Ohio Drug Crime Lawyer

If you have been charged with a drug crime in Ohio, it’s imperative that you have a drug crime lawyer on your side to defend you against the serious legal consequences. You may be facing jail or prison time, thousands of dollars in fines, mandatory drug treatment or testing, and even forfeiture of your assets.

Beyond the direct consequences of a conviction are the cascading effects: outcomes that often flow from a conviction on drug charges. These can include restriction, suspension, or revocation of a professional license; loss of a job or damage to career prospects, and long-term damage to your reputation and relationships. Having a drug crime conviction on your record can affect your future eligibility for federal benefits, student aid, housing, and professional malpractice insurance. It can even limit your ability to travel and enter certain countries.

All of this can be overwhelming, especially if you have never been charged with a crime before. You shouldn’t have to pay for one choice with your whole future. The decisions you make early on in your case, especially your selection of a criminal defense attorney, will have a lasting impact.

At Wesley Buchanan, Esq., we know what’s at stake for you, and we understand how isolating it can feel. We won’t sugarcoat the reality of what you’re facing, but we will develop a plan to get you through it, and fight for you every step of the way. Contact Wes to schedule a consultation with a drug crime lawyer.

Defending Against Ohio Drug Charges

Depending on the facts, drug crimes in Ohio may be charged as misdemeanors or felonies. But there is no such thing as a “minor” drug charge. Even a misdemeanor conviction can negatively affect your future. The sooner you begin working with an experienced Ohio drug crime lawyer, the better for your case. We have over a decade of practice experience focused primarily on criminal law, including drug crimes.

It’s important to understand what you are up against when charged with a drug crime. Here are some types of charges, and what they mean:

• Drug Possession: When you knowingly obtain, possess, or use a controlled substance, that’s drug possession. In Ohio, drugs are classified into five schedules, with the lowest numbers having more potential for addiction and fewer (or no) medicinal uses. Possession of a Schedule I or II drug is charged as a felony; Schedule III, IV, and V drugs are typically charged as misdemeanors.

• Possession of Drug Paraphernalia: This charge involves items used to introduce drugs into the body, like syringes and pipes, or items used to prepare, package, store or conceal drugs. Possession of drug paraphernalia is often charged as a misdemeanor, but it may be used to support the more serious charges of trafficking or manufacturing.

• Drug Trafficking: Drug trafficking means selling, or trying to sell, a controlled substance. Almost all drug trafficking charges in Ohio are felonies, with the severity of the felony depending on the amount of drugs involved.

• Drug Manufacturing: Preparing, manufacturing, mixing, or cultivating controlled substances can result in a charge of drug manufacturing, which is illegal in Ohio. The amount of drugs involved, as with trafficking, can affect the severity of the charge. Drug manufacturing is always a felony, and may be charged as a first-degree felony, the most serious kind.

• Illegal Conveyance: Illegal conveyance means bringing, or trying to bring, drugs into a secure facility such as a jail or prison, detention facility, or courthouse or conveying drugs to a detainee or inmate, whether or not for profit. Illegal conveyance is always a felony, even if it involves very small amounts.

• Corrupting Another with Drugs: This charge involves actions such as giving drugs to a minor; administering drugs to someone without their consent; and causing serious harm or death to someone by providing them with drugs. It is a serious (first- or second-degree) felony.

In Ohio, there is no such thing as a “simple possession” case, because even less serious charges (like possession or drug paraphernalia) can be used as the foundation for more serious charges (like drug trafficking or manufacturing). If you are charged with any drug crime in Ohio, your first move should be to contact a knowledgeable drug crime lawyer.

How a Drug Crime Lawyer Can Protect Your Future

The government has vast resources to investigate, charge, and prosecute crimes. As a person who has been charged with a drug crime, you are facing a large system with the power to determine your future. At Wesley Buchanan, Esq., we are experienced criminal defense attorneys who know the system and how to navigate it.

Our defense attorneys protect your rights during police questioning and investigation and work to negotiate reduced charges or alternative sentencing like diversion. We work to resolve your case as quickly and discreetly as possible so you can get back to your life, but we are also experienced litigators who are energized in the courtroom. We are not afraid to go to trial if that’s what it takes to get the right outcome for you.

Throughout the legal process, we treat you with the dignity and respect you deserve, explaining your options and building a defense that’s tailored to your needs.