Drug convictions can have quite a few collateral consequences for those who wind up convicted. It is imperative to think carefully about how a conviction might impact you as you are making decisions about the course of your defense.
Many people don’t realize that they have to take an active role in their defense. You can’t just let the cards fall where they may when you are dealing with a criminal defense. Each decision needs to be considered carefully, and every option needs to be vetted appropriately.
The options that you have depend on the charge you are facing and the circumstances of the case. A first-time drug charge will have vastly different options than a case involving someone with prior convictions. Thinking carefully about your situation is the only way that you can ensure that you are making the decisions that you feel comfortable with for your defense.
One avenue that you might consider in drug cases is questioning the validity of the test to determine the type of drug. In some cases, this is a major point of contention for the defense, because it actually calls more than one issue into question. You are questioning the field testing, the chain of custody and the formal testing of the substance.
We understand that you might not be ready to think about all of the what-ifs in your case, but now is the best time to do this since you have the opportunity to think carefully about each choice. An attorney can offer you opinions and guidance, but you have to make the final decisions about your case.