Penalties for a drug crime conviction can include jail time, fines, and probation. A drug crime conviction can follow you for the rest of your life and make it more difficult to secure housing, a college loan, a job, a promotion, a professional license, and more.
If you or someone you care about is facing North Dakota or Minnesota drug crime charges, contact the experienced Fargo criminal defense attorneys at Fremstad Law today.
Our experienced drug crime defense lawyers will work hard to keep you out of jail and minimize the collateral consequences of a drug crime conviction by challenging the evidence against you, working with the prosecutor to try to negotiate a plea bargain, and if necessary, taking your case to trial.
The consequences of a drug crime conviction can be harsh. That’s why our lawyers will thoroughly analyze the evidence, law enforcement procedures, forensic testing, and witness statements to identify potential defenses that can be used to secure a Not Guilty verdict, or that can be used as leverage to negotiate a better plea arrangement. In some cases, we may be able to have the charges against you dismissed.
Our defense against North Dakota drug crime charges might include:
North Dakota classifies illegal drugs, formally known as controlled substances, into 5 categories, or schedules, according to how addictive they are and whether they have an accepted medical use in the United States.
It is illegal to possess a controlled substance without a prescription. Penalties vary based on the amount of drugs in your possession, and could be as high as 20 years in prison, a fine of up to $20,000, or both.
If you are facing drug crime charges, you are no doubt concerned about how a conviction may impact your life, your ability to earn a living, whether you will be facing jail time, and the cost of any fines.
Some drug charges are the result of months or years long investigations, while others occur during a routine traffic stop. If you are concerned that you are under investigation for a drug crime, contact an experienced criminal defense lawyer as soon as possible to protect your rights and prevent you from incriminating yourself.
A first-time offense for North Dakota drug possession is a Class A misdemeanor, punishable by up to 360 days in jail, a fine of up to $3,000, or both. Subsequent offenses may be charged as a Class C felony, punishable by up to 5 years in prison, a fine of up to $10,000, or both.
If you are in possession of a large enough quantity of a controlled substance that law enforcement believes you intend to sell it, you may be charged with possession with intent to distribute. Other evidence of intent may include large amounts of cash, paraphernalia, scales, or packaging materials.
Possession of a controlled substance listed on Schedule I, II, or III is a Class B felony, punishable by up to 10 years in prison, a fine of up to $20,000, or both. Possession with intent to distribute a drug listed on Schedule IV or V is a Class C felony, punishable by up to 5 years in prison, a fine of up to $10,000, or both.
As of August 1, 2019, the North Dakota Legislature has reduced the punishment associated with possession of marijuana. Possessing less than one-half ounce is now punishable as an infraction, which means a fine. Possessing at least one-half ounce but less than 500 grams is a class B misdemeanor, punishable by up to 30 days in jail, a fine of $1,500, or both. If a person possesses more than 500 grams, the person may be charged with a class A misdemeanor punishable by up to 360 days of jail, a fine of up to $3,000, or both. Marijuana possession of any amount remains illegal under federal law.
Depending on the amount of drugs found in your possession and what you were allegedly doing with them, you could be facing federal drug charges, which carry even more severe penalties.
The most common federal drug crime charge is trafficking drugs. Federal drug charges typically include trafficking, distribution, manufacturing, or cultivating drugs and are often lumped together with additional crimes such as conspiracy charges.
Federal drug crimes are almost always classified as felonies, punishable by at least 1 year in prison, and also include hefty fines.
If you or someone you care about was charged with a drug crime, get an experienced drug crime defense lawyer on your side as quickly as possible.
At Fremstad Law, our drug crime defense attorneys will challenge the evidence against you and the manner in which it was collected, whether the drugs were even yours, and the accuracy of the crime lab analysis.
Our lawyers will zealously defend you, helping you to negotiate a plea bargain or even have the case against you thrown out.
From our office in Fargo, we defend people throughout North Dakota and Minnesota.
Learn more about Fremstad Law’s criminal defense practice, our lawyers, and our mission, and contact us today by calling (701) 478-7620.
© 2021 Fremstad Law
TERMS OF USE AND DISCLAIMER: Thank you for visiting the Fremstad Law Web site. Please note that the materials on our site have been prepared by us for general informational purposes and are not legal advice. We will not accept requests for legal advice over the Internet. You should not rely on any information contained herein in evaluating any specific legal issues you may have. Do not send us information about your legal issues until you speak to one of our lawyers and get authorization to do so. The firm does not and will not consider or treat any unsolicited e-mails or information sent to us, an attorney, or an employee of the firm by persons seeking legal advice or other non-clients to be confidential and the firm reserves the unconditional right to disclose or use any such unsolicited e-mails or information for any purpose. Your use of our Web site and/or sending e-mail to us or one of our lawyers does not create a lawyer-client relationship. A lawyer-client relationship is not created except by a written acknowledgment of such an engagement signed by a member of the firm. For your convenience, our Web site may contains links to other third-party sites. We do not endorse or verify the accuracy of information on such sites and are not responsible for the contents of any of these third-party resources. The inclusion of such link on this site does not imply the endorsement, recommendation or approval of that site by Fremstad Law.