Drug trafficking involves the distributing and/or delivering of illegal drugs across states, counties or other borderlines. Drug trafficking is a violation of the Texas Controlled Substances Act, and it can result in a felony charge with many unfortunate ramifications, such as fines and jail time. Because the sentencing for a drug trafficking conviction can be extreme and detrimental to your personal life, it’s crucial that, as a Texas citizen, you know the laws and regulations related to this crime.
What Are the Texas Drug Trafficking and Distribution Laws?
If you have been charged with a drug trafficking crime, there are a few laws you should know about before you decide to determine your path for defense. Your criminal defense attorney can help you understand these regulations further.
- The Texas Controlled Substances Act: This law lists five penalty groups that detail the specific illegal drug that you are being charged with trafficking or distributing. The drugs included in this act are: cocaine, methamphetamine, heroin, opiates, LSD, other hallucinogens, pentobarbital and barbituric acid, and narcotics.
There are other factors involved in your drug trafficking sentence, besides the fact that you violated the law. These factors include the amount of the drug being delivered or trafficked and the type of drug that was distributed. Your punishment could range from a state jail felony offense (a state jail sentence between 180 days and two years and a thousand-dollar fine) to a first-degree felony (lifetime imprisonment and a $250,000 fine). Some possible defenses that you and your criminal defense attorney could use in court are: lack of knowledge, duress, or that the drug was not intended for human consumption.
Drug trafficking penalties can result in terrible consequences, so it’s important that you know your defense and that you have an experienced attorney by your side. Contact a lawyer from the Goolsby Law Firm today for a free consultation.
