Drug possession charges can lead to serious penalties and a lengthy amount of jail time. Someone who is charged with intent to sell is facing even more serious penalties, up to life in prison in some cases. Anyone facing these charges will want to make sure they have a Drug Defense Lawyer in Athens TN to work on their case.
Claiming it Wasn’t Intent to Sell
Of course, most people who are arrested and charged with intent to sell aren’t going to admit they had drugs on them to sell to other people. Most are going to claim that the amount they had on them was for personal use, even if they had a large amount at the time of their arrest. Instead, officers will look at the evidence to determine if it’s likely the person intended to sell the drugs. If they find evidence of this, the person can be charged with intent to sell even if that wasn’t their intent.
What Officers Will Look For
Intent to sell goes beyond the number of drugs. Large amounts of drugs will make it appear as if the person intended to sell the drugs. Scales and baggies are also evidence that the intent was to sell the drugs to other people. If the arrested person only has a small number of drugs on them, but they have quite a bit of cash as well as scales or baggies, it appears as if they’ve already sold drugs or are going to purchase a larger quantity to sell.
What the Lawyer Will Do
The lawyer will work to find ways to suppress the evidence against their client. They may be able to get the charges lowered to simple possession charges, which could be a lesser felony or a misdemeanor, depending on the type and quantity of drugs. The lawyer will try to have the charges dismissed altogether where possible, but will at least work to minimize the penalties their client faces.
If you’ve been arrested and charged with possession of drugs with the intent to sell, you need to speak with a Drug Defense Lawyer in Athens TN about your case immediately. Visit the website for Chancey-Kanavos to learn more about why this is necessary or to start getting help from a lawyer today.