Carteret County Drug Crime Defense Lawyer

If you, a friend, or a family member was recently arrested for a drug crime, it’s important to hire a defense attorney immediately.

North Carolina prosecutors aggressively pursue drug charges in Carteret County.

Drug crimes can carry severe punishments based on the type and amount of drugs involved. Drug crimes can range from misdemeanor charges to life-altering felony charges.

You may face fines, jail time, or probation with misdemeanor charges. And with felony charges, you could be sent to prison for years. With your freedom and reputation on the line, you must hire the right attorney to defend your case.

Joshua Tetterton of the Tetterton Law Firm, PLLC, can be your Carteret County drug crime defense lawyer. Joshua is an experienced and skilled criminal drug crime attorney.

He works only in Carteret County and is familiar with its courts, prosecutors, and judges. Based on the circumstances, Joshua may be able to get charges dropped, reduce your sentence or penalties, negotiate a plea agreement, or find other creative ways to mitigate consequences.

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Drug Crimes the Tetterton Law Firm Can Help You Fight

The Tetterton Law Firm has years of experience fighting various drug crime charges.

As your drug defense lawyer, Joshua can defend the following types of cases:

Drug possession;
Possession of drug paraphernalia;
Intent to sell or distribute controlled substances;
Trafficking controlled substances;
Manufacturing controlled substances;
Conspiracy to commit drug crimes;
Sale and or delivery of drugs;
Prescription drug sales, distribution, or trafficking; and
Prescription drug fraud

Facing these kinds of charges alone is intimidating and stressful. Trying to represent yourself can lead to disaster. You may end up incriminating yourself or unable to prove your case.

You need a professional drug offense attorney like Joshua Tetterton on your side. He will intelligently strategize to build a strong case and zealously represent your interests in court. Joshua has handled thousands of criminal cases and knows how to navigate the system.

Common Defenses The Tetterton Law Firm Can Use on Your Behalf

A seasoned drug charges lawyer can assess the strengths and weaknesses of your case. They can also effectively analyze the evidence.

From there, they can strategize and put forward strong defenses to improve the outcome of your case.

Unlawful Search and Seizure

The Fourth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution protects citizens from unlawful search and seizure. Generally, before the police can enter your home or search your car or personal property, they must obtain a search warrant.

To get a warrant, they must have probable cause that the evidence they are looking for is in the place they are going to look for it. In certain urgent circumstances, police may conduct a search without a warrant, but they still must have probable cause.

If the police perform a search without probable cause or a warrant, it is unlawful. Your attorney can argue that the unlawfully obtained evidence should be excluded. And without the evidence at trial, it may be possible to get your charges dropped.

Entrapment

Entrapment is when the police induce, pressure, threaten, or coerce you to commit a crime that you otherwise would not have committed.

There are two main elements to a defense against entrapment:

You were not predisposed to committing the crime, and
Law enforcement coerced you into committing the crime.

Entrapment defenses are often used when a sting operation is involved. For example, a police officer or undercover agent approaches you to purchase drugs with the intent of arresting you after the sale.

If you refuse to sell drugs and the officer continues to pressure and harass you into selling drugs, there may be a viable entrapment defense.

If you can show you were inappropriately induced to commit a crime you wouldn’t have otherwise committed, you may have a strong defense.

Chain of Custody Issues

Chain of custody is the continuous possession of the evidence recovered from a person or crime scene up until trial.

The possession must be tracked and accounted for from the time it is first discovered until trial to ensure that things like drugs, fingerprints, or DNA are not tampered with during the process.

The court must be assured that the evidence is the same as it was at the time it was seized. A break in the chain of custody could mean the evidence was tampered with or altered.

The defense can assert that the evidence is no longer admissible at trial due to the break in the custodial chain. Without the evidence, the prosecutor may be unable to pursue the charges against you. The case may be dismissed.

No Knowledge

Possession is a significant component of drug crimes. Typically, the prosecutors need to show that you knew you were in possession of the drugs or that you had intent to possess, sell, distribute, or manufacture them. If you can provide evidence that you had no knowledge of the presence of the drugs or that you had no intent to possess, sell, distribute, or manufacture them, you may be able to get your case dismissed.

For example, you are at a friend’s house for a party. Your friend lends you a jacket at the party because you are cold. The jacket pocket has drugs in it that you are unaware of.

The police are called to break up the party because they hear there are lots of teenagers doing drugs there. The police find the drugs in your pocket and arrest you for possession. You may be able to assert the defense that you had no knowledge the drugs were there and had no intent to possess those drugs.

Insufficient Evidence

To prove you guilty of a drug crime, the prosecutor must show that you are guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. If there is not enough evidence to make this showing of proof, it may be possible to get the charges against you dismissed.

The Tetterton Law Firm, PLLC, Can Help You Fight Your Criminal Drug Charges

The Tetterton Law Firm, PLLC, is here to stand with you against your drug charges. Regardless of the type of drug involved or the severity of the case, Joshua Tetterton is the right choice to be your Carteret County drug crime defense lawyer.

Joshua only practices in Carteret County and has focused his practice on criminal and traffic law. Joshua has good relationships with the county’s law enforcement officers, judges, and prosecutors.

He can assess the strength of your case, build a strong defense, and advocate in court on your behalf. The Tetterton Law Firm, PLLC, is ready to help you face your drug crime charges and find a better way out.

Call (252) 728-1373 or send us an online message today for a free consultation. We can help build a strong defense for your case.