Minneapolis Drug Charges Defense Attorney
One of the most common charges and convictions in Minnesota are drug-related crimes. There are five degrees of possession, all of which depend on the type of drug and the number of drugs that you are caught with.
What are the five degrees of drug charges in Minnesota?
A first-degree possession charge is the harshest charge that you can have. You need to have fifty grams (or more) of cocaine, or methamphetamine or 25 grams or more of heroin. If you are caught with other narcotics or phencyclidine or hallucinogenic drugs, you would need to have over five hundred grams. With marijuana, you would need to have fifty kilograms or more.
For a second-degree possession charge, you need to have twenty-five grams of cocaine, or methamphetamine or six grams of heroin. If you are caught with other narcotics, you need to have between ten and four hundred and ninety-nine grams. For phencyclidine or hallucinogenic drugs, you would need to have over fifty grams. Twenty-five or more kilograms of marijuana will also lead to a second-degree possession charge.
For a third-degree possession charge, you must possess over ten grams of cocaine, or methamphetamine or three grams of heroin. For drugs packaged in dosage units a person must unlawfully possess one or more mixtures containng a narcotic with a minimum of fifty dosage units. Five units if in a school zone, a park zone, public housing or drug treatment facility. For phencyclidine or hallucinogenic drugs, you would need to have between ten and fifty grams. If in any of these zones any amount of a schedule I or II narcotic drug. If you are caught with ten kilograms of marijuana, you are facing third-degree charges.
A fourth-degree possession charge is used when you have ten or more units of phencyclidine or hallucinogenic drugs. If you are caught with any Schedule I, II, or III drugs with intent to sellyou are subject to a fourth-degree charge.
A fifth-degree possession charge is the lowest charge that you can get. It is used for Schedule I, II, III, and IV drugs that you aren’t selling. You may also be looking at a fifth-degree charge if you are getting your drugs through fraud, deceit, or any other illegal way.
What are the consequences?
Your consequences will depend on the possession charge that you receive.
Your first-degree drug charges are the most serious. You could spend up to thirty years in prison. Your fines could reach up to one million dollars. If you are convicted for a second time, you could spend up to forty years in jail.
A second-degree drug conviction will land you in jail for up to twenty-five years. Your fines could reach up to five hundred thousand dollars. If convicted again, you could spend up to forty years in jail.
A third-degree drug conviction could place you behind bars for up to twenty years. Your fines could go up to two hundred and fifty thousand dollars. Any other convictions will put you in jail for up to thirty years.
If convicted of a fourth degree drug conviction, you could spend the next fifteen years in jail. Your fines could go up to one hundred thousand dollars.
The least harsh of all drug possession charges is for fifth-degree ones. You could spend up to five years in jail and have to pay fines up to ten thousand dollars.
Though most people only think about jail time and fines. Convictions can have an extremely detrimental impact on your life and all of the relationships you ahve.
You may also lose your job and struggle to find another one. You are going to have to tell any potential employers that you are a convicted criminal. When it comes to finding a place to live, you may not be able to find a place to rent. If you want to buy a home, you may not be able to get a loan. You also may not be able to get a loan if you want to go back to school and get an education.
Because these crimes are so severe, you need to hire an experienced lawyer. He or she will fight to get your charges dropped. If that is not possible, your lawyer will work hard to get a lesser charge (with less consequences).
Contact us for all of your legal needs.
