At Hooper Law, our firm would never advise our clients to use illicit drugs or engage in drug trafficking. Not only is it against the law but you’ll be welcoming all sorts of trouble. The laws in Boise, Idaho are some of the strictest in the country. If the police catch you with any illegal drugs in your possession, you’ll be facing severe penalties.
The thing about Idaho is that, not only can you be charged with drug possession – you can also be charged with drug trafficking. Some of our clients think that the police need to prove that you intend to sell narcotics in order to be charged with trafficking. This isn’t necessarily the case.
In Idaho, you can be charged with drug trafficking even if you have absolutely no intention to sell drugs. For example, some people buy marijuana in bulk for their own personal use. In Idaho, that doesn’t matter. If the police catch you with more than a pound of marijuana on you, they’re going to charge you with trafficking. It doesn’t matter if you planned on smoking all of it yourself. The laws in Idaho are so strict that you can be facing years in prison if caught with this amount of drugs on your person.
If you or your spouse have been charged with drug trafficking in Idaho, you’ll be facing felony charges. This is why you need to call and talk to an experienced criminal defense lawyer in Boise right away.
Why are the Laws in Idaho So Strict?
Every state looks at drug trafficking seriously. With the drug epidemic being what it is, the police are cracking down on anybody who is caught with illicit drugs. This is especially true for methamphetamine and heroin. However, the laws in Idaho don’t discriminate when it comes to drug trafficking. It doesn’t matter what substance you have on your possession, you can be charged with drug trafficking even with a small amount.
One of the reasons the laws are so strict is in order to deter people from selling and using drugs. The courts and law enforcement figure if they keep the laws and penalties strict enough, people will be afraid to break the law. For example, if someone sees that a defendant is facing life in prison for trafficking heroin, they may be less likely to do it themselves.
Your Boise Criminal Defense Lawyer Understands that The Penalties are as Strict as the Laws in Idaho
Not only are the laws in Boise strict when it comes to drug trafficking – the penalties are severe as well. It wouldn’t be effective to threaten people with felony charges if the penalties weren’t significant. In Idaho, unlike many other states, drug trafficking offenses carry mandatory minimum sentences. This means that the judge doesn’t even have permission to reduce your sentence.
Consider that you are arrested for DUI. When the police search your car, they find a little more than a pound of weed in your vehicle. This means that you’ve automatically fell into the second tier for drug trafficking. Anyone who is caught with more than one pound of marijuana (but less than five) will automatically be facing a year in prison and a fine of $5,000. There is nothing the judge can do if you plead guilty or are found guilty of that charge. This is why it’s so important that your Boise criminal defense lawyer fight even harder to get the charges reduced or dismissed.
The more drugs you have on you, the greater the charges will be. For example, if someone is caught with 6 grams of heroin, they’ll be facing three (3) years in prison and fines of up to $10,000. However, if you’re caught with 7 or more grams of heroin, these penalties increase. Instead of facing 3 years in jail, you’ll be sentenced to at least 10 years mandatory minimum in prison. Your fine will also go up to $15,000. The judge has no discretion.
Call an Experienced Criminal Defense Attorney in Boise as Soon as Possible
One of the only ways to avoid a long prison sentence is to get the charges against you reduced or dismissed. That’s why it’s important you call and talk to a skilled criminal defense lawyer in Boise. They can talk to the prosecutor and see what kind of evidence they have against you. There is too much at stake to leave this up to chance. That’s why you should call and schedule your initial consultation as soon as possible after your arrest.