A drug offense isn’t something that is taken lightly in court. Possession of illegal drugs is a severe criminal offense that can result in years and years of incarceration if proven guilty. But is it still the same for first-time offenders? Are their crimes also considered grave, and will they most likely spend several years in prison? Is there anything else you can think of to prevent this from occurring? Can someone assist them? If this is your first offense, When you’re charged with drug possession, you may be able to avoid going to prison and even prevent a conviction if this is your first offense.
For the most part, criminals are directed to counseling programs, and their successful completion of these programs serves as proof of their supervised release. Being represented by an experienced drug lawyer will significantly help you avoid prison time or aid you in getting a lighter penalty. A first-time drug offense may be complicated, so we’ve included some extra information below to help you better understand it.
The offender’s possibility of being in prison
Even if many drug offenders end up being sentenced to prison for the first time, that doesn’t mean it’s the same for everyone.
Other considerations include the quantity of illicit substances discovered in their possession when they were arrested and whether or not they were proven to be users or salespersons. A defense attorney can assist in achieving the best possible result, but there are no assurances that prison time will not be a part of the sentence given out.
Common penalties among states
Legislators in Washington created mandatory minimum sentencing standards for drug charges in 1986 to go after the nation’s biggest drug distributors. But these rules also apply to low-level drug offenders. In terms of drug sentencing, the majority of states have taken a similar tack. The number of past convictions, the kind of substance, and the drug quantity are all taken into account when calculating these fixed penalties.
First-time offenders in several parts of the nation are sentenced to between two and ten years in jail and fined up to $20,000. Depending on the state, a fine may be as little as $30 or as much as $500, with a maximum prison sentence of 15 to 180 days. So, the location an offender is caught plays a very crucial role in determining his punishment.
Is counseling or probation a possibility?
For your first drug violation, you may be eligible for a particular probation treatment from the court. You can avoid going to prison if you meet the standards, but it’s not without risk. Sometimes referred to as 410 programs, these supervised probations may include conditions such as not breaking any other legislation during the probation period, avoiding possession of any dangerous weapon, accomplishing at least three negative drug test results, and other requirements related to the probationary program.
In addition, they differ from state to state. The court, in this case, has the option of imposing more or fewer conditions on the parties. Though it is a first offense, there is no certainty that the court will grant a probationary term. A competent lawyer has a major impact.
Being a first-time drug offender might be something that can be taken lightly, but it also has the possibility of making one suffer big time. The final results will be determined by the circumstances, the evidence, and most especially, the person representing your case in court.
