Those who have been charged with drug possession may wonder about how severely drug penalties are treated. Simple possession is viewed with a lot of mercy and understanding to the user. Especially if this is a first offense, it is given a lot of leeway by the Commonwealth in court. Police officers try to pick up and arrest users, but they do so because they want to ultimately use that individual to help them find the bigger dealers. Those who have been arrested for simple possession normally do not face harsh Arlington drug possession penalties. However, at the same time, the Commonwealth and the police officers will attempt to use that individual, if they can in order to help them catch big-time dealers. If an individual wants to know more about the penalties they may face, they should consult a knowledgeable drug possession lawyer today.
The Arlington drug possession penalties a person would be looking at a are Class 5 felony, for possession of a Schedule I or Schedule II substance, which carries anywhere from zero time in jail, to ten years and a fine of $2,500. At that same token, there is a first offender program for a Schedule I or Schedule II substance. There are first offender programs for all substances. Just know that if someone is looking at a marijuana substance or a Schedule I or Schedule II, with Schedule I or Schedule II, someone is looking at a one-year continuance, one hundred hours of community service, and substance abuse treatment and when you get those things done, they will dismiss the case against you.
A Schedule III substance Class 1 misdemeanor is 0-12 months and Schedule IV substance is a Class 2 misdemeanor with 0-6 months; Schedule V substance is a Class 3 misdemeanor with $500 fine. Schedule VI is a Class 4 misdemeanor and a fine of $250. The lower your schedule, the lower the class and the further away you get from the Schedule 1 the closer you get to just getting a fine and going home.
Arlington drug possession penalties are slightly more lenient when it comes to the possession of marijuana. A first offense possession of marijuana is a Class 1 misdemeanor. It is special in that it only carries a maximum penalty of 30 days in jail and a fine of $500, and there is a first offender program. If an individual wants to pursue the program, they continue the case for six months, complete community service, and goes through substance abuse program. If someone does community service and the substance abuse, they will dismiss the case after a six-month period on a first offense simple possession of marijuana.
On a second offense simple possession of marijuana, a person is looking at 12 months in jail and a fine of $2,500. There is no first offender program for a second-offense. However, practically speaking, they are not going to put someone in jail for 12 months but a person can get up to 12 months in jail for a second offense marijuana.
There are alternatives to Arlington drug possession penalties. On first offenses depending on the schedule an individual can do community service, a person can go through treatment programs, and have the charge dismissed. What you see in Richmond the most are going to be marijuana and Schedule 1 or Schedule 2 substances. On marijuana, a person is looking on a six-month continuance, 24 hours community service, and drug treatment.
If an individual does that and as long as that person remains clean and completes the treatment process, the community service, that dismisses the case. On a Schedule 1 or Schedule 2 substance, an individual is looking at a similar situation, a hundred hours of community service, after a hundred hours of community service, that person goes through drug treatment, they follow the treatment, that person stays drug and sometimes alcohol free, and they will dismiss that person’s case.
They do have these different programs, often referred to them as diversion programs, but there are different programs that individuals can avail themselves of on first offenses that can also and may lead to charges being dismissed against that individual. If an individual wants to know more, they should consult a knowledgeable drug possession lawyer today.
Northern Virginia Criminal Defense Group
