Drug Crimes Lawyers Serving Clients Throughout Charleston & Columbia
Handling Drug Charges Throughout South Carolina
Drug crime charges often come hand in hand with DUI charges. In the course of a traffic stop, a law enforcement agent may notice drugs in plain view on the seat of the car. The police officer may have reason to suspect that a bulge in the driver’s shirt pocket is a bottle containing a controlled substance — and a drug possession case comes about.
Benefits Of Hiring A Drug Lawyer In South Carolina
You don’t know what you don’t know. That fact is never more important than when you are facing severe criminal penalties as a result of drug charges. When you are staring prison time, fines, and irreparable harm to your personal and professional reputation, you can afford nothing less than a tenacious defense from a proven South Carolina criminal defense attorney.
At Drennan Law Firm, we bring a tremendous track record to the table and our reputation precedes us among prosecutors, law enforcement, and other attorneys. When you choose us to handle your drug defense, the prosecution knows you are not looking to make things go away at any cost; instead, they know you will hold their feet to the fire and make sure that proving guilt is truly a burden for them in every sense of the word.
We begin by thoroughly investigating the circumstances surrounding your arrest and any investigation that took place prior to your arrest. We make sure that all proper procedures were followed by police officers and other law enforcement and, if not, take procedural steps to have the resulting evidence against you invalidated. For example, were the alleged drugs found during a search that occurred without a valid warrant? If you were pulled over, was there reasonable suspicion to warrant a search of your vehicle? If your constitutional rights were violated, we will fight to make sure they are not able to violate you a second time at trial.
Based on what we learn about your situation we will create a clear picture of your defense options and potential outcomes. If a plea agreement to a lesser charge is an option, we will make sure you understand the consequences so you can make an informed decision. If a plea is not in your best interest, we have the skills to build a strong defense that will withstand scrutiny by prosecutors, judges, and juries.
The bottom line is that by having an experienced drug attorney on your side you give yourself the best chance to limit the damage you suffer from South Carolina felony and misdemeanor drug charges such as possession.
Get Drug Crime Defense That Doesn’t Back Down
Drennan Law Firm has handled hundreds of drug crime cases, including:
- Possession
- Possession with intent to distribute
- Drug dealing
- Drug trafficking
- Misdemeanor charges
- Felony charges
- Federal drug conspiracy cases
- Appeals taken all the way to the United States Supreme Court
Our cases have included a broad variety of illegal substances:
- Marijuana
- Cocaine
- Crack cocaine
- Heroin
- Ecstasy
- Prescription drugs obtained or transported illegally
Let our criminal defense attorneys help you today.
South Carolina Drug Laws And Penalties
The penalties for drug crimes in South Carolina are steep. The range of penalties includes expensive fines, jail time, imprisonment, probation, and more. Prosecutors love making an example out of drug offenders and the typical citizen loves the idea of being tough on “those people”, failing to realize that even good people can find themselves on the wrong side of criminal drug charges.
Beyond the criminal penalties it’s important to take a moment and consider what a drug conviction on your record may mean for the rest of your life. You may find you are unable to obtain housing due to having a criminal record. Your conviction could prevent you from obtaining financial aid for your education as you seek to turn things around. Drug convictions showing up on your background check could preclude you from finding or maintaining gainful employment. The collateral damage of a criminal drug conviction can last for the rest of your life after you’ve paid your debt to society.
Despite the liberalization of marijuana laws in large swaths of the country, marijuana is not only illegal in South Carolina, it can result in harsh criminal penalties. For example, a first conviction for simple possession can result in fines up to $1,000 and/or 30 days in jail, with a second conviction bringing up to a year in jail. If you find yourself on the wrong side of a trafficking charge you can face up to 25 years in prison and/or fines up to $250,000 depending on the amount of marijuana.
Penalties are the same for crack cocaine and powder cocaine in South Carolina, with possession penalties ranging from 3 years in prison and/or up to $5,000 in fines for a first offense up to 10 years/$12,500 in fines for a third offense. Trafficking cocaine can result in up to 30 years in prison and/or up to $200,000 in fines depending on the amount.
No matter the drug charges you face you need to realize that you face criminal penalties in addition to collateral damage that can last a lifetime. It’s important to have an attorney fighting to limit the damage and protect your future.
Busted in Charleston? Our Attorneys Aggressively Defend the Accused
When you have been charged with a drug crime, it is, of course, too late to change the laws or to change the way that police and other government agencies seek to enforce the laws. But it is not too late to stand your ground in defense of your constitutional rights. Are you facing drug charges in the Charleston area? Drennan Law Firm is a valuable resource. Our criminal defense attorneys take on the toughest criminal cases clients face, and work tirelessly to reach favorable outcomes. We represent clients throughout SC, including Charleston, Mt. Pleasant, & Columbia.
Make the call or send the email. Contact our drug crimes lawyers to schedule a consultation about your drug or DUI case in South Carolina with no further obligation.