Drug charges, including possession, manufacturing, and delivery, carry substantial fines and the potential for jail or prison time. A drug crime conviction will also give you a permanent criminal record, which can disrupt your life for years or decades. When you have a drug crime lawyer in Richardson on your side, you will have someone to protect your legal rights and help you fight for your future. At the Law Offices of Randall B. Isenberg, we aggressively pursue a reduction or dismissal of drug charges for our clients. We will mount the strongest possible defense and fight tirelessly on your behalf to help achieve the best possible outcome for you.
Contact us at 214-696-9253 to schedule your free consultation with our team.
A Drug Crime Conviction May Mean a Lengthy Jail Sentence
To determine whether a specific drug crime will send you to jail or prison, we look to the Texas Controlled Substances Act (CSA). The CSA establishes three categories of drug crimes:
- Possession
- Manufacturing
- Delivery
The penalties associated with each of these offenses depends on the type of illegal drug or controlled substance involved, as well as the quantity. If any aggravating circumstances accompanied the offense, the charges you face will increase in severity and penalty.
Potential charges range from a Class C misdemeanor — the least severe — to a first-degree felony, the most severe.
Upon conviction for a Class C misdemeanor, you will face a small fine ($500) but no jail time. You will, however, gain a permanent criminal record for your trouble.
For any other type of drug crime, you will face potential jail time as well as a substantial fine, as demonstrated below.
| Charge | Penalty |
| Class C Misdemeanor | Monetary fine of $500 |
| Class B Misdemeanor | Monetary fine up to $2,000
Jail sentence up to 6 months |
| Class A Misdemeanor | Monetary fine up to $4,000 fine
Jail sentence up to 1 year |
| State Jail Felony | Monetary fine up to $10,000 fine
State jail sentence of 6 months to 2 years |
| Third-Degree Felony | Monetary fine up to $10,000 fine
Prison sentence of 2 to 10 years |
| Second-Degree Felony | Monetary fine up to $10,000 fine
Prison sentence of 2 to 20 years |
| First-Degree Felony | Monetary fine up to $10,000 fine
Prison sentence of 5 years to life |
Upon conviction for a drug crime, you will also have to pay court fees and costs. The judge may give you community service, supervised probation, or require you to attend substance abuse education or addiction counseling, at your expense.
If you face felony drug crime charges, a conviction may cost you your right to vote, sit on a jury, or own a firearm.
The most impactful aspect of a drug conviction is that it will remain on your record permanently. Whenever anyone runs a background check, they will have access to this information. Employers can use this information to deny your job application, and landlords may refuse to rent to you. You may struggle to get into a good college or university and become ineligible for student loans. You may not be able to hold a professional license, such as those required to sell real estate or insurance.
How Having a Drug Crimes Lawyer in Richardson Can Help You
The only way to avoid drug crimes penalties is to fight the charges. Randy Isenberg and his team provide aggressive criminal defense for clients facing drug crime charges in Richardson.
Our firm will work tirelessly to protect your freedom and future. We will uphold your legal rights and provide the information and answers you need to make the right choices for your future.
When you enlist our help with your case, we begin by carefully analyzing the facts and evidence in your case. Often, we can identify errors or legal rights violations made by the police. This information can provide the necessary leverage for us to negotiate with the prosecutor to get your charges reduced or dismissed.
If you meet the requirements for a diversion or delayed adjudication program, we can assist you in applying and getting approved for the program, and in getting your record cleared once you complete your obligations.
Types of Drug Crimes in Richardson
When pursuing drug charges in Richardson, the prosecutor can charge you with drug possession, manufacturing, or delivery — or a combination of these. A conviction requires the prosecutor to demonstrate beyond a reasonable doubt that you knowingly or intentionally committed that crime.
Drug Possession
Drug possession, according to the statutes, means that you had an illegal drug or controlled substance on your person or in a location that you control. Having drugs in your pocket or bag constitutes actual possession, a fact that the prosecutor can more easily prove.
If the police found drugs in your home or your car, this constitutes constructive possession, which may offer a greater potential for legal challenge. If you share the area in which officers found the drugs, we can argue that the drugs belonged to another party and that you had no knowledge of their existence.
Drug Manufacturing
Drug manufacturing means that you cooked, mixed, or prepared an illegal substance. In Richardson, the police can also arrest you for having the ingredients or equipment necessary to make an illegal substance.
Drug Delivery
Drug delivery means that you sold, transferred, distributed, or gave an illegal substance to another person.
The prosecutor will determine which charges to pursue based on the type of drug or illegal substance and the quantity in question.
The statutes categorize illegal substances into penalty groups. Examples of drugs contained in each penalty group are as follows.
| Group 1 | Group 1A | Group 2 |
| Opium derivatives not listed in Penalty 3 and 4 (e.g., heroin) | LSD | Synthetic THC |
| Opiates | Ecstasy/MDMA | |
| Cocaine | Quaaludes | |
| GHB | Psilocybin (mushrooms) | |
| PCP | Amphetamines |
| Group 2A | Group 3 | Group 4 |
| Synthetic cannabinoids | Xanax | Codeine compounds |
| Ritalin | Morphine compounds | |
| Valium | Opium compounds |
You can review a more detailed breakdown of the Richardson drug crimes and penalties in the Texas Controlled Substances Act.
Free Consultation with a Drug Crime Lawyer in Richardson
Attorney Randall Isenberg has spent more than 35 years in the criminal justice system, including time spent as a chief felony prosecutor and state judge. We will put this knowledge and experience to work for you.
The Law Offices of Randall B. Isenberg offers a free consultation and case evaluation to help you understand your options. Contact us today at 214-696-9253 to learn more about how we can help you.
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