Narcotic Possession and Distribution Defense Attorney in Los Angeles, CA Providing Focused Legal Support in Los Angeles County, Orange County, Ventura County, and Throughout Southern California
California prosecutors take crimes involving narcotics seriously. If you’re charged with possessing or distributing oxycodone, morphine, fentanyl, or heroin, you could face significant legal consequences. To minimize or avoid sentences such as jail time, fines, and a criminal record that can negatively impact your personal and professional reputation for years, you need a Los Angeles narcotic possession and distribution lawyer who will advocate relentlessly for you.
The team at The Law Offices of Christopher Chaney has a reputation for getting our clients the most favorable legal outcomes possible. We fight for the accused, protecting our clients’ rights while pushing for the most favorable resolution possible. Contact us today for a free, confidential initial consultation, and find out for yourself the difference our narcotic possession and distribution defense attorney in Los Angeles, CA, can make.
Narcotics Possession and Distribution Charges in Los Angeles, CA
State law restricts the possession and distribution of narcotics, including those that may be legally prescribed for medical purposes.
Narcotic is a term used to describe opioids, a class of controlled substances that have a depressive effect on the central nervous system. Opioids are addictive drugs, and while some are prescribed for limited medical purposes, others are illegal to use for any purpose.
Some opioids, like opium, morphine, and codeine, are natural substances derived from the opium poppy plant. These drugs are known as opiates.
Other narcotic drugs are synthetic substances manufactured in laboratories, such as the powerful painkiller fentanyl. There are also semi-synthetic opioids that are made in laboratories using natural opioid ingredients. These include the illicit drug heroin as well as painkillers such as hydrocodone and oxycodone.
Under Section 11054 of the California Code’s Health and Safety Code, the state establishes as Schedule I substances—drugs that have no accepted medical use and a high potential for abuse—dozens of opiates and opium derivatives, as well as certain depressants and other narcotic substances.
Section 11055 establishes which narcotics are Schedule II substances, including morphine, codeine, hydrocodone, oxycodone, hydromorphone, oxymorphone, thebaine, raw opium, and opium extracts. These drugs may be legally prescribed for limited purposes, but possessing them without a valid prescription or distributing them if you’re not authorized to do so are still prohibited acts under California law.
Different statutes of state law are relevant to offenses involving different types of controlled substances. The statutes of California law that address narcotics crimes are Sections 11350-11356.6, which comprise Article 1 of the Health and Safety Code, Division 10, Chapter 6. These statutes are part of California’s Uniform Controlled Substances Act.
Simple Possession of Narcotics
Under Section 11350 of the California Code’s Health and Safety Code, it’s illegal to possess controlled substances formerly classified as narcotics (opiates and opioids) that are considered as Schedule I substances. This statute also prohibits possession of Schedule II controlled substances and other types of controlled substances without a written prescription of a licensed medical provider authorized to prescribe the drug.
Possession With Intent to Distribute Narcotics
Under Section 11351 of the California Code’s Health and Safety Code, state law also prohibits the distribution of narcotics, including possessing or purchasing narcotics for the purpose of selling them.
Selling or Furnishing Narcotics
Selling, giving away, furnishing, transporting, or importing into the state Schedule I or Schedule II narcotics is an offense under Section 11352 of the California Code’s Health and Safety Code. This statute also establishes more serious penalties for transporting these substances within the state from one county to another noncontiguous county.
Penalties for Narcotics Drug Violations in California
Possession of narcotic drugs can result in up to one year in county jail under Section 11350 of the California Code’s Health and Safety Code. With prior convictions, you could face more serious penalties. Additionally, a judge may impose a fine.
Jail time isn’t a certainty in matters involving narcotic possession charges in California. State law provides for the possibility of a court granting probation pursuant to a felony conviction, but, except in what the law deems “unusual cases,” a fine or community service will be ordered as conditions of probation.
Distribution, or even intended distribution, of narcotics is a more serious offense than simple possession. If you are convicted of possession with intent to distribute narcotics in California, you could be sentenced to two, three, or even four years in prison.
For selling, giving away, furnishing, or transporting a Schedule I narcotic drug or a Schedule II narcotic drug without a written prescription from a licensed practitioner, you could be sentenced to three, four, or five years in prison. Transporting controlled substances from one county to another noncontiguous county within the state is punishable by three, six, or potentially even nine years in prison.
How to Win a Narcotics Possession or Distribution Case
Although distribution violations carry the steepest penalties of narcotics offenses, even a simple possession charge could result in a year behind bars. A conviction also leaves a mark on your criminal record that will appear on background checks run by prospective employers, educational programs, landlords, lenders, and others in the future. Taking effective action now, with the help of a Los Angeles narcotic possession and distribution lawyer, provides the opportunity to minimize the consequences of these criminal charges.
