Home » Lawrence Criminal Defense Lawyers » Lawrence Drug Crime Defense Lawyers

Lawrence Drug Crime Defense Lawyers on Your Side

Despite significant changes to drug laws nationwide, Kansas has not followed the path of decriminalization or legalization. Drug cases are among the most frequently filed criminal cases in Kansas. And a conviction for a drug offense can carry heavy criminal penalties, require registration, and adversely affect your eligibility for employment, professional licensure, and more. If you have been arrested for or charged with a drug offense in Lawrence, Kansas, or the surrounding areas, contact Joseph, Hollander & Craft’s Lawrence drug crime defense lawyers today.

Top-Rated Defense for Your Lawrence Drug Case

JHC’s Lawrence drug crime defense lawyers have defended thousands of clients in drug cases throughout the state of Kansas. From simple possession to large-scale multi-drug conspiracies, we have seen and successfully defended all manner of drug charges. You want our top-rated drug defense attorneys on your side when you are facing charges for:

• drug distribution
• drug cultivation
• drug manufacturing
• drug possession
• drug trafficking
• drug smuggling

Our experience defending drug cases extends to cases involving all manner of controlled substances. We defend clients against:

• marijuana charges
• cocaine charges
• methamphetamine charges
• heroin charges
• opioid charges, including morphine, fentanyl, hydrocodone, oxycodone, and codeine
• hallucinogen charges, including LSD, PCP, psilocybin mushrooms

And much more. Our team of career criminal defense attorneys and ex-prosecutors can spot critical issues quickly and position your case for success. Whether you are facing misdemeanor or felony charges, JHC’s Lawrence drug crime defense lawyers can help.

Defenders of Federal Drug Cases and State Drug Cases

JHC’s Lawrence drug crime defense lawyers experience spans many years and multiple jurisdictions. We represent clients charged with drug offenses in the United States District Court for the District of Kansas; in the district courthouses in Douglas County, Franklin County, Geary County, Osage County, Miami County, Wabaunsee County, Riley County, and Clay County; and surrounding municipal courts.

Due to our many years of litigating in their courts and districts, we know the law enforcement officers who investigate drug crimes, the prosecutors who charge them, and the judges who preside over these cases. Our Lawrence, Kansas, drug attorneys have successfully represented people implicated in drug-related deaths, medical professionals accused of diverting drugs, and lower level drivers and “mules.” We have experience defending cases involving wiretaps, confidential informants, and complex discovery issues. And we use our knowledge and experience to develop and execute the best defense for our clients.

No matter whether you are charged with a drug crime in federal, state, or municipal court, JHC’s Lawrence, Kansas, drug lawyers can help.

Defenders of Your Constitutional Rights

JHC’s Lawrence, Kansas, drug defense lawyers routinely challenge violations to our clients’ constitutional rights. We stay abreast of developments in Fourth Amendment and Fifth Amendment law so we are prepared to prevent the prosecution from benefiting from evidence illegally obtained during a stop, arrest, search, or interrogation.

With ample experience reviewing highway interdiction officer traffic stops, JHC’s Lawrence, Kansas, drug crimes attorneys readily identify problems with initial car stops, prolonged detentions, dog sniffs, and roadside searches. We understand what justifies the issuance of a warrant for your arrest or a search of your home—and when a warrant has been issued in error. We can tell when law enforcement officers have exceeded the legal scope of any authority granted by a warrant as well as when they have tried to take advantage of a situation that was not exigent. And we will investigate whether your statements were the product of improper interrogation methods.

If you have been charged with a drug offense in or around Lawrence, Kansas, call JHC’s Lawrence drug crime defense lawyers today.

FAQs

Is drug trafficking a felony or misdemeanor?

The term “drug trafficking” refers generally to a black market operation dedicated to the cultivation, manufacture, distribution, and sale of prohibited drugs. Under Kansas law, the cultivation, manufacture, distribution, and sale of prohibited drugs of almost every type is a felony.

How long do you go to jail/prison for drug possession?

The potential sentence for a drug charge varies greatly based on the type and quantity of drug involved, whether there is proof that the possessor held the drug for personal use or intended to distribute the drug further, and the possessor’s criminal history.

Under Kansas law, simple possession (possession without intent to distribute) ranges from a class B misdemeanor to a level 5 drug felony depending on the substance possessed. A conviction for a class B misdemeanor carries a potential sentence of up to 6 months’ jail time. A conviction for a level 5 drug felony carries a potential sentence of up to 42 months’ imprisonment for someone previously convicted of 3 or more person felonies (the highest criminal history category recognized by the Kansas sentencing grid). However, the presumptive sentence for someone who has no person felony conviction on his record is probation.

Penalties increase significantly for possession with intent to distribute. Kansas law designates such offenses as drug felonies between severity levels 1 and 3—all of which carry presumptive imprisonment sentences. A probation sentence is possible for someone convicted of a drug offense that falls in levels 1-3 of the Kansas sentencing grid, but only if the judge finds “substantial and compelling reasons” to justify a probation sentence.

Can I really go to prison for marijuana charges?

Yes. Although the states that neighbor Kansas have legalized marijuana for various purposes, cultivation, possession, and distribution of marijuana is still illegal under Kansas law and federal law. In fact, Kansas law enforcement officers frequently target drivers they believe to have traveled from neighboring states in order to stop their cars and search for marijuana and THC products. Depending on the quantity of marijuana or THC located in the car, the stop may result in criminal charges in federal or state court and a potential sentence of several years’ imprisonment.

If you have been stopped on a Kansas highway and accused of transporting marijuana or THC from a neighboring state, contact JHC’s drug defense attorneys. We have handled countless cases of this nature and know precisely how to defend them.