Prescription drug offenses can be every bit as serious as any other drug offense case. People often think about the worst and hardest drugs as being the illegal ones such as heroin, cocaine, crack, or things that there is no way to get a valid prescription or there is no way that a person can possess lawfully. Contact a Stafford County prescription drug lawyer about how to build a strong defense during trial. It may be critical to speak with an experienced drug lawyer right away.
A Stafford County prescription drug lawyer knows that drugs meant for medical use are often labeled as schedule I or II drugs. Things are prescribed that are opiates such as Oxycodone or Percocet or a variety of other things are actually in the identical category as what people think of as harder drugs. If someone is caught possessing, distributing, or selling them, they could face consequences that are every bit as severe as if it were cocaine, methamphetamine, or PCP.
Prescription drug charges are a huge concern for Stafford County law enforcement. There is an epidemic in our country right now and Stafford County is certainly not immune to the illegal use of lawful dangerous drugs without valid prescriptions. Law enforcement prosecutors and courts in Stafford County are very focused on trying to stand the tide of this problem.
Even if someone has a valid prescription for something, they can be charged with a prescription drug charge for not having the actual documentation with them. It is important that the person who has the prescription prove that the drug in their possession was pursuant to that valid prescription.
Therefore, individuals with valid prescriptions are recommended to carry the medicine bottle with them rather than the medication itself. Stafford County prescription drug lawyers know that a case could be resolved if the defendant can bring forward evidence that shows a valid prescription shows that it is current, and shows that the drug that they caught in possession with came from that prescription.
When an officer, a magistrate, or even a prosecutor is making a determination about what to charge someone with, they have a fairly wide latitude to bring the charges that they think are supported by the evidence. However, proof of a prescription could help someone decrease their likelihood for conviction.
The first level of evidence in any prescription drug case is often very similar to related drug possession cases. The government is going to either have to prove in the case where the drugs are on the accused, that they knowingly and intentionally possess it or constructively possessed it.
Constructive possession is a case where the drugs are nearby but not on the defendant’s person. This case often alleges that the accused knew that they are there, what they are, are and are subject to their dominion and control.
Once the government can prove that then the other important pieces of evidence that can come into place come from the defense side and that would be to show that it is pursuant to a valid prescription, that that prescription is current, and that the drugs in question actually came from that prescription. It can be beneficial to speak with a Stafford County prescription drug lawyer about defending against the charges you are facing.
Northern Virginia Criminal Defense Group
