Getting convicted of drug charges can have serious consequences, whether it’s a misdemeanor or felony. For example, you may end up with jail time, fines, and a lifelong criminal record. No matter how it looks on the surface, having a lawyer can make a huge difference. If you’re facing drug charges, here’s why you need an experienced criminal defense lawyer.
1. A lawyer can get charges reduced
The best reason to hire a criminal defense lawyer is the fact that they have the ability to get your charges reduced. While this isn’t guaranteed, it’s something all defense attorneys are trained to do for their clients. If your lawyer can get you a plea bargain, you can get a reduction in charges, even when there’s evidence against you.
For example, if you’re fighting charges like drug possession, drug dealing, drug trafficking, or drug manufacturing, each of these carry a different penalty that varies in severity. With a plea deal, you will be given the chance to plead guilty to a lesser charge, and that might mean dropping a felony charge for pleading guilty to a misdemeanor. Typically, misdemeanors carry less jail time and lower fines, but in order to get a good plea bargain, you’ll need a lawyer.
2. A lawyer can get you a lesser sentence
Whether or not you are given a plea deal, a lawyer will fight to get you a lesser sentence. If you don’t have legal representation, you won’t know how to make your case to the judge to get what you want. On top of that, there’s a good chance you’ll get frustrated or upset in the courtroom, and you might end up saying or doing something that will make the judge hand down the harshest penalty possible.
Lawyers are skilled, trained negotiators who know exactly how judges think. If there’s an argument they can use to get your sentence reduced, they will fight hard to make that happen. The difference can be significant. For example, if the maximum penalty for your charge is 90 days in jail and a $5,000 fine, a good defense lawyer may be able to get you 30 days in jail and reduce your fine to $1,000. Either way, you’ll have to spend time in jail and pay a fine, but it will be significantly less. Even spending just one less day in jail is worth the fight.
3. A lawyer will help you avoid a guilty plea
When you don’t have a lawyer, it’s tempting to plead guilty to get it over with faster. You might think there’s no point in going to trial because it will either be too stressful, or there’s evidence against you and there’s no way you won’t be found guilty. However, the process is a bit more nuanced than that, and even seemingly simple cases require legal expertise.
Even if there’s evidence against you, you don’t have to plead guilty. You have other options, and your lawyer can tell you which plea will get you the best deal. For example, you might be better off accepting a plea deal where you plead guilty to a lesser charge in order to get a more serious charge dropped, or pleading not guilty might be the right choice.
Often, attorneys advise their clients to plead not guilty to their original charges because it’s the only way they’ll get offered a plea deal. If you don’t know this, you might think it doesn’t make sense to enter a not guilty plea when you are, in fact, guilty, and you believe the prosecution can prove their case.
4. The evidence against you may not be admissible
The legal system doesn’t work the way you may think. For instance, if a cop stopped you on the highway, searched your vehicle, and found drugs, you might believe there’s no way to get out of your charges. However, a lawyer will look into your traffic stop to see if it was a legal stop in the first place, and scrutinize how the cop came to search your car. If the drugs were found during an illegal search, this evidence is not admissible.
If you don’t have an attorney to object to evidence obtained during an illegal search, it will likely be admissible and end up supporting your conviction. On the other hand, a lawyer will speak up, and if that illegally obtained evidence is all the prosecution has against you, your case will likely be dropped.
You need a lawyer to beat drug charges
You have the right to represent yourself, but that doesn’t usually work out. If you’re facing drug charges, you need a skilled defense lawyer to fight for your rights.
Keep an eye for more latest news & updates on Internal Insider!