Choose an Experienced Narcotic Possession and Distribution Defense Attorney in Los Angeles, CA, to Represent You
You can’t hope to achieve the most favorable resolution to the legal trouble you’re in without the benefit of professional legal representation. An attorney has the extensive knowledge of California drug laws you need, as well as firsthand experience developing effective arguments in defense of the accused. Your lawyer can help you understand the legal process and navigate it with the confidence of an informed party instead of stumbling through the challenges on your own.
Develop a Defense Strategy Personalized to the Facts of Your Case
Cookie-cutter legal strategies often fail to capitalize on the strengths of individual cases or address the weaknesses that could undermine defense arguments. To have the best chance of a beneficial resolution, you need a legal strategy built upon the specific facts of your unique circumstances. Your defense should incorporate evidence in your favor, the shortcomings of the evidence against you, any potential rights violations or improper evidence collection procedures, and your priorities.
Look for All Avenues of Minimizing the Impact of Narcotics Charges
The most favorable resolution to drug charges varies depending on the specific facts of your case. Our firm will consider all paths available to you and help you understand the advantages and disadvantages of each option.
When feasible, we can seek to get charges against you dismissed entirely. However, if the evidence against you is too strong for such an effort to prove successful, we can explore other opportunities. In some cases, it may make sense to skillfully negotiate a plea deal that benefits you through downgraded charges and lighter sentences. If any of the evidence against you has been obtained improperly, we will seek to get this evidence suppressed.
Our firm is always prepared to fight for clients in court if a trial offers you the best option for defense. We present strong, compelling cases with the aim of highlighting the ways the prosecution fails to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt, urging judges and juries to deliver not-guilty verdicts.
Even in the event of a conviction, having a dedicated lawyer fighting for you still offers significant benefits. In sentencing proceedings, our attorneys can make a strong case for lighter penalties, including reduced jail time, lesser fines, or probation instead of incarceration.
How The Law Offices of Christopher Chaney Can Help
Our criminal defense firm provides comprehensive legal support during your case, ensuring you’re prepared to fight the charges against you effectively at every stage. We investigate the incident that gave rise to these charges, analyze the facts and evidence, and develop personalized legal strategies for building an effective defense. In all proceedings, we’re prepared to represent your best interests and fight to uphold your rights. We draw on our extensive experience and knowledge of Southern California’s legal system to present the most compelling case possible in your favor.
Why Choose The Law Offices of Christopher Chaney as Your Los Angeles Narcotic Possession and Distribution Lawyer?
When you choose a Los Angeles narcotic possession and distribution lawyer at The Law Offices of Christopher Chaney, you benefit from having an experienced firm on your side to guide you through the legal process and provide a personalized defense strategy.
Experienced Representation With a Proven Record of Success
Our team brings to every criminal defense case we handle the benefits of more than 100 years of combined experience in legal practice. We’ve cultivated a high success rate in securing favorable outcomes for our clients with legal skill, discretion, and unwavering dedication. Our efforts have resulted in getting charges dismissed or downgraded, negotiating lesser charges and sentences, securing not-guilty trial verdicts, and influencing sentencing proceedings for our clients’ benefit.
Comprehensive Guidance Throughout the Legal Process
Whether you’re facing charges of simple possession or distribution of narcotics, you’re in a more informed position when you have professional legal counsel on your side. We’re committed to ensuring you won’t have to face the demands of the legal process alone. You can count on us to be by your side throughout all proceedings, providing the aggressive representation you need, answering your questions, and fighting for your future.
Personalized Legal Strategies and Client Service
A thorough strategy for achieving victory must align with the unique facts of your situation: the charges against you, the circumstances of your arrest, and the strengths and weaknesses involved in your case. Our firm prioritizes personalized defense strategies that allow us to show who you are as a real person—not just a defendant accused of a crime—to the court as we develop arguments tailored to the specifics of your situation. As part of the personalized client service we provide, we’re also committed to clear, responsive communication and an empathetic approach to legal representation.
Contact a Los Angeles Narcotic Possession and Distribution Lawyer at The Law Offices of Christopher Chaney Today for a Free Consultation
It’s a mistake to underestimate how serious a narcotics charge in California can be or how drastically this legal trouble could affect your future opportunities. Anyone accused of a drug possession or distribution offense could benefit from speaking to an attorney to at least understand their rights, the legal process, and the consequences of a conviction or a plea deal.
To ensure nothing stands in the way of getting the guidance you need, our firm provides free initial case evaluations. During this confidential consultation, we will listen to the full facts of your situation, answer your questions, and help you understand your rights and legal options so you’re prepared to make informed decisions about your defense.
For help from a narcotic possession and distribution defense attorney in Los Angeles, CA, contact The Law Offices of Christopher Chaney online or call 818-330-5198 today.
