Category: Drug Charges

A half dozen states are enjoying legalized recreational marijuana for adults. Nearly half of the states overall have implemented medical marijuana laws. For some, it may seem like marijuana possession charges are not a very big deal anymore. However, in the state of Texas, marijuana possession charges can drastically alter your life. A significant number of Texas prisoners are there on drug charges, and they often face longer sentences than those accused of assault or other violent crimes. If you have been arrested for or charged with marijuana possession, you need an experienced criminal defense attorney. Even first time offenders…

Elections are just around the corner and while much of the national news is focused on the presidential candidates, local incumbents in both parties are fighting to keep their jobs. With rising frustration over the lack of progress in Congress and at the state legislature level, there is a bipartisan effort to have an impact on the local level with elections. And a key topic, especially in Texas, is the criminal justice system. With the mishandling of cases, particularly involving drug charges, many people are voting for change. The Battle for District Attorney According to a recent article from The…

Under mandatory minimum sentencing laws, drug crime convictions can result in penalties as severe as a life sentence without parole. You might think sentences this harsh are imposed only if violence, or the threat thereof, accompanied the offense. You would be wrong. According to former U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder, in an article published in the New York Times, thousands of people now serve unconscionably long sentences for non-violent drug crimes thanks to the mandatory minimum sentencing rules. Even some judges and prosecutors chafe at these sentencing laws, relays Mr. Holder. Many would like to see the laws changed to…

A new method of detecting cocaine use in individuals may soon be available to Texas authorities involved in the testing and monitoring of suspected drug users. This new kind of drug test is purported to be able to detect cocaine use by identifying the residual presence of certain chemical byproducts in a person’s fingerprint. According to information published by the developers of the method, the drug test attempts to detect trace amounts of certain substances produced and excreted by the body as it metabolizes cocaine. Specifically, the chemical signatures of benzoylecgonine and methylecgonine are identified by analyzing the residue left…

The Longview Police Department took two brothers into custody on Jan. 13 for being in possession of more than five pounds of marijuana. A third brother was also detained for allegedly hitting an officer. The incident began around 8:15 a.m. when one brother, a 22-year-old man, was pulled over for speeding. The officer who stopped his car claimed that he could smell marijuana coming from inside of the vehicle and conducted a search of it. That officer allegedly found 1 pound and 3.5 ounces of marijuana contained in several different packages. The 22-year-old faces charges of possession of marijuana between…

Odessa police officers reported that a 34-year-old Odessa man was arrested on Nov. 5 for offenses related to cocaine possession. Officers say that they pulled the man’s Ford F-350 over after noticing his license plates were expired. Upon pulling the man over, police allege they noticed the man had a white powder dusting his shoulder. Upon questioning the man, he reportedly denied having any cocaine in his truck. Police subsequently searched the vehicle. Officers report they found some white rocks littered throughout the vehicle. They reported the rocks field-tested positive for cocaine. Police say that they found evidence that the…

A Dallas jury recently convicted a pair of Fort Wayne brothers in connection with an illicit operation dealing with synthetic drugs. The brothers, ages 43 and 28, had been indicted in July after a DEA investigation, reportedly. The brothers involved in the drug trafficking case were convicted on counts of conspiracy to defraud the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, conspiracy to commit fraud by mail and conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance. The 43-year-old man was also convicted on a firearm charge and on a count of the use of a communication facility for drug crimes. The man reportedly sold…

Who understands defense better: a Dallas Cowboys’ quarterback who has led the attack or someone who has watched tons of games on TV? Obviously, a quarterback has to understand defense at least a well as opposing defenders do. An understanding of what the other side is up to is also helpful in criminal law. A defense attorney who has been a prosecutor understands the tactics, goals and strategies of prosecution. That’s part of what makes our law firm unique: Collin County criminal defense attorney Phillip A. Linder was at one time in the Dallas County District Attorney’s Office. A former…

His uncle is former Dallas Cowboys star quarterback Danny White. Yet former BYU quarterback Max Hall has his own claims to fame, including most wins at his position at a school famed for QBs. However, Hall’s legacy has been altered by his recent arrest for shoplifting and drug possession.  The 28-year-old was arrested at an electronics store in Gilbert, Arizona, just a few miles from the campus of Arizona State University, where Hall’s famous uncle once starred. Hall had also attended ASU before transferring to BYU. After law enforcement officials searched a bag the former football player carried, they apparently…

Many Texans are proud of our state’s reputation for not only talking tough about drug laws, but walking the walk as well. We have some of the nation’s most inflexible drug laws that can result in harsh penalties that include long prison stays, enormous fines and lengthy periods of probation. Even though many people arrested here on drug violation charges face a potentially bleak future, there are a number of viable defenses to drug possession charges.  After being arrested and charged with drug possession, many in Texas will find that an experienced criminal defense attorney understands not only the legal…