Drug Possession Attorney in Dallas

Though a relatively commonly charged offense, drug possession charges have the potential to be devastating for anyone in the Dallas area. The effects of a drug possession charge may affect your personal relationships and professional future. With that in mind, it is highly advisable that you retain legal representation as early on in the Dallas legal process as you possibly can. The Dallas drug possession attorneys can help protect your rights and fight for your interests during each and every point of the criminal process.

If you have been charged with drug possession in the Dallas area, the legal team at the Law Offices of Mark T. Lassiter understands you may be feeling intimidated by the legal system. Fortunately, however, you do not have to face this overwhelming situation alone. Our experienced Dallas attorneys may work with you build a comprehensive legal strategy on behalf of your defense. To learn more about how we can help you, contact us today at (214) 845-7007 for a free consultation.

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Why Do I Need a Drug Possession Lawyer?

A conviction for drug possession can have serious consequences that follow you for the rest of your life. You face stiff fines and long term imprisonment if convicted. A drug possession conviction will leave you with a criminal record, limiting your chances of obtaining employment or finding suitable housing in the future, not to mention affecting your reputation and status in the community.

It is possible to defend against your charges to face reduced penalties or even have your charges dropped entirely. However, to successfully defend yourself, you will likely need the help of an experienced criminal defense lawyer. Lawyers are familiar with Texas drug laws and the possible defenses you may have. They will be able to investigate your case in order to determine the most strategic defense in your situation. They can also defend your rights throughout the investigation and trial.

Why Should I Choose Law Offices of Mark T. Lassiter to Handle My Case?

Since 2006, Law Offices of Mark T. Lassiter has earned a national reputation for significant verdicts in the most complex areas of criminal law, including drug charges. Our law firm has consistently been nominated by The National Trial Lawyers as Top 100 Lawyers, and ranked as Texas Super Lawyers for the last several years. Our firm has an impressive AVVO rating of 10.0.

Once a former prosecutor for the Dallas County District Attorney’s office, Mark Lassiter has over 12 years of experience handling criminal cases, including drug possession charges, in the Dallas metro area. He has successfully represented hundreds of clients that faced drug possession charges.

Common Drug Possession Charges

While it is illegal to possess any controlled substance in Dallas—though it may be legal to possess pharmaceuticals with a valid prescription—the severity of charges are typically related to the quantity and packaging of the controlled substance. In the experience of our Dallas legal team, drug possession charges commonly result from:

Marijuana Possession;
Cocaine Possession;
Heroin Possession; or
Meth (Methamphetamine) Possession

Our Dallas legal team has the experience and resources to protect your future from the potential long-lasting consequences of the drug possession charges you are facing in the Dallas area.

Drug Possession Penalties in Texas

There are various punishments for drug possession in Texas, which are divided into four groups known as Penalty Groups 1, 2, 3 and 4. The charges for each group depend upon the circumstances of the case and the type of drug that is found to be in possession. The groups are listed as follows:

Penalty Group 1: Opioids and painkillers like hydrocodone and oxycodone, codeine, heroin, cocaine, methamphetamine, LSD, mescaline, ketamine, psilocybin and other types of hallucinogens.
Penalty Group 2: MDMA (ecstasy), hashish, PCP and other drugs derived from cannabis including marijuana.
Penalty Group 3: Drugs that include benzodiazepines and sedatives such as Valium, anabolic steroids, methylphenidate (Ritalin), and other drugs that have either a stimulant or depressant effect.
Penalty Group 4: Opioids and opiates not listed in Penalty Group 1.

In addition to the amount of drugs found in possession, there are other factors that determine the severity of the drug charges. You may be charged with other crimes, such as intent to distribute, especially if you are found in possession of any accompanying drug paraphernalia (for example – scales), or large amounts of cash. Drug charges can be more severe if an individual has past drug convictions or prior offenses.

Drug Possession Defenses

There are many possible defenses for drug possession, including the following:

Unwitting Possession

One defense against a drug charge is a defense of “unwitting possession.” Even though the individual may have actual possession of drugs, the person cannot be found legally guilty if they were unaware that drugs were in their possession. For example, if a person gives a package to a messenger service that contains drugs, and the messenger delivers the package and is unaware that there are drugs in the package, this would be a case of unwitting possession.

