The Virginia judgments regarding the illegal possession of any drug, except drug, are some of the toughest in the nation. For example, the maximum penalty for possession of a controlled dangerous substance, which is a misdemeanor in Virginia, includes a $ 25,000 fine and four years in prison. However, the state passed a law reducing the penalty for possession of the drug for less than a year with a fine of up to $ 1,000.
The sanctions in Virginia for the sale, distribution or manufacture of drugs are even harder than those for possession. These crimes are serious crimes. People who are responsible for the manufacture, sale or distribution of certain drugs, such as LSD or PCP, can be sentenced to 20 years in prison, in addition to a possible fine of $ 20,000. Those facing fabrication, sale or distribution charges of Schedule I, II drugs are also subject to 20 years in prison, as well as a $ 25,000 fine.
HIGH VOLUME OR DRUG ACTIVITY
Those people who are believed to be “volume distributors” because of the number of regulated substances that officials believe are distributing face to a mandatory minimum sentence of five years and a fine of $ 100,000 if found guilty. It also brings large quantities of drugs through state lines – such as 28 grams of cocaine, 4 grams of opium, or 1,000 dose units of LSD in the state could be subject to federal drug laws, which are hard. There are also special state laws designed to punish “drug lords,” a drug lord is defined as an organizer, financier, or manager who conspires to transport controlled substances in the state to sell or distribute them.
DRUG OFFENSES
If an individual is convicted of for more than a year drug-related offense, prior offenses may affect your judgment in a Virginia court by increasing the mandatory minimum penalties that may be imposed by the judge. For example, the necessary minimum in case of repeat distribution or with the intention of distributing drugs such as LSD or cocaine is ten years. The third offense will cause mandatory prison for twenty-five years. A fourth conviction may cause 40 years in prison and a $ 100,000 fine.
Penalties for drug offenses can also be changed for a variety of other reasons. For example, convictions are usually improved due to a drug that is given 1,000 feet from a school. It may cause a penalty of almost twenty years of imprisonment and a fine of $ 20,000. Another common reason a sentence is enhanced is that the state can show that the defendant possessed the firearm, and therefore, the possession was related to the trafficking of a drug other than the drug.
A drug conviction can lead to adverse legal consequences, and it can also affect various factors of the life for instance, as the ability for finding a job or the place when someone lives. A Virginia attorney who knows state and federal drug laws can examine your case for police procedural errors, and other substantive or constitutional arguments can potentially be used to reduce the charges against you or to win your drug case in the trial.
If you need the help of a drug lawyer in VA with this type of a case in Fairfax, City of Fairfax, Prince William (Manassas), Fauquier (Warrenton), Loudoun (Leesburg), Caroline, Stafford, Spotsylvania, Chesterfield, Henrico, Arlington, Richmond, Alexandria, Warren (Front Royal), Clarke, Shenandoah, King George, Charles City, Frederick, Fredericksburg, Gloucester, Hanover, Hopewell, James City, King & Queen, King William, New Kent, Newport News, Petersburg, Prince George, Rappahannock or York, call our law firm immediately for help and speak to a lawyer about your options. B
