If you are facing drug crime charges, it is imperative that you understand your rights and what to expect. Drug charges are considered a serious crime in Texas, so getting help from an experienced criminal defense attorney is key.

Attorney Mekisha Jane Walker is here to help. Having prosecuted cases from arraignment through trial, she has a unique perspective that offers an advantage over other defense attorneys. She is able to see the case from both sides and prepare your defense with the prosecution’s strategies in mind. Her firm, the Walker Law Office, is proud to serve clients in Houston, Texas, or anywhere throughout Harris County, Galveston County, Montgomery County, Fort Bend County, and Brazoria County.

Federal Drug Crime

In the state of Texas, a drug crime can be classified as either a state or a federal crime — you cannot be charged with both. Drug crimes are usually state crimes unless it happens on federal property or you cross state lines. If you are arrested by a federal prosecutor, you also are more likely to face federal charges.

Drug Charges in Texas

There are four different drug charges you can encounter:

1. Manufacturing of Drugs - The production, preparation, propagation, compounding, conversion, or processing of a controlled substance
2. Delivery - The act of transferring, actually or constructively, a controlled substance, counterfeit substance, or drug paraphernalia, to another individual, regardless of whether there is an agency relationship
3. Selling of Drugs - Selling, transferring, or otherwise furnishing a controlled substance
4. Drug Possession - Actual care, custody, control, or management of a controlled substance. This can also include possession with intent to sell.

Drug Schedules (Schedule I-V)

Drugs are divided into five main categories or schedules. These schedules often define how you will be charged and what consequences you may face. These categories can be broken down as follows:

• Schedule I — Schedule I substances are drugs that carry a high risk of abuse. These drugs have no safe, accepted medical use. Some common examples include heroin and LSD.
• Schedule II — Schedule II substances are drugs that carry a high risk of abuse, but also have a limited number of safe and accepted medical uses. These drugs can cause severe psychological or physical dependence. A few common examples involve certain narcotic, stimulant, and depressant drugs, including morphine and oxycodone.
• Schedule III, IV, or V — These classes all include substances that carry less of a risk for abuse than Schedule II and Schedule I drugs. These drugs also have varying degrees of safe and accepted medical uses. Schedule III, IV, or V drugs include those containing smaller amounts of certain narcotic and non-narcotic drugs, anti-anxiety drugs, tranquilizers, sedatives, stimulants, and non-narcotic analgesics.

The three drugs that garnered the highest percentage of police reports were:

• Methamphetamine – 32.4%
• Marijuana – 19.6%
• Cocaine – 18.5%

Possible Penalties

Drug charge penalties range depending on the severity of the charge. The severity of the drug charge will usually depend on the severity of the drug schedule. Possible consequences typically range from fines to jail time, drug addiction treatment programs, probation, and a driver’s license suspension. It can be one or a combination of any of these charges. In this case, having an experienced criminal defense attorney in your corner can make a big difference in the outcome of your case.

Being convicted of a drug offense can follow you in other areas of life for years to come. A criminal conviction on your record can impact many different facets of your life, such as finding a job, finding a house, or securing a loan. You don’t want your future impacted dramatically by the consequences of a conviction.

That’s why having strong legal representation on your side is so crucial. Criminal defense attorney Mekisha Jane Walker has spent over 15 years working with individuals who have been charged with a criminal offense, including both state and federal drug charges. If you or someone you know has been charged with a drug crime, don’t wait. Call or reach out to the Walker Law Office today for reliable legal counsel and strong representation.

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