Baton Rouge Drug Crimes Lawyer

Louisiana is hard on drug crimes, and most are charged as felonies. Conviction of a drug offense can have a significant effect on your future, so being charged with drug crimes can be terrifying. It’s important to find the right Baton Rouge drug crimes lawyer. Just because you were arrested for a drug crime does not automatically mean you will be convicted. If you’re facing drug crime charges in Baton Rouge or Louisiana, you need the expertise of a skilled drug crime lawyer who can help you navigate the complex legal system and protect your rights.

A conviction for most drug crimes can result in large fines, a significant amount of time in prison, and many long-term collateral consequences. Louisiana prosecutors and police officers pursue and prosecute drug crimes harshly, and crimes may be overcharged. Legal support is essential to defend yourself against the severe consequences of a conviction and give you the greatest chance of mitigating or preventing penalties.

Secure Legal Counsel Quickly

The sooner you find skilled legal support after an arrest or charges for a drug crime, the sooner your attorney can review your case and gather evidence for your defense. Your attorney could mitigate the most severe penalties. In some cases, your attorney can even get the charges against you dropped. You should not face prosecution for a drug offense alone.

At Longman Jakuback, our attorneys are experienced in many areas of criminal defense, including drug crime laws and defense. We believe in advocating for the interests and well-being of those who are accused of crimes.

We help defend the rights of our clients and fight for those who are imprisoned due to wrongful convictions. If you or a loved one has been arrested for drug crimes, Longman Jakuback can give you the legal support you need, determining the right defense for your individual situation.

Facing state prosecutors without talented support is not advised. Our attorneys can provide you with the greatest chance of avoiding conviction.

Understanding Drug Offenses in Baton Rouge

Drug crimes can range from misdemeanor simple possession to felony distribution, manufacturing, or trafficking. Our firm has experience with each type of these cases and clients. Because of Louisiana’s drug corridors on I-10 and I-20 and our state’s many accessible seaports, federal drug task forces are vigilant in patrolling for illicit drug smugglers. In addition, Louisiana is feeling the sting of the opioid crisis — as is the rest of the nation. Given the attention federal agents are paying to drug trafficking operations in-state and the rise in personal use, arrests and prosecution for drug crimes are at an all-time high.

If you are accused of a drug crime of any kind, don’t wait: contact the criminal defense lawyers at Longman Jakuback today. For a free and confidential consultation, call us at 225-383-3644 or complete our contact form. We represent clients throughout Louisiana.

In Louisiana, common drug charges include:

• Simple Drug Possession
• Possession of Drug Paraphernalia
• Possession of Drugs with Intent to Distribute
• Drug Cultivation or Manufacturing
• Drug Distribution
• Drug Trafficking
• Prescription Drug Fraud

Drug charges are dependent on the type of crime committed, as well as the type and amount of substance involved.

Drug Schedule Classifications

Controlled substances, or substances that require a prescription to possess, are classified into five schedules on the federal and state levels.

In Louisiana, Schedule V substances are those with the lowest risk of abuse and addiction and have some accepted medical use. This includes narcotic drugs with nonnarcotic active ingredients and under a certain amount of narcotics. These substances are typically used to treat pain and minor sickness.

Schedule IV controlled substances have a low risk of abuse and dependence and include drugs like butorphanol, pipradrol, modafinil, paraldehyde, and midazolam. Schedule III substances have a low risk of psychological and physical dependence. These include benzphetamine, methandienone, testosterone, anabolic steroids, ketamine, lysergic acid, and lysergic acid amide.

Schedule III includes drugs like ketamine, anabolic steroids, lysergic acid, and benzphetamine.

Schedule II drugs are those with a high risk of abuse and physical and psychological dependence. This includes opium and opiates, fentanyl, morphine, methadone, codeine, hydrocodone, methamphetamine, phencyclidine (PCP), and nabilone.

Schedule I drugs have no accepted medical use and have the highest risk of dependency and abuse. This includes heroin, nicocodeine, marijuana, synthetic cannabinoids, peyote, mescaline, and LSD. Crimes involving Schedule I drugs are punished more harshly.

Marijuana is categorized as a Schedule I drug despite having some accepted medicinal value. Though the punishments for marijuana possession and other crimes can be harsh, possession of small amounts may result in only a fine or a misdemeanor charge.

Know Your Defense Options

Being arrested for a drug crime does not automatically lead to a conviction. Defenses against drug crime charges can include a motion to suppress, which involves questioning the manner in which the evidence was collected by officers. If the search and seizure was illegal, this may result in the suppression of significant evidence and even the charges being dropped. In other cases, the evidence was planted or gained through entrapment. In today’s turbulent political landscape, we believe more than ever in holding law enforcement accountable for the manner in which evidence was collected and whether or not that evidence can be used to sustain convictions.

In other cases, a drug crime can result in a lesser conviction than the one originally sought by police and prosecutors. Police officers in drug-related cases often attempt to bring the heaviest charges possible against the arrested individual, despite the officers’ knowing that the individual is probably not guilty of that crime. Take for instance a person arrested for having a bag of marijuana — a police officer might arrest that person for Possession with Intent to Distribute, a felony, when the person only possessed the marijuana for personal use, a misdemeanor. In situations like this, it is crucial that you have strong legal representation to prevent the lifelong consequences of receiving a felony conviction.

At Longman Jakuback, we fight against abuses of police power to make sure you don’t get the short end of the stick.

Another defense against drug crime charges is mitigation — or negotiating with the prosecutor to secure mental health or drug treatment as opposed to jail time. This can help limit the short and long-term effects of a drug charge.

A defense should be tailored to your unique case and needs. Regardless of where you or your loved one is in the process of a drug crime case, our office is standing by to assist. Our attorneys and staff skillfully bring proactive solutions to ensure that our clients’ matters are resolved efficiently and fairly.

FAQs:

Schedule A Free Consultation With Longman Jakuback in Baton Rouge Today

You have the civil right to a fair trial. It is important that you take advantage of your rights by obtaining experienced and effective legal representation. At Longman Jakuback, we strive to show your side of the story, help you avoid severe penalties, and prevent conviction, if possible. To set up a free and confidential consultation, call our office at 225-383-3644 or complete our contact form. We are a passionate, effective team of criminal defense trial lawyers committed to protecting the rights of the accused throughout Louisiana.