Minnesota Drug Defense Lawyer | What Are Penalties for Common Drug Charges?
Drug offenses have seen a steady increase over the years, with the volume of drug cases sentenced in 2017 being 70.5% more than the volume in 2010.
As these types of charges increase, more and more people are seeking the assistance of Minnesota drug defense lawyer Gerald Miller and his team to help defend their cases and their rights. If you have been charged with one of the following drug charges, you may have a lot of questions for our team – including what kind of penalties you could be facing.
Controlled Substances Charges Overview
Controlled substances crimes and penalties can range from first to fifth degree, and within those, sale versus possession. It is important to connect and set up a free consultation with Minnesota drug defense lawyer Gerald Miller to go over your case’s specifics and your personal history. Please also note that crimes and penalties can be updated and modified with each Minnesota legislative session. More on that below.
From fifth-degree to first-degree, drug charges are based on the type of substance, the amount of the controlled substance in possession, and your previous record. Penalties can range from zero to five years and up to a $10,000 fine for a fifth-degree drug conviction, all the way up to zero to thirty years and up to a $1,000,000 fine for a first-degree controlled substance conviction.
First-Degree Controlled Substance Charge
In this case, prosecutors may charge you with a fifth-degree controlled substance because of the sale of 10 grams or more of cocaine, heroin, or methamphetamine, or the sale of 50 grams or more containing a hallucinogen, amphetamine, phencyclidine, or 50 kilograms or more of marijuana. In terms of possession, it is 25 grams or more of cocaine, heroin or methamphetamine, possession of 500 grams or more containing a narcotic drug, or 100 kilograms or more containing marijuana.
Second-Degree Controlled Substance Charge
With this charge, prosecutors will claim there has either been the sale of 3 grams or more of cocaine, heroin, or methamphetamine, 10 grams or more of another narcotic drug, the sale of 10 grams or more of amphetamine, phencyclidine, or hallucinogen, or 25 kilograms of marijuana or the possession of 6 grams or more of cocaine, heroin, or methamphetamine, the possession of 50 grams or more of a narcotic drug. Possession of 50 grams or more of amphetamine, phencyclidine, or hallucinogen, or 50 kilograms or more of marijuana would also fall in this category.
There is also third, fourth and fifth-degree controlled substance charges on the lower end of the spectrum. For more information on those, contact the attorneys at Gerald Miller Law Firm to find out more. Penalties greatly depend on a variety of factors, so scheduling a free consultation to review your case today will help you understand the charges and potential consequences you are facing. Again, our consultations are free.
Drug Crimes Overview
Minnesota drug laws stretch beyond possession. Therefore the penalties and charges vary greatly depending on a person’s individual case. Offender history, illegal drug type, the weight and amount of the drug, the intent, and how many offenses have been committed in a certain period and can make drug charges vary from misdemeanor to gross-misdemeanor to even felony-level offenses. Having a solid Minnesota drug defense lawyer on your team defending your rights will be critical with these types of charges to ensure that you have all the answers to the questions you need.
What Makes Gerald Miller Different from Other Minnesota Drug Defense Lawyers?
The Minneapolis lawyers at Gerald Miller handle all aspects of criminal law across the Twin Cities and statewide – we can defend you on drug charges, traffic citations, theft, weapons charges, probation and parole violations, DUI/DWI and more. Don’t let one mistake hinder a promising future.
We can help you put this behind you.
Call Minnesota drug defense lawyer Gerald Miller today at 612-440-4610. Contact us, we are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week to give you some answers, a little hope and plenty of well-deserved peace of mind.
We can also be reached on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn. A drug charge can happen to anybody. We are on your side.
