Two Consecutive Criminal Charges Dismissed: The Showdown at Poconos!
What if you faced not one, but two criminal charges at once? Have you ever thought about how serious that situation would be for you, and how it would impact your future?
That’s exactly the grim reality one of our clients recently faced. This wasn’t just any other legal battle- it was a high-stakes fight for freedom and constitutional rights. This is a remarkable case where our diligent Pittsburgh criminal lawyer achieved not one, but two consecutive criminal charge dismissals!
Want to know how it all happened? Well, stick till the end of this blog to find it our yourselves!
Understanding Marijuana Cultivation and Firearms Charges
Pennsylvania has strict laws against marijuana cultivation. The state considers this charge to be more than simple possession. Moreover, such charges often include an assumption that the possessor had an ‘intent to distribute.’
The penalties for such a charge vary drastically based on the weight or number of plants found. For instance, possessing a certain number of plants triggers significant felony charges. These serious charges can lead to years in state prison and massive fines! Not just that, but they can also disqualify you from specific jobs or professional licenses.
Our client’s initial case involved police claiming a full-scale cultivation operation. Now, in such cases, a skilled Pittsburgh criminal lawyer knows how to challenge narratives, and come up with a great defense strategy. They work to reduce serious cultivation charges down to a lesser offense, like a simple misdemeanor. This strategic reduction is often the difference between freedom and incarceration.
However, the marijuana charges weren’t the only thing which our client faced. Firearms possession, especially when combined with drug offenses, leads to an even more complicated situation. Under federal law, being a user of a controlled substance prohibits you from possessing firearms. Even legally obtained guns can be seized if found near illegal substances.
Added to that, our client faced an entirely separate issue. While the initial case was pending, he attempted to buy a new firearm! And this paved the way for a felony charge against our client.
Now, facing two concurrent felony-level cases is quite serious. Moreover, such scenario highlights the need for immediate legal assistance. And hence, it is best to hire a dedicated Pittsburgh criminal lawyer if you see you’re facing such serious charges.
The Dismissal Story
The moment we heard of the case, we realized that we had to perform our usual evidence checks. And after doing that, we found out that the police had overcharged the cultivation claim. There wasn’t enough plants that could meet the legal threshold for felony cultivation.
Hence, we presented this evidence to the prosecution, and to our surprise, the original cultivation and distribution charges were successfully reduced to a single, minor possession charge! But the second battle was not over yet!
So, when our client faced the new felony for the gun application discrepancy, our Pittsburgh criminal lawyer intervened, and contacted the investigating detective directly. He carefully explained the context and also discussed about our client’s current legal situation regarding the pending case. After reviewing everything, the detective agreed there was no malicious intent to defraud.
This successful pre-charge intervention by our Pittsburgh criminal lawyer helped dismiss the second felony case. Finally, our client had both criminal charges dismissed and walked away freely!
Such cases are instances where you can definitely come out of any situation if you have the right legal professional by your side. So, if you or a friend of yours is facing any such kind of harassment, do not hesitate to call us at 844.PITT.DUI and book a free consultation with our experts!