Phoenix Drug Trafficking Lawyer

What Our Phoenix Drug Trafficking Lawyers Can Do For You

Gurion Legal understands how a conviction can affect your life. So, we do everything possible to help you avoid criminal penalties. For instance, when questioned by police, we can make sure they don’t infringe on your rights. Other steps we can take on your behalf include:

Managing Your Case’s Investigation

Our team wants to understand your case in its entirety. That way, we can craft a legal strategy that meets your needs.

Your lawyer can review:

• The details of your arrest. The police must follow certain protocols when arresting individuals on suspicion of drug charges. If they infringed on your rights, this could make a huge difference in how your case proceeds.
• The prosecution’s evidence. The state can’t convict you of drug trafficking without evidence. The burden of proof is on the prosecution to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that you committed a crime. Without supporting information, we can move to have your case dropped or dismissed.
• What actually happened. The prosecutor might think they know the full story. Yet, nobody knows what happened better than you. We encourage you to be honest with us. We’re on your side. Once we learn what happened, we may consult with eyewitnesses to corroborate your version of events.

Offering Guidance

While facing criminal charges, you may feel overwhelmed and confused. Our legal team can tell you when to answer and when not to answer questions from law enforcement.

We can also explain:

• What comes next if you’re released on bail
• Whether a plea agreement could yield a fair outcome
• What considerations could bolster your case

When you partner with Gurion Legal, you get an advocate who is ready to answer your questions and address your concerns. That way, you have all the information needed to make informed decisions about your future.

Working With Prosecutors

Even though the prosecutor’s not on your side, we must still cooperate with them. This involves maintaining communications, responding to requests for evidence, and attending various meetings.

The prosecution may offer a plea deal before the trial starts. Here, by agreeing to plead guilty on certain charges, you wouldn’t have to go through trial, but instead, go immediately to sentencing. If a plea deal could benefit you, we can work with the prosecution to arrange one.

Attending Jury Selection

The Sixth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution grants the right to a speedy and public trial, by an impartial jury. This allows you to weigh evidence and arguments objectively when making decisions. During jury selection, we select reasonably distanced jurors who outside forces won’t influence.

For instance, imagine we find a police officer on the jury panel. We would argue that their job makes them partial, and someone who isn’t in law enforcement should replace them.

Defending You in Court

If your case goes to trial, we bring our team of litigators to defend you in front of a judge and jury. With a strong defense combined with our years of experience, we can help you avoid a conviction and the consequences that come with it.

With our legal team by your side, you can rest assured that we will work toward the best possible outcome. We treat your case as if it happened to us personally.

Defenses Our Drug Trafficking Lawyers in Phoenix Can Use

At Gurion Legal, we work tirelessly to defend clients from criminal consequences. We customize your defense strategy based on your case’s facts. In our years of experience, we’ve secured successful outcomes for even the most hopeless-seeming situations.

Examples of defense strategies we could use to fight your drug trafficking charges include:

Law Enforcement Did Not Conduct an Appropriate Search

Law enforcement must have probable cause or a search warrant to search your body, vehicle, or home. If they unlawfully search any of those areas, the evidence they collect could get thrown out in court. We can build a case stating law enforcement didn’t have probable cause to search you, and that anything they found is inadmissible. If they don’t have evidence of wrongdoing, we can move to have your case dropped.

The Police Entrapped You

Entrapment sometimes happens in situations where a law enforcement officer works undercover. If the law enforcement officer coerces or threatens you to traffic the drugs, you could say you felt as though they put you under duress. We could use this argument to secure a not guilty verdict.

The Drugs Belonged to Someone Else

State law states that, to be convicted of drug trafficking, you must knowingly be in possession of illicit substances. If you ride in a car with someone who has drugs in the vehicle and gets arrested, you could assert that you genuinely didn’t know there were drugs present. Without proving that you knowingly possessed drugs, the prosecution could have a weak case.

The Lab Analysis Provided Incorrect Results

The prosecution’s case may assert that you’re a drug user who sells substances to support a habit or make money. It may ask that you submit to a drug test to support its theory. If you test positive, you could have a hard time alleging that the alleged drugs weren’t yours or you don’t know where they came from.

Yet, crime labs that analyze drugs could have faulty machines that produce false results. If a drug test produced false data, we could state the crime lab hasn’t updated or maintained its technology to ensure its machines provide correct results. With this argument, we could poke holes in the prosecution’s case.

Law Enforcement Infringed on Your Rights

During an arrest, the arresting officer must read your Miranda Rights. If they don’t, anything you say is inadmissible in court. This could help your case tremendously if you said anything incriminating in the initial moments of your arrest. Our attorneys could review police body cameras to ensure the arresting officer explained your rights.

We consider many things when building your case’s defense strategy, including the prosecution’s evidence, your criminal history, and your credibility. At the conclusion of your case, we want you to walk away from this experience as a free person.

Drug Trafficking Penalties You Could Face in Phoenix

Arizona law notes that you could be charged with trafficking drugs based on the amount of drugs are found (or suspected to be) in your possession. In some cases, this becomes a hot point of contention. Some ask where drug possession crosses into drug trafficking.

Here’s an example. If police pull you over and with a half-gram of meth in your pocket, this likely wouldn’t constitute drug trafficking because it’s a small amount. You could land in hot water for possession. However, if police pull you over and you have a pound of cocaine in the back seat, this could constitute drug trafficking. The state would assume you intend to distribute it, not use it personally—even if that’s not true.

If convicted of drug trafficking, you could face:

Time Behind Bars

Nobody wants to go to jail or prison—even if it’s only for a few days. Isolation and threats to your safety could quickly prove traumatizing. You reasonably want to do everything possible to avoid time behind bars, and working with Gurion Legal is a good place to start.

Drug trafficking is a felony. The severity of the felony dictates how much time you could spend in prison. For instance, if you were charged with a class 6 felony, you could face a minimum of one year in prison. If you were charged with a class 2 felony, however, you could spend at least seven years in prison.

Other Consequences of a Drug Trafficking Conviction in Phoenix

You might not realize how a criminal conviction can change your life. In addition to the penalties imposed by the state, if convicted, you could have:

Difficulty Furthering Your Education

If you plan on furthering your education, you could find getting accepted difficult with a conviction on your record. Many colleges have competitive programs where having a criminal record could make the difference between rejection and acceptance.

Problems Getting Loans

You could find it difficult to get a loan after a conviction. If you want to start a business, buy a home, purchase a car, or get a personal loan, you could face various roadblocks.

Loan officers often conduct background checks before approving someone for a loan. They could see a conviction and worry about your ability to repay them.

Trouble Finding Housing

Many leasing offices and landlords run background checks on applicants before renting out properties. If you have a drug trafficking conviction on your record, you could find difficulty getting a place. These parties may worry about you selling drugs in the rental or attracting more criminal activity.

Issues With Your Immigration Status

If you live in the United States as an immigrant, a criminal conviction could significantly impair your ability to stay in the country. If you leave the country, the United States could refuse your reentry. Also, you could get deported if you don’t have citizenship yet. A criminal conviction could cause significant delays in your goal to become an American citizen, too.

Travel Restrictions

Any criminal infraction could limit your ability to travel to certain countries around the world. For instance, many countries in Asia (including Taiwan, China, Japan, and India) do not allow those with criminal records to enter. This could limit your travel opportunities and where you can legally reside.

Difficulty Finding Employment

Employers often have several options when choosing people to employ at their business. When you apply for a certain job, an employer could look at your application, conduct a background check, and choose someone else who doesn’t have a criminal conviction. Having a clean record could give you a better chance of finding a desirable job.

Some jobs won’t allow people with criminal records to even apply. For example, if you want to get a job as a teacher or police officer, you could get immediately denied because of your history.

Child Custody Issues

Family courts act in the best interest of children. If you face a custodial battle, the judge might think twice about your ability to parent. Here, you could lose custody of your children, only see them periodically, or even require supervised visits.

What Should I Do if I Face Drug Trafficking Charges?

If you’re reading this, you’re likely researching what options you have when facing criminal charges. That’s already a great start. We encourage you to take that a step further and consult our criminal defense team.

Additionally, while your case unfolds, we recommend that you avoid drawing attention to yourself by participating in illicit behaviors or even associating with those who do. If you struggle with substance abuse, you may consider enrolling in a rehabilitation program. Doing so could bolster your credibility when your trial date comes.

Connect With Our Phoenix Drug Trafficking Lawyers Today

After getting charged with drug trafficking in Phoenix, you want a strong legal team to represent you. At Gurion Legal, our attorneys have what it takes to help you through this difficult time. Whether you’re in jail or out on bail, we can advocate for you. Reach out to a Phoenix drug lawyer.

Call us at (480) 800-0020 for a no-obligation consultation. During our conversation, we can discuss your case’s details, including when you were arrested and the charges you face. Everything you share is confidential and remains between you and our staff.