Protecting Those Charged With Marijuana Related Crimes
The trend in many states is toward decriminalizing possession of marijuana and other pot related crimes through laws that have legalized medical marijuana. Two states recently have even legalized marijuana for personal use. Despite this liberalization of marijuana laws throughout the U.S., North Carolina has not joined in this movement to fully decriminalize marijuana. If you are arrested for marijuana possession in Wake County or any surrounding counties you can face very serious penalties. Under North Carolina law, possession of any amount of marijuana is still a drug crime offense within the state.
Severe Consequences of a Marijuana Possession Conviction in North Carolina
The severity of penalties for marijuana possession is based on the amount of marijuana drug possession when you are arrested. While it is natural to be anxious if you face marijuana possession charges, this drug crimes statutes only tells part of the story because there are many other consequences and penalties that may flow from a criminal conviction if you are arrested with the possession of marijuana including:
Community service
Drug classes
Public record of a misdemeanor or felony conviction
Probation
Loss of certain constitutional rights for felony convictions (i.e. voting and gun ownership)
Even these other formal consequences that flow from a possession of marijuana conviction do not provide a complete picture of how one’s life may be affected by a conviction for marijuana possession drug crime. The criminal record you receive can haunt you for years and impact many aspects of your life including employment opportunities, security clearance access, qualification for professional and certain occupational licensing, immigration consequences like removal, denial of student loans and other adverse effects can result due to your crime record.
If you are facing marijuana charge because you were arrested with the possession of marijuana, our experienced North Carolina Criminal defense attorney may also employ a range of other defense strategies depending on the specific facts of your case, which include the following:
Attacking Evidence of “Possession”: Even if you were arrested with the marijuana drugs your jacket pocket, office, vehicle or close proximity to your person, this does not mean that the drugs did not belong to someone else. Our criminal defense lawyer may be able to provide evidence that others had access to where the marijuana was discovered and argue that you did not know that the drugs were present.
The Fourth Amendment Challenges to Searches:
There are many reasons that a search may be improper based on violations of Fourth Amendment protections. The police may conduct a search without a warrant based on a claimed exception to the warrant requirement that is not justified by the facts. The officers may claim that they did not have time to obtain a warrant because it might have resulted in the destruction of evidence. If the officers have already secured the scene when conducting the search, the claim of “exigent circumstances” may be attacked because there is no longer a basis to claim that the risk of the loss of evidence exists.
Contact us today
Anyone arrested for marijuana offenses in Wake County or the surrounding areas should immediately schedule a free consultation with our firm. We offer a confidential free consultation so that we can evaluate your case and suggest legal defense strategies. Please contact Granados Law Group, PLLC today at 919-650-2851 or email us so that we can start defending your freedom and reputation.