Lack of Possession

Another common defense is “lack of possession.” For instance, if drugs are found in a house where the homeowner is absent but a renter is living there, it may be unclear who actually was in possession of the substance. It is more difficult to accuse someone of drug possession if it was unclear who owned the drugs.

Abuse of Power by Law Enforcement

Another defense is if there was an abuse of power by police in discovering the drugs. Planted evidence is one example, but the abuse of power can happen in other ways as well. It can mean that an illegal search or seizure was conducted, illegal methods of surveillance were used, or threats were made against witnesses or other people.

Entrapment is a similar defense if an individual was coerced into buying drugs when they would not have normally done so. However, it is not considered an abuse of power for the police to lie when conducting a drug sting, for example. When someone is acting as an undercover agent, this is a lawful method for determining if an individual possesses drugs. If a person is not coerced, but purchases drugs of their own free will, it is not entrapment.

Consult with a Dallas Drug Possession Attorney

At the Law Offices of Mark T. Lassiter, our Dallas drug possession attorneys may work closely with you to build a comprehensive legal strategy that challenges every last aspect of your arrest in an effort to reduce or, ideally, altogether eliminate the charges brought against you. To discuss your case with one of our Dallas criminal defense attorneys, please call our offices at (214) 845-7007 today.

TESTIMONIALS

Recommendation for Mark LassiterI am pleased to write a letter of recommendation. I highly recommend Mark Lassiter to others who are seeking such assistance. His representation allowed me to do very little in my case. It was Mark’s proven expertise and his legal knowledge that was valuable in getting my case dismissed. In short, I recommend Mark enthusiastically without reservation and I do believe he would be a valuable asset to you.

- Name Redacted

dear Markplease accept this letter on my and Susan’s behalf. there is a powerful message and testimony we would like to share with you for the first time.for over a year the weight of what happened to Reid was heavy on our souls. at first we held great anger, resentment and disgust toward Angel (the passenger). it became evident after turning 21 the Angel has a severe alcohol problem which my son nor us fully understood. The arrest also brought us great disappointment, frustration and disheartenment toward Reid.We have found that God often surprises us with his answers to our prayers. Prior to the arrest was had been in prayer that God help turn Reid away from selfishness, childishness and destructive ways. We prayed that God move to change him toward everlasting values and better choices in his life. We believe that God answered that prayer with the arrest. We blamed ourselves for bringing this calamity but understood it would take something this powerful to reach him. There is no doubt in our minds this ordeal has placed a permanent imprint on his soul.during the many delays associated with this case we were able to put forgiveness in our hearts toward Angel. Also during the many delays the full weight of the case in our and Reid’s mind triggered conversations pertaining to life decisions and direction. Time allowed us the opportunity to be rid of the noise and cloudiness of our emotions. We believe this to be a part of the master plan that God was overseeing.Only today did the full story become revealed. During this case with all the odds against us can we say without question that God was in it. How else could the series of events occurred within the judicial process that could put the opportunity in to your mind that there was a way to victory. The entire morning Susan and i were in fervent prayer even after your told us we had only a 25% chance of winning.Grace is the receipt of a blessing that is undeserved. Reid did not deserve to win today. We all are eternally marked by the message of grace given to us and you were the instrument that brought the gift to our house. Thank you from bottom of our souls and may God bless and keep you all of your days.

- Name Redacted

Dear Mr. Lassiter,Today you saved my son’s life. When he received a DWI, it broke my heart because I knew it would be on his record forever. It would limit his options in life. He would be paying for his stupid mistake for the rest of his life. At 21 years of age he was overwhelmed with the depth of the problem he created for himself.I decided to find him the best lawyer in Dallas, and I did. I researched lawyers for two days, and then I found you. I knew from the moment I read about you that you were the one we needed. When I met you, I knew instantly that I had complete confidence in you. Even if the result had ended with my son being guilty, I would have had peace knowing that he had had THE BEST lawyer.Listening to you “own” the courtroom today was amazing. You told us in the morning that we only had about 25% chance to win; however, by the middle of the afternoon the case was over before the prosecutors even finished, and we won! What an incredible lawyer you are!I will be grateful forever to you. Your work has given my son a second chance. He left the courtroom today with a whole new perspective on life…thanks to you!Very sincerely,

