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Drug Charge Defense Attorney

Charges resulting from laws governing use, possession, and distribution of legal and illegal drugs are among the most controversial. The government’s decades-long War On Drugs has been the cause of hundreds of thousands of questionable and/or excessive convictions and sentences.


In particular, the charge of possession with intent to distribute is notably misapplied in drug possession cases in order to trump up the charges and result in a higher conviction rate and tougher sentencing record for a prosecuting attorney. This occurs when an individual is caught with a comparably small amounts of drugs that is still clearly for personal use but is, for example, still packaged as it was purchased by the user. Alternately, an individual with a serious chemical dependency may be in possession of a personal-use supply that is larger than the average user’s but that physiologically makes sense. In these instances, law enforcement can potentially claim intent to distribute, causing the penalties to skyrocket.


A strong drug charges criminal defense attorney has the wherewithal to get such excessive charges thrown out and proceed with a fair trial. An experienced defense lawyer like former prosecutor Karine Basmadjian has the know-how to passionately defend clients’ freedom and reputations against unfair drug charges so compellingly that no conviction or sentencing occurs.

Drugs in California

The 30-year drug war in the United States has resulted in so many state and federal laws going into effect it’s difficult for anyone but the most dedicated Los Angeles drug crimes attorney to keep up with the technicalities and ideal defense strategies for fighting each type of individual drug charge.


In California, a state that has a reputation for being less strict about many things, is in actuality very strict when it comes to controlled substances. With the exception of marijuana consumption and possession (which were never prohibited and recently decriminalized, respectively, and both approved for medical/therapeutic use), the laws governing the possession, consumption, manufacturing, and distribution of drugs carry severe penalties and have lasting consequences in the lives of those convicted.


Because a high rate of drug convictions and tougher penalties for these convictions are good for the image of prosecutors and law enforcement, individuals who make good targets (for example, drug users with prior arrest and/or limited or no resources to fight charges) often find themselves facing excessive, embellished charges like manufacturing or intent to distribute on what is a possession/consumption offense at most. For example, IV drug users in found to be combining one or more drugs to shoot are routinely charged with “manufacturing” for mixing small amounts immediately prior to injection and intended for strictly their own use.


Don’t be a scapegoat for politicians and DAs. Former prosecutor Karine Basmadjian is a criminal defense attorney with an incredible working knowledge of prosecution strategies and California drug law. Call Basmadjian Law Group today for a free consultation.

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27 Years of Accumulated Practice

Free Consultation

If you have been arrested for drug possession, distribution, or intent to distribute, contact Basmadjian Law Group now for a free consultation and let us begin defending your rights today.

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