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Coping With Legal Issues

When I started getting into trouble I became pretty acclimated to legal procedures. Calling my attorney and working out bail was just another way to spend a Saturday night. Unfortunately, the stiffer the charges, the more difficult it was to talk my way out of a bad situation. After so many charges, I found myself slapped with a long jail sentence, and I realized that I wanted to turn things around. Fortunately, my lawyer was able to walk me through yet another process, so that I could make the right changes. My blog discusses how to emotionally cope with legal issues so that you can start living a good life.

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Coping With Legal Issues

What to Know If You Were Charged with Intent to Distribute

by Lillian Wheeler

Drug charges can be extremely serious, leaving you with potential jail time and more. If you face conviction, you can spend years in prison. This is why it is so important to fight charges associated with drugs, especially if they involve intent to distribute. So, are you facing serious charges? This is what you should know about protecting yourself.

Understand the Charges

One of the first things you need to understand is what you are being charged with. Possession with intent to distribute is a crime in which somebody knowingly possesses a controlled substance with the intention of selling it.

Keep in mind that the charges can grow significantly based on other offenses. For example, if you were in a vehicle or near a border, you could also face charges of trafficking substances.

Know the Prosecution's Tactics

The first thing that the prosecution may do in your criminal case is proving that you had a large amount of an illegal substance or that you had a substance in an illegal quantity. Your state's laws will be specific regarding how much of a substance one can possess before it could become an "intent to distribute" charge.

Sometimes, the substance is broken down into easily distributed portions. For example, pills may be placed in small bags. The presence of other items, like scales, documentations of sales, and even text messages or phone calls can also be part of the evidence.

The Consequences Are Severe

When you are charged with intent to distribute, you are facing more severe charges than you would if you were charged with drug possession. You could face a felony instead of a misdemeanor, for one.

So, what else could you face? You may be put into the system as a drug user, which could follow you even when you get out of prison. You could also face difficulties getting employment or finding a new place to live. The consequences could make your life more difficult.

You Should Hire a Criminal Defense Attorney

If you are facing charges of intent to distribute, you should hire a criminal defense attorney. These are serious charges that could lead you to time in prison, large fines, and other consequences. In some cases, intent to distribute is a life sentence.

This means you need a strong defense. Call a criminal defense attorney today to begin working on establishing a defense that protects your rights.

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