DC Prescription Drug Lawyer
A prescription drug offense is taken as seriously as a drug charge for any other controlled substance such as cocaine or heroin in DC. Prescription drug abuse is a major problem in the United States and in DC. The possession of a prescription drug without the requisite prescription can be a misdemeanor if it is for personal use, or it can be a felony if the possession was with the intent to distribute that drug. If you are facing charges involving prescription drugs, you will need the help of a DC prescription drug lawyer. An experienced drug lawyer can begin building your defense as soon as possible.
Prosecution of Prescription Offenses
Prescription drugs are indeed a priority for DC law enforcement. The United States Attorney‘s Office has prosecutors who focus primarily on this area of the drug trade. The police department cracks down to stop this area of the drug trade because it has become such a problem in society. Many prescription drugs are being abused, leading to an increase in drug overdoses. Investigating and prosecuting prescription drug charges are priorities for the law enforcement in the DC area.
Arrests
A person can be arrested for having prescription drugs on them without the prescription. Sometimes, a person has a valid and current prescription for the drug but just does not have that prescription on them. However, they are able to give the police the contact information for the doctor who wrote the prescription. The police officer may check on the prescription and sometimes do not proceed with an arrest for a small amount of a prescription drug where the individual has the prescription.
If there is some indication to believe that the individual is involved in trafficking of a prescription drug – for example, they have five baggies with a couple pills in each – the police are likely not going to believe that this person actually has a prescription without seeing the paperwork in front of them. It appears that although they have a prescription, they are involved in trafficking in that prescription drug.
When a person is arrested for personal possession of a prescription drug without having a valid prescription, showing that they do have a valid prescription can be a defense to that. Very often, police ignore the protestations of the individual and make the arrest anyway because they believe the person is involved in trafficking. Having a valid prescription for a narcotic or other drug is not a defense when the person is being charged with distribution or possession with the intent to distribute. A common example might be an individual with an active prescription for pain killers like Oxycodone that they are selling to friends or random people. Just because they have a valid prescription does not make selling them to other people in any way lawful and that indiviudal, if accused, should consult with a DC prescription drug attorney as soon as possible.
Contacting an Attorney
Someone being investigated or charged with a prescription drug case wants to have an experienced prescription drug attorney in DC who has handled similar cases involving that drug in that jurisdiction. A good defense attorney in California may have no idea what the procedure is and who the players are in a DC prescription drug case. While there are some commonalities in criminal law, a DC prescription drug defense attorney with many years working in the court knows the judges, prosecutors, and courthouse staff. The attorney knows the proper procedures and the current case law of that jurisdiction. A person facing prescription drug charges wants to make sure to hire an attorney with significant experience with that type of case in that jurisdiction.