Meth Possession Case: Accused Presented with Full Mitigation
Drug possession charges are one of the most serious charges in Pennsylvania, carrying harsh penalties and substantial fines. Worse than that, you might also get a permanent criminal record attached to your name, which can affect you in the long run.
At Logue Law Group, our expert Pittsburgh criminal lawyers recently mitigated charges against a client accused of possession and distribution of methamphetamine. At first glance, it seemed like an impossible task to mitigate charges involving a Schedule II substance. However, the knowledge and meticulousness of our lawyers resulted in a favorable outcome in the end!
What Was the Case?
Before we plunge into the details, let’s just understand the case first.
So, our client was a serious meth addict for 5 long years. Besides that, she wasn’t a first-time offender! She was held for possession and distribution of meth earlier and had already served several months in custody.
In fact, she also spent some time in a rehab programme, according to her records. But for some reason, she could not maintain her sobriety for a long time and kept falling back.
However, this time, the charges got quite serious. She was caught red-handed by the cops and was charged with a PWID (Possession With Intent to Deliver).
In Pennsylvania, a PWID charge related to methamphetamine attracts a 10-year imprisonment sentence, and fines up to $100,000! But, since our client had already served an imprisonment in the past, and pled guilty to the recent charges, she was looking at a two-and-a-half-year prison sentence.
Now, understanding the severity of the consequences, the woman was terrified about how her life would turn out after this. So, she called up our Pittsburgh criminal lawyers and asked for help.
Why Was Dismissal Impossible for this Case?
Normally, our legal professionals tend to move for a dismissal at first. But this case was different, since our client was a repeat offender. On top of that, our client had also pleaded guilty to the recent charges, and therefore, a dismissal was simply out of the equation.
But our knowledgeable Pittsburgh criminal lawyers did not back off. The moment they understood that a dismissal cannot be requested, they started planning for mitigation.
Now, in the context of such a case, a ‘mitigation’ means to present the court with every possible evidence and arguments to reduce the severity of the penalties. And for the kind of criminal history our client possessed, mitigation was the best option that our expert lawyers could have opted for.
The Final Outcome
Honestly, it was quite a challenge for our Pittsburgh criminal lawyers to secure the mitigation. However, since our client had already served a prison sentence earlier, our lawyers argued with the prosecution and stuck to the fact that our client should not be facing any prison sentences anymore.
This was one of the cases that lingered for several days. In the meantime, our Pittsburgh criminal lawyers gathered letters of support for our client. And after numerous court appearances and some really tough negotiating sessions, the prosecution finally agreed to fully mitigate the sentence. Not just that, but our client was also made eligible for work-release, which saved her from going behind bars for a second time! She still has to face several restrictions from now on, but this was the most favorable outcome that we presented to her!
We all deserve a second chance in life, no matter what the circumstances. And that’s the motto that we at Logue Law Group live by! So, if you, or a friend, have been accused of PWID charges, don’t just sit back and test your fate. Instead, call us at 844.PITT.DUI and schedule a free consultation today!