Drug charges have a wide range of penalties and repercussions, that can have debilitating effects on a person’s life, whether they are short-term or long-term effects. It is it vitally important to consult with a Fredericksburg drug lawyer as soon as you are charged with any drug-related crimes. An experienced drug lawyer can fight the prosecutor’s evidence and arguments to help get the Fredericksburg drug penalties mitigated or erased.
Once initially hit with a drug charge, depending on the charge, most of the time, a person will go to jail initially. A person may get out that same day or they may be held until their court date.
Secondly, depending on the time in which a person is arrested, where they were arrested, and the particular charge itself, a person could lose their job. Virginia is an employment at will state, so if a person is arrested within their office or arrested within their place of business, or a person’s employer finds out that they have a pending drug case, they can fire the person and there is nothing precluding them or preventing them from doing so.
If a person is not given a bond, depending on the drug charge, the person is going to be forced to sit in jail until their case is ultimately heard and they will not be released. If the case is ultimately dismissed, a person has just sat in jail for no reason. If a person is ultimately sentenced to a jail sentence, they will get credit for the time spent in jail. When in jail, they will not be able to work, and the person’s family will not be able to see them.
When charged, that goes on a person’s record. Even if a person is ultimately not convicted, the charge remains there until they go through the procedure of getting the charge expunged, filing the proper paperwork with the court, and paying the fee. That charge will then remain on a person’s record as a charge.
If it is dismissed, as far as employers are concerned, if a person is looking to have certain security clearances or a person is looking for certain jobs, if the employer sees that the person was charged with felony drug offenses or even misdemeanor drug offenses, even if they have been dismissed, then a person can lose those opportunities.
If a person does receive a criminal drug charge, a person is now going to be on the police’s radar, which means that whenever anything happens and they are around, the person is going to become suspect number one because they know that the person has been charged with some kind of a drug offense and, of course, they have got “off” for that offense.
Even if that case was dismissed, the person is going to be on police radar. The person is in the system. They have the person’s name, they have the person’s social security information, they have the person’s mug shot, and they have the person’s fingerprint. If the person is pulled over for traffic offenses, that will pop up. If a person was stopped for jaywalking, that will pop up.
From that point going forward, any infraction or anything that involves police interaction, a person’s previous drug charge is going to show up and put them on high alert when dealing with the person specifically, as opposed to other individuals.
The counsel of a capable attorney is vital when one is facing a potential drug charge. Fredericksburg drug penalties can make someone’s life difficult. If you are facing drug charges, speak with an experienced lawyer who will have familiarity with the penalties, and the court system, and will know how to build your case.
Northern Virginia Criminal Defense Group