- Susan Ellis

unless you are already a petty criminal with countless B and C misdemeanors and a misdemeanor A pending, a DWI charge might not really matter much – for all the others counts: Fight it with all you got – get the best professional to your side you can find!Why should you? A simple google search “Texas DWI penalties” will give you an idea what you are looking at: prison, probation, fines, classes, ignition interlock, insurance rate skyrockets and a criminal record for life (yes – this can happen even for a first time DWI in Texas) Now if you read until this point you probably are charged with a DWI (or simply board) and you are shopping for a lawyer – so some basic guidance:a) Same as in real life: You want to be surrounded by people who know what they are talking about. Nobody likes people who constantly brag around, through around the usual business buzz words which doesn’t mean anything. So: Get somebody who is specialized in this field, means if 50% or more of his work is in the field of defending DWI’s that’s probably a good indicator– Mark is one of them – talk to him you will see!b) Educate yourself – thanks to a wonderful innovation by DARPA (which you are using in this moment) you can read all about it: What happened the night before, what’s a SFT, what is a legal stop, how does an Intoxilyzer 5000 work and what flaws does it have, possible plea bargain options (not so tempting ones in TX anyway) – read the stuff, it’s out there and discuss it with your attorney – if he doesn’t want or can’t answer your questions, that’s a pretty good indicator that your sitting in the wrong office, run!– Mark WILL answer your questions – and I’m convinced you cannot surprise him with a question in your case that he can’t answer or will find an answer for you!c) Your lawyer should – more or less – from the beginning be willing to take your case to Trial, all the way. What do you have to lose? If you are a BAC 0.28 candidate and you plea it down to a misdemeanor B it technically looks better on paper – but it will still follow you for life (most employers wouldn’t even consider the difference or know it – a DWI is a DWI…) If you are a BAC 0.09 candidate your chances are even better – (did you know the Intoxilyzer 5000 gives himself a +-0.02 calibration margin? What now, is a BAC 0.09 and hour after driving now under the legal limit? Guess what, the state will state “off course NOT! The magic machine proved he’s Intoxicated and guilty!” That’s why you need a lawyer on your side who is willing to take it to trial!– Mark is a trial lawyer – those people don’t want to plea out, they need the courtroom as their stage, that’s what they love to do, that’s what they are good at – so let him do it for you!d) Money / Costs – completely neglect. This is not the time for price comparison. You are not out there to shop for new hardwood floor for your living room – you are out there to get the best possible outcome in a situation which initial will hurt you if convicted pretty bad (financially), possible cost you your job, destroy your reputation and will follow you around for the rest of your natural life.– Mark will not overcharge you for his service, in my opinion you are getting a great deal. If you have the feeling you cannot afford a lawyer like Mark put it into perspective: if you hire a $500 lawyer and plead guilty maybe to a DWI misdemeanor B, you will pay much more over the years in court costs, classes, probation fees, DPS surcharges, insurance and and and… But if you hire Mark, you have one of the best at your side, you have a real chance – off course Mark isn’t a magic wizard who can make everything go away in a moment’s notice, but 5,10,20 years down the road you don’t want to think “oh boy, I wish I would have fought this thing more aggressively back then…” I was already a bit into my case when I met Mark. Mark has a can do attitude, does not try to beat around the bush and most importantly: He looks at things, tries different avenues, seeks out weaknesses in the case base on the evidence presented – if you meet him, you will have the same experience. During our meetings we discussed alternatives and other options e.g. expert witnesses, jury trial, bench trial, plea agreement (even if he didn’t like that – Mark doesn’t want to plea, he wants to win for his clients)And here is the outcome:A clear acquittal – NOT GUILTY(even better than a dismissal which technically can be reopened by the DA within the statute of limitations – if I understood that right – Not guilty means you are not guilty, case expunged – that’s the end of it!)Mark’s services helped me to get the best possible outcome you can expect when you are charged with a (DWI / DUI) crime and I hope I will never see him again….. (under such circumstances J ) –

- Daniel

I would never use or recommend anyone else for anybody else for a criminal manner.

- Cory M.

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