagining a trial in front of a judge and jury. But there are more options. Your drug crime lawyer advise you on special courts and diversionary programs that can keep you out of prison.
While Missouri has many drug treatment courts, adult treatment courts are the most widely available. As the name would imply, these systems offer treatment opportunities over typical punishments.
The typical process involves the court identifying if someone is a good candidate for treatment services, working with the defense attorney to ensure the candidate’s rights are respected, and providing rehabilitation services to the person once they’re in the program. Typically, drug testing is required on a regular basis in these programs.
Adult treatment court isn’t the only option in Missouri. The state also offers DWI court, family treatment court, and/or juvenile court. These also offer alternatives to prison and the traditional court process, but are not set up in every county. Contact a drug crime lawyer to learn about what you have access to in Lexington, MO.
Getting Help: Substance Abuse and Legal Resources
Drug cases are complex. The interactions between law and addiction don’t always make sense. But you can find help. Below, we’ve listed some resources for assistance with both the addiction layer and the legal layer:
Substance Abuse Assistance Resources
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA)
SAMHSA is an official government organization which focuses on the mental health and wellbeing of people within the United States. They also feature FindTreatment.gov, which offers confidential and anonymous assistance with getting help.
National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA)
NIDA is primarily an informational resource, but the organization also conducts research trials in attempts to fight addiction.
Missouri Treatment Court Reports
This Missouri government resource can help you get an idea of where the nearest treatment courts are to you, and includes additional resources for locating a treatment court option.
Missouri Drug Charges Legal Resources
Missouri Drug Laws Index
Because it’s easy to get lost when reading Missouri’s legal code, we’ve rewritten some of the key drug statutes in plain English to make them more easily interpreted.
Missouri Legal FAQs
Our legal FAQs provide answers to many of Missouri’s most common legal defense questions.
Legal Glossary
Our legal glossary can help you understand the meanings behind different legal terms. This can be particularly helpful if you’ve received a letter filled with legal jargon that you’re trying to interpret.
The consequences of a drug charge are a big deal. But with the right drug crime lawyer, you can find options which can give you another chance.
Get Expert Legal Representation in Lexington, MO, From a Proven Drug Crime Lawyer
When you work with a Lexington, MO, drug crime attorney, you need to have high standards. You should be getting advice on how to best handle your case from day one.
At Combs Waterkotte, we have:
- Over 80 years of combined legal experience
- Wide-spread criminal defense resources
- Availability around the clock
- A reputation for success
Get in touch with our team at (314) 900-HELP or tell us about your case online to speak with a drug crime lawyer now.
