Drug Charges Lawyer in Sugar Land and Fort Bend County, Texas

drug charges

The State of Texas and the Federal Government investigate and prosecute the same types of drug cases. State courts handle small-amount drug delivery and possession cases that are classified as state jail or 3rd degree felonies. Depending on which agency works the case, most drug cases end up in federal district court, with some landing in state court. The Harris County District Attorney’s office now has special drug prosecution divisions assigned to handle the larger cases. The Harris County DA will prosecute cases involving as much as twenty kilos of cocaine. In some respects, the state court is a more attractive court for the accused. Unlike federal court, a state judge is not required to consult guidelines to determine the proper sentence. Also, in Texas, the accused may submit punishment decisions to the jury. As a result, Mr. Lawrence has been very successful in obtaining probation for cases in state court that would have concluded differently in federal court. Mr. Lawrence has also had drug cases dismissed.

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Drug Charge Attorney in Texas

Fort Bend County Harris County Drug Charges Attorney – Jason Lawrence If you have been charged with a drug crime, then you need immediate representation. These crimes include drug possession; marijuana possession (POM); cocaine or other controlled substances possession (PCS); possession of chemicals for manufacturing drugs; manufacture or cultivation of controlled substances; dealing, delivery, importation or transportation of narcotics; or drug distribution, sales or trafficking.

A criminal conviction on drug charges can have serious repercussions for your future. Depending on the seriousness of the charge and the type of drugs involved, you may face a lengthy prison term if found guilty. If you’ve been arrested on drug charges in the Fort Bend County area, you need the help of an experienced criminal defense attorney in Fort Bend to protect your rights.

No matter the amount of drugs, defenses for drug cases generally fall into three categories:
• The seized goods were not illegal drugs
• The drugs were not “possessed” by the defendant
• The drugs were seized illegally. This defense is usually addressed through a pretrial motion to suppress; however, in Texas, a defendant can submit to the jury a factual dispute relating to a constitutional issue under Article 38.23. Four drug penalty groups exist, with penalty group one being the most severe and carrying the most punishment.

Depending on the amount, possession of a drug in penalty group four or three may be a misdemeanor. Keep in mind, though, that a conviction for a drug offense may carry with it collateral punishment, such as a driver’s license suspension.

Common State Drug/Narcotics Offense Punishment Ranges:

CLASS C

Possesion of Drug Paraphernalia

0-$500 fine

CLASS B

Possesion of Marijuana (0-2 oz)

0-180 days in jail

CLASS A

Possesion of Marijuana (2-4 oz)

0-1 year in jail

STATE JAIL

Possesion of Marijuana (4-5 lbs)
Possesion of Penalty Group 1
Less than 1 gram (such as Cocaine, Heroine, etc)

6-24 months in state jail

3RD DEGREE

Possesion of Marijuana (5 lbs-50 lbs)
Possesion of Penalty Group 1
1-4 grams

2-10 years in prison

2ND DEGREE

Possesion of Marijuana (5 lbs-2000 lbs)
Possesion of Penalty Group 1
4-200 grams

2-20 years in prison

1ST DEGREE

Possesion of Penalty Group 1
200-400 grams

5 years - life in prison

1ST DEGREE (ENHANCED)

Possesion of Penalty Group 1
over 400 grams

10 years - life in prison

ILLEGAL SEARCH AND SEIZURE

Mr. Lawrence will investigate all avenues of a drug arrest to determine whether the government violated the search and seizure laws. Because illegal search and seizure is a threat to the freedom and privacy of all Americans, it is called the poisonous fruit doctrine. The reason for this name is that if the drugs were obtained illegally, they are poison and should not come into evidence.

REPRESENTATION IN A VARIETY OF CASES

Jason Lawrence can help if you are facing drug charges involving marijuana, cocaine, crack, heroin, LSD, mescaline, amphetamines, methamphetamine (meth, ice), ecstasy, GHB (water), Rohypnol, steroids, testosterone, and prescription narcotics and drugs such as Xanex, Vicodin, Valium, Percocet, codeine, hydrocodone, morphine, SOMA and Oxycontin (oxycodone). An arrest for a drug offense should never be taken lightly.

If you’re facing charges for possession, manufacture or distribution of drugs, you need to contact an experienced criminal defense attorney right away. The Lawrence Law Firm, PLLC specializes in handling drug cases on behalf of defendants in the Fort Bend County area. Mr. Lawrence is committed to protecting your rights and he is experienced in mounting an aggressive defense on behalf of individuals charged with drug offenses.

If you’re a first-time or juvenile offender, Jason Lawrence will work hard to help reduce or eliminate the charges against you or negotiate a lesser sentence. He may also be able to help you avoid incurring a criminal record by negotiating your entry into a diversion program.

If you or your child has been charged with a drug offense in Fort Bend County, you need to call Jason Lawrence today to get the experienced legal representation you deserve. Don’t let a drug conviction ruin your life or the life of someone you love.

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Sugar Land Office

695 Industrial Blvd. Suite 100 Sugar Land, Texas 77478

Houston Office

3730 Kirby Dr #1175 Houston, Texas 77098

(by appointment only)

Waco Office

(by appointment only)

(832) 356-4404

(254) 224-5529
Waco Office

Note: Information on this site should not be considered legal advice. It is provided for educational use only. If you need legal advice regarding a an offense in the State of Texas, please contact Lawrence Law Firm.

Got the job done quickly

I hired Jason for an Order of Nondisclosure for a case that was 17 years old. I called several attorneys for my case but Jason seemed to be the only one that was interested in helping me complete my request. Jason was very informative and responded to all of my emails. My request was completed and approve within a month of hiring Jason. I really appreciate Jason acting very quickly to resolve my issue.

Posted by Shaun, a Criminal Defense Client

Adoption

We hired Jason for my husband to adopt my children. He was able to take our payments through our credit card and allowed us to make payments. Also we loved that he charged a flat rate rather than hourly. It took only 8 months to finalize the adoption and it went very smoothly. I highly recommend using Jason.

Posted by Stephanie, a Family Law Client

Awesome service!!!

Jason is extremely professional and handled the case with my best interest as the main priority. Very knowledgeable and courteous and he helped me out quite a bit and saved me money and time in the long run. Very happy with Jason’s service!!

Posted by Lucas, a Criminal Defense client

Finally a painless experience!

Jason was professional, personable, knowledgeable and prepared for my court proceeding. It was refreshing to have an attorney that cares, provides answers within a reasonable amount of time and gets results. I was 100% satisfied with the services I received and would highly recommend Jason in any family court matter.

Posted by Cheryl, a Family Law client

Consummate Professional

Jason Lawrence is the consummate professional. From start to finish, he delivered on everything that was promised, and did so in a timely and trustworthy manner. He communicated with me effectively throughout the process and saw my case to a positive conclusion. I would certainly use him again and would recommend him to anyone who is looking for a lawyer in the Houston area.

Posted by John, a Criminal Defense client

Got my case completely dismissed

I was charged with simple assault in Brazoria County over a bogus charge my ex girlfriend put on me. I only had to go to court twice and Jason got the charges completely dropped after talking to the prosecutor. Would recommend him to everyone!

Posted by Marius, a Criminal Defense client