DEFENSES FOR DRUG MANUFACTURING CHARGES in Orange County
Being accused of any drug crime can result in serious consequences including jail or prison time, probation and fines. While possession and sale of drugs could land you in a lot of legal hot water, manufacturing drugs is an even more serious crime that is not taken lightly by the authorities. If you have been charged with manufacturing drugs in Orange County, it is important that you have an extremely skilled and experienced drug crime defense attorney who will devise a solid defense strategy to help get the charges reduced or obtain an acquittal in your case.
What the Law States
Under the Health & Safety Code Section 11379.6, manufacturing, producing, processing or compounding any type of controlled substance is illegal. Some common examples of drug manufacturing including processing marijuana or mixing chemicals that are used to make other controlled substances such as methamphetamine. The crime of manufacturing drugs is almost always charged as a felony crime. Penalties for manufacturing drugs include prison time, significant fines and penalties and probation.
If the location where the drugs are being manufactured is close to schools or playgrounds or near children, or if someone was injured or killed during the drug manufacturing process, the defendant could be looking at additional jail time. The penalties for manufacturing drugs and other controlled substances could include up to seven years in county jail and up to $50,000 in fines.
Defendants may also be looking at additional jail or prison time if they have prior drug-related convictions; if they have been convicted of manufacturing a large amount controlled substances containing GHC, PCP or amphetamines; if they have engaged in some activity that results in the commission of other related offenses; or if the drug manufacturing process has resulted in serious injury or death to other individuals.
Potential Legal Defenses
There are a number of legal defenses that an experienced Orange County drug manufacturing lawyer can present in your case. Here are a few of those potential defenses:
- The defendant had no knowledge of the drug manufacturing activities. Drug laboratories are often concealed and clandestine activities that may be located in a number of places including garages. Landlords or property owners, for example, may have little or no idea of what is going on in their properties. A skilled drug crime defense lawyer can fight for the charges to be dismissed if you did not know anything about the drug manufacturing process in connection with which you were charged.
- When law enforcement officials violate search and seizure laws during your arrest, the court is required to exclude any such evidence, which was illegally secured during the investigation. This means that the charges against you must be dismissed. An example of illegal search includes instances where police enter the property without probable cause or a search warrant.
- Other defenses may include cases where defendants are falsely accused. This could happen in a case of mistaken identity or when someone else sets you up out of anger or in an attempted to take revenge. Sometimes, eyewitnesses may identify the wrong person or unreliable informants may provide inaccurate information to the police.
Our Orange County drug crime defense lawyers know the devastation these types of criminal charges can bring to defendants and their families. If you have been accused of manufacturing drugs, our experienced criminal defense attorneys can help build a defense strategy that could yield a positive outcome in your case. Contact us at 844-524-4011!