It is wise to call a New Haven criminal defense attorney if you have been arrested and accused of illegally possessing prescription drugs. Carrying prescription drugs that were not prescribed to you personally, is illegal. In fact, it is illegal to even be carrying them for family members or roommates, unless of course, the prescription is for a minor child.

It is not worth the risk

Even having prescription drugs in the car that belong to someone else in the household can be illegal if law enforcement were to discover them. Arrest for prescription drug abuse has increased as law enforcement begins to crack down on this epidemic. Drugs like OxyContin are known to lead to heroin usage later on. Thus, this is something that law enforcement is taking incredibly seriously. Thinking otherwise would be an incredible mistake.

This is essentially the drug epidemic of our time, both politicians and law enforcement are working to create programs to catch more people that are using prescription drugs illegally and selling them. Anyone who is arrested as part of the crackdown needs to take the allegations seriously and hire a New Haven criminal defense attorney right away. Otherwise, jail time can become a fast reality.

Prescription drugs are illegal when they are not prescribed

Prescription drugs are flooding the black market either through prescriptions sold second-hand or through people getting prescriptions legally and then selling the pills individually. Again, anyone with prescription drugs that do not have a proper prescription on hand can face criminal charges.

People often make the mistake of thinking that this is not a big deal and certainly not as significant as possessing something like cocaine. However, drugs are illegal and that means that anyone convicted of using prescription drugs illegally could spend time in jail, need to pay fines and have a criminal record.

The charges could vary

It is wise to hire a New Haven criminal defense attorney, regardless of what the charges are, but doing so early could help to have the charges reduced before they are brought in court. For example, someone who has no criminal record and has never used drugs before may find that a prosecutor is sympathetic and willing to reduce the charges or to ask for a lighter penalty at the sentencing time.

These are things that can be negotiated outside of the courtroom with the help of a criminal attorney. Additionally, it is important to know that people will partially base the charges on the amount of drugs that they find on a person along with where that person was located at the time of the arrest. For example, anyone illegally possessing drugs at or near a school is likely to face far more severe penalties than someone who was arrested at the shopping mall.

Hiring a criminal attorney is the best course of action

Drug crimes are serious, regardless of the type of drug. Convictions go on a person's criminal record and can influence things like job prospects and future child custody cases. This makes it necessary and wise to hire an attorney as soon as possible. To do so, call our office and schedule a consultation.

NOTE: This is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice.