Bucks County Prescription Drug Lawyer
Prescription drugs offenses in Bucks Country are becoming more common. Law enforcement is now focusing heavily on prescription drug offenses and many people will end up facing a prescription drug charge. It is important to understand the law behind prescription drugs and the importance of contacting an experienced lawyer if ever faced with a prescription drug charge. A Bucks County prescription drug lawyer will be able to inform you more about the law involving prescription drug and how to build a strong defense.
Seriousness of Prescription Drug Offenses
In Pennsylvania, inclusive of the Bucks County, prescription drugs are legal if handled, purchased, and used in a manner that is consistent with the law. That is, an individual who obtains a proper prescription from an individual who is licensed, such as a doctor to give such prescription, and purchases those drugs at a location that is also licensed by both the federal government and the state, such as a drugstore that is legal at all times to have those drugs.
There may be some exceptions involving driving under the influence if a drug specifically says that using heavy machinery or operating a motor vehicle while under the influence of these drugs can affect that person. In that limited circumstance, a person may still be charged with DUI, if applicable.
However, it is the cases that involve unauthorized users of prescription drugs and users who obtained them illegally either to sell or to self-medicate that are treated harshly through the system as if those drugs are the same as street-level drugs, such as cocaine.
Being a valid prescription holder does not give an individual the right to give that prescription drug to any individual who is not authorized to have that drug. Thus, an individual with a lawful prescription can be charged with possession with intent to deliver, a felony in Pennsylvania subject to up to 10 years in jail and $100,000 fine, for giving a prescription drug to an individual who does not have themselves a proper prescription for such.
Law Enforcement Prioritizing Prescription Drug Charges
Bucks County is a suburb county of the larger City and County of Philadelphia. A lot of the higher street-level drugs, like cocaine and, are dealt out of the larger city areas. Bucks County, being a less dense suburban county, is the type of county that often deals specifically with the illegal use of prescription drugs. The most common manner in which prescription drugs are used in Bucks County in an illegal fashion is when individuals are arrested or detained for driving under the influence.
Even after a motor vehicle is pulled over by a police officer or after a motor vehicle is involved in an accident, one may be drawn. Once a controlled substance is determined even a prescription type substance in the person’s blood when the person is not authorized to have such substance and does not have a prescription, can lead to a charge. Then, the individual has done committed an alleged crime of driving under the influence as well as committed a crime of possession of a controlled substance without the authority to do so. Under both circumstances, the individual would have a narcotics violation on their record and could face up to the minimum mandatory sentences for DUI.
Benefit of Contacting a Bucks County Prescription Drug Lawyer
Understanding the courts, understanding how to resolve cases in an efficient and proper fashion, having the connections to know who to contact, and at what point is essential in defending any narcotics case in Bucks County. When a matter is charged as a possessory offense or possession with the intent to deliver, it is a matter that can go all the way to the Court of Common Pleas in Doylestown thus, costing the arrestee large amounts of attorney’s fees and lost time as well as attacking their reputation on many levels since it becomes a public record.
Having a local attorney with local ties and the ability and experience to resolve these types of cases in a manner that is consistent with avoiding a drug conviction on your record is essential. Resolving the case at the earliest possible stage will help you move on with your life.
Without the help of an experienced lawyer, even a small narcotics case, whether it is prescription drugs or street-level drugs, could last years in some cases. This means that you may carry the reputation and negative impact of having such an arrest on your record until the fulfillment of that disposed of the case. Contact a Bucks County prescription lawyer to help you build a strong defense.