In Virginia, drug manufacturing is charged under the same statute as distribution, sale, and possession with intent to distribute. Manufacturing is somewhat different in its sentencing guidelines and can result in a harsher penalties than other drug charges.
Due to conspiracy laws, people who are involved in any part of a drug operation potentially be considered for the same level of criminal liability as those who are either in charge or participating in more direct ways. As a Stafford County drug manufacturing lawyer knows, even someone that provides materials can be charged as a co-conspirator or held criminally liable under Virginia law. It can be critical to speak with an experienced drug attorney regarding proper defenses for your case.
Stafford County law enforcement handles manufacturing very seriously. Individuals who are involved in the creation of the drugs themselves are considered high priority. Being able to detect and apprehend people engaged in manufacturing is actually much higher priority for law enforcement than other drug cases. This is because they feel that if they can do that, they are cutting off the head of the snake or disrupting the drug trade to a much more significant degree.
The United States Constitution’s supremacy clause states that whenever there is a federal law that is in conflict with the law of one of the states, that the federal law supersedes’s the local law and should be considered of higher authority. Therefore, even if something is illegal under the laws of the state, that does not eliminate the chance of a federal law violation. In these cases, the accused can benefit from the legal support of a Stafford County drug manufacturing lawyer.
Usually the soonest someone can have a drug charge dropped would be in a misdemeanor offense case or the preliminary hearing for a felony charge. The reasons that might happen and most frequently do happen is that there are some parts of the government’s evidence that falls apart or become unavailable. It is likely that an officer may be considered an unreliable witness and the government could choose to drop the charges. There are infinite numbers of reasons why charges may be let go early on in the process; it is just not something that happens commonly.
Procedural mistakes can impact the way the government presents evidence in court. Mistakes can also affect the admissibility of damaging evidence if the police have done something inappropriate. Opportunities to drop the case are often strategic on the part of a Stafford County drug manufacturing lawyer. They may also ask a judge to suppress evidence or dismiss a case.
Experience is the most important thing to look for when seeking the help of a Stafford County drug manufacturing lawyer. The attorney will be ideally someone who has been handling these kinds of cases over a career and can try to protect your interest throughout the case.
Northern Virginia Criminal Defense Group
