San Jose Drug Crimes Lawyer

Were you arrested for drug crimes in San Jose, CA? Don’t risk getting stuck with an attorney who doesn’t return your calls or doesn’t treat your case with the urgency that it deserves. The outcome could have life-altering consequences, and you deserve a lawyer who uses their full resources to fight for your freedom. That’s why you’ll want to call the San Jose drug crimes lawyer at Ahmed & Sukaram, Attorneys at Law as soon as possible after your arrest at (408) 217-8818.

In our over 30+ years of combined experience, we’ve successfully defended more than 3,000 people accused of all types of crimes. Since 2005, we’ve helped countless people avoid jail time and move on with their lives after being charged with drug crimes. Our team will help you if you have a situation with a violent crime in San Jose, federal crime, homicide, weapons charge in San Jose, white collar crime, and more.

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How Ahmed & Sukaram, Attorneys at Law Can Help With a Drug Crimes Charge in San Jose

Getting arrested for any crime is nerve-wracking and scary. You can count on our San Jose criminal defense lawyers to give you straightforward advice about your legal options. With a Certified Criminal Law Specialist on our team, you can trust that we have the knowledge and training to handle even the most complex criminal cases.

Whether you are accused of drug possession, sale, manufacturing, or trafficking, we will get to work immediately building your defense by:

Pouring over the police reports and all evidence in your case to look for weak spots or inconsistencies that could help your defense
Hiring private investigators to do background checks on witnesses for the prosecution
Listening carefully to you to understand the full story from your perspective
Keeping you informed every step of the way and always let you know where your case stands
Interviewing witnesses who may have information that can help your case
Working with the district attorney to negotiate a favorable plea deal
Presenting a vigorous defense in court, if your case has to go to trial

We’ve been nationally recognized for our advocacy skills and legal knowledge—including being named in the National Trial Lawyers Top 100 and American Society of Legal Advocates Top 40 Under 40—but what we’re truly proud of is seeing our clients walk free. Call our San Jose, California law office today for a free case evaluation.

Overview of Drug Crimes in California

California law prohibits possession of controlled substances without a prescription. Controlled substances include:

Schedule I drugs: examples include heroin, cannabis, LSD, and Ecstasy
Schedule II drugs: examples include oxycodone (OxyContin), methamphetamine, cocaine, Vicodin, and fentanyl
Schedule III drugs: examples include ketamine, drugs with less than 90 milligrams of codeine (like Tylenol with codeine), steroids
Schedule IV drugs: examples include Valium, Xanax, and Ambien
Schedule V drugs: examples include drugs with low amounts of narcotics, like some cough medicines with codeine

When people think of drug crimes, they tend to think of things like heroin or cocaine, but you can get hit with a drug charge for possession of a prescription drug.

Drug crimes in California include a wide range of offenses, including:

Possession
Possession with intent to distribute
Transporting a controlled substance
Drug trafficking
Prescription fraud
Being under the influence of a controlled substance
Driving under the influence

The district attorney will try to tack on as many charges as possible. The sooner we can get to work reviewing the evidence, the better the chance we can obtain a favorable outcome for you.

What’s required to convict you will be specific to the offense, but in general, the prosecution must prove:

You possessed, sold, transported, or manufactured a controlled substance
You knew that the substance you possessed, sold, transported, or manufactured was a controlled substance

The prosecution must prove your case beyond a reasonable doubt. The more evidence we can get thrown out, the weaker their case becomes.

Keep in mind that you could face federal drug charges as well. We are well-versed in the local court systems, and we have good relationships with the county district attorneys, but we also have the knowledge and experience to handle high-stakes federal drug crimes.

What Are the Penalties for Drug Crimes in California?

Some drug crimes may be misdemeanors, some may be felonies, and some may be “wobblers,” which means they may be charged as a misdemeanor or a felony. Generally, the amount of drugs involved, the type of drug, your criminal history, and the general circumstances of the situation can affect how your crime is charged.

The penalties vary widely, so it’s impossible to cover all the penalties for all drug crimes in California. With a full case evaluation, we can let you know the penalties for the crimes you’ve been charged with and how your specific situation may affect the consequences you could face if convicted.

In general, if you’re charged with a misdemeanor, you could face:

Up to 1 year in county jail
Probation
Up to a $1,000 fine
Mandatory drug treatment
Community service

If you’re charged with a felony, the possible penalties are:

Time in state prison, potentially up to 9 years
Fines up to $20,000

There are a number of circumstances that could subject you to stiffer penalties. For example, if you’re convicted of a drug crime, penalties may be enhanced if you sold drugs:

To a person convicted of a violent felony
To someone who is pregnant
To someone undergoing mental health or drug treatment
Near a homeless shelter
Near a school

In general, you may face a tougher sentence if you have prior convictions, were on probation, or used a weapon during the commission of a crime.

If you’re ordered probation for a felony drug crime, you could face community service and up to a $2,000 fine, in addition to other conditions of your probation.

In some cases, you may be eligible for a drug diversion program, which entitles you to the dismissal of your charges upon completion of a treatment program.

Contact us as soon as possible if you are arrested or being investigated for a drug crime. We take a proactive approach and get right to work strategizing about the best way to build your defense. If possible, we like to present a compelling argument to the district attorney before charges are filed to stop your case in its tracks.

Other Consequences of a Drug Crimes Conviction in California

As if prison and fines were not harsh enough, a drug conviction can wreak havoc on other aspects of your life.

After a conviction, you could:

Lose your driver’s license or professional license
Get fired from your job or have difficulting getting hired
Be denied a home loan
Have trouble renting an apartment
Be prohibited from seeing your children
Lose your right to own a gun
Lose your right to vote
Face trouble with immigration
Be limited in your ability to travel

If you can’t work and can’t find a place to live, your financial situation and your credit can quickly decline, leaving you in a desperate spot. You need to fight these charges with everything you can to mitigate future consequences as much as possible. We want to help, so call now.

How Can I Defend Myself Against a Drug Crimes Charge?

There are a number of possible defenses to a drug crime charge. We aggressively defend you with a strategy that is well-supported by the evidence in your case, which could include:

Arguing that you didn’t possess the drugs
Arguing that you didn’t intend to sell the drugs
Challenging admission of evidence that was seized illegally
Uncovering mistakes made by the police, such as chain of custody issues
Exposing police misconduct, such as coercing a confession, planting evidence, or lying about where they found the drugs
Discrediting witnesses who are biased against you
Challenging the validity of toxicology reports
Challenging the police’s probable cause
Proving you did not know that the drugs were on your person or in a place under your control
Securing witness testimony or other evidence that proves you possessed the drugs at the express direction or with authorization from someone with a valid prescription for the drugs
Presenting evidence that you were solely transporting the drugs to discard them in a lawful manner

If we can’t get your charges dropped, we do everything we can to weaken the prosecution’s case against you. Our goal is to lessen your chance of getting convicted and reduce the severity of the consequences you’ll face if convicted.

Schedule a Free Case Evaluation with a San Jose Drug Crimes Lawyer

If you’re charged with drug crimes in California, you face prison time, big fines, and other collateral consequences that could affect your personal and professional life for years to come. Ahmed & Sukaram, Attorneys at Law will step in immediately to protect your rights and get working on a strong defense to protect your future.

Our San Jose drug crimes lawyers are fierce defenders of people accused of drug crimes and will work hard to get you the best possible result. Call today for a free and confidential case evaluation.

You can also contact a drug crimes lawyer in Redwood City.

Our San Jose, CA criminal defense law firm also provides: