What You Need to Know if You Were Charged with a Drug Crime
If you have been charged with a drug crime in South Carolina, you should know that the state has some of the harshest laws in the nation. This highlights exactly how important it is to have trusted legal representation on your side. An experienced South Carolina drug charges attorney at Ryan Beasley Law can help make a big difference in how your case is resolved and is standing by to help you.
You Have Important Legal Rights
If you are facing a drug charge in South Carolina, one of the most important things to know is that you have serious legal rights that are well worth invoking.
The Right to Remain Silent
The law recognizes your right not to incriminate yourself in the face of a criminal charge. This means you are not required to make a statement or to answer questions if you have been detained for a drug crime.
The best course of action after providing the officer with basic identifying information is letting them know that you won’t be doing any more talking. This should shut down the interview process, but if it doesn’t, you shouldn’t lose your resolve to remain silent.
An important point to make in relation to your right to remain silent is the fact that anything you do say can be used against you. In other words, the responsibility of not telling lies is with you.
The Right to an Attorney
If you’ve been charged with a drug crime, you also have the right to an attorney. The only information beyond your name and address that you are strongly encouraged to share is that you want an attorney. At this point, the scope of the state’s authority over you shifts, and all questioning must end. Implementing your right to an attorney is one of the most important moves, in terms of final outcome, that you can make.
Relevant Factors
When it comes to drug charges in South Carolina, there are several important factors to keep in mind, including:
- Even simple possession of less than an ounce of marijuana can lead to stiff fines and jail time. The legal penalties escalate quickly from here.
- Possession of more than an ounce of marijuana qualifies as possession with intent to distribute (PWID) based on the amount alone. This is not only a harsh charge but is also a far harsher standard than most states.
- Many drug trafficking charges, which are based on threshold weights rather than on the intent to move or sell the drugs, carry minimum mandatory sentencing requirements.
- At the drug trafficking level, the 85 percent rule can also apply. This means that at least 85 percent of the sentence must be served.
An Experienced South Carolina Drug Charges Lawyer Can Help
Our formidable South Carolina drug charges attorneys at Ryan Beasley Law have an impressive track record for fierce advocacy on behalf of our valued clients, and we’re here for you, too. Your future hinges on the outcome of your case, so please don’t hesitate to reach out by contacting us online or giving our firm a call at 864-756-4204 for more information today.