Prescription Drug Charges Can Be Defended

Many prescription drugs are highly addictive. It’s one of the main reasons that they can only be obtained by prescription. Painkillers, anti-anxiety medications, hypnotics, muscle relaxers, tranquilizers, stimulants, depressants and other drugs are illegal to possess without a prescription.

If you’re arrested with prescription drugs in your possession, you can be charged with possession, distribution, trafficking, illegal use, obtaining prescriptions by fraud or forging prescriptions. Whether you have been charged with federal or state crime, we can defend your case.

Medical professionals are also arrested on charges of prescription drug crimes. Our firm can defend physicians, pharmacists, psychiatrists, dentists, veterinarians, nurses and others who have been accused of drug crimes.

South Carolina Prescription Drug Laws And Penalties

Prescription drugs possessed or used without a prescription are treated as controlled substances under South Carolina drug laws.

When it comes right down to it, most people who find themselves on the wrong side of the law with prescription drugs do so as a result of addiction. Look no further than our nation’s opiate crisis for a demonstration of how much of a destructive force prescription painkillers and other prescribed drugs can be, even when initially used as directed. This is why most people look at the issue of prescription drug crimes with compassion. Unfortunately, South Carolina’s drug laws don’t share that view.

Most prescription drugs fall into one of three categories under our state’s drug laws and each category has its own associated penalties:

• Schedule II: Possession of drugs such as OxyContin, Percocet and Adderall can carry penalties such as a two years’ prison sentence and a fine as high as $5,000 for a first offense.
• Schedule III: Possession of drugs such as Vicodin, Tylenol with Codeine, and anabolic steroids can result in penalties of up to two years in prison and fines up to $5,000 for a first offense.
• Schedule IV: Possession of drugs such as Xanax and Valium can result in penalties of up to six months in prison and a fine as high as $1,000 for a first offense.

In addition to the criminal penalties, having a criminal drug conviction on your record can wreak havoc in your personal and professional life due to the hit to your reputation and your record being highlighted on background checks for employment, housing and educational opportunities.

How To Fight Prescription Drug Charges In South Carolina

The best way to avoid the legal and collateral consequences of prescription drug charges is to fight them as aggressively as possible with the help of an experienced criminal defense lawyer from Drennan Law Firm. We will treat your case with the seriousness it deserves, investigating the circumstances surrounding your arrest and finding the weak points in the prosecution’s case.

For example, were the prescription drugs found in a search of your vehicle or home? If so, we will determine whether probable cause existed and whether all proper procedures were followed by law enforcement officers. For example, was there a valid warrant for a search of your vehicle or your home? If you were pulled over, did reasonable suspicion exist to warrant a search of your person or vehicle?

We will strive to have evidence suppressed if it was obtained in a way that violated your constitutional rights. This can make all the difference when seeking to have prescription drug charges reduced, dismissed or – if necessary – acquitted at a trial.

Forming an attorney-client relationship can also protect you from yourself. You can rely on your attorney to do the talking and handle the legal process so you can avoid saying anything that hurts your defense and increases the likelihood of spending time behind bars.

Potential Consequences Of Prescription Drug Charges In Charleston, South Carolina

As we’ve laid out, you face significant criminal penalties as well as collateral consequences in your personal and professional life. In many ways, those collateral consequences can have a bigger long-term impact than the criminal penalties. Once you’ve paid the fines and served your time, you’ll still be haunted by the specter of having a criminal record following you around for the rest of your life. That is reason enough on its own to make sure you have a proven advocate fighting to defeat the charges you face and protect your good name.

Personalized, Strategic Defense

At Drennan Law Firm, we defend clients throughout the Charleston area who have been charged in South Carolina. Our commitment to our clients is unwavering, and we independently investigate all cases that we handle.

Our attorneys have an in-depth knowledge of police procedures, prosecuting attorneys’ tactics and how to successfully navigate the criminal justice system. Our skilled defense team stands up for the rights of clients throughout the state.

If you have been charged with possession, fraud or illegal use of any of the following drugs, we can defend you and significantly reduce the consequences that you face:

• Xanax
• Valium
• Lunesta
• Ambien
• Percocet
• Vicodin
• OxyContin
• Oxycodone
• Tramadol
• Adderall
• Ritalin

Limitless Defense In Challenging Situations

These are only examples of prescription drugs that are commonly associated with drug crimes in South Carolina. We handle cases involving any type of drugs. Our criminal defense services are not limited. Our resources are extensive, and we don’t back down from challenging cases.

The burden of proof in criminal defense cases is generally on the prosecution, but in prescription drug crime cases, the defendant assumes the burden of producing a valid prescription.

Still, from drug manufacturing to warehousing to dispensing in the pharmacy to the end user, there is a long chain of people responsible for properly handling prescription drugs. Whether your employment, medical license, freedom or all three are under threat, we will advocate ardently for your best possible outcome.

Put Drennan Law Firm On Your Case

Please call us at 843-352-4149, or email us to schedule a free initial consultation with an understanding lawyer. Call us for immediate legal assistance. Expect high-quality, personal service.