Quality Drug Crime Defense for Northern California Residents
When you or a loved one have been accused of a drug crime in Sonoma, Napa, Marin, Lake, Mendocino, or Humboldt counties, you need representation you can rely on. While California has taken measures to reduce the severity of some drug crimes, a conviction is no joke. Waste no time in contacting the drug crime attorneys at Ronald Dinan & Associates when your future is at stake. The severity of your drug violation penalty varies depending on the extent of your involvement and amount of drugs.
Drug Crime Laws and Defenses:
- Possession for Sale of Controlled Substance - California Health & Safety Code 11351
- Transport or Sale of Certain Controlled Substances - California Health & Safety Code 11352
- Possession of Drug Paraphernalia- California Health & Safety Code 11364
- Possession of Methamphetamine - California Health & Safety Code 11377
- Under the Influence of a Controlled Substance -California Health and Safety Code 11550
- Manufacturing of Drugs, Narcotics or Controlled Substances- California Health and Safety Code 11379.6
We handle criminal cases in Santa Rosa, Napa, San Rafael, Lakeport, Ukiah, & Eureka.
Drug crimes can include the following:
- Possession for personal use
- Possession for sale
- Sales/transportation of drugs
- Manufacturing or cultivation of drugs
- Being under the influence of drugs
- Driving Under the Influence of Drugs
Drugs covered by the California Health & Safety Code include prescription drugs such as Vicodin (hydrocodone), Percocet (oxycodone), OxyContin, Methadone, and others, as well as illegal drugs such as cocaine, ecstasy, and heroin. Some drugs can be legally possessed under certain circumstances, such as smaller amounts of marijuana with a physician's recommendation or a 215 medical card or a much larger amount possessed by a marijuana grower who is a legitimate member of a collective.
Call (888) 563-6268 today to discuss your case with our criminal defense lawyers.
Defenses in Drug Cases in California
A number of legal defenses are available to people who are charged with drug crimes.
Some of the more popular defenses include the following:
- The affirmative defense of legal ownership
- Denial of ownership
- Entrapment
- Search and seizure defenses
Regarding search warrants, just because a search warrant is issued by a judge does not mean it is legal. Often, the information provided by the police and included in the search warrant application to a judge contains incorrect or insufficient information. Once these circumstances are brought to the attention of the court, search warrants can be suppressed. If our defense involves a search and seizure issue, a motion to suppress will be filed by our criminal defense attorneys and, if successful, the case will most likely be dismissed.
Get Aggressive Legal Defense from Ronald Dinan & Associates
If we cannot acquire a dismissal of the criminal charges, our next step is to try to reduce the severity and/or the number of charges. As to any remaining charges, an overriding philosophy of our law firm is to treat most drug crimes as a medical problem instead of a legal problem.
If addiction or long-term use is involved, it is important to address the underlying issues through options such as a drug diversion program, drug treatment and/or rehabilitation that includes Proposition 36, California Drug Court, or a Penal Code §1000 deferred entry of judgment. Many clients, if convicted, can spend their time in a drug treatment program rather than in jail.
If you have been charged in a drug case, one of the best decisions you can make is to speak to a drug defense lawyer. Contact our firm today to request your free case evaluation!