Fairfax drug defense calls for a full-court press, says Virginia criminal defense lawyer

Fairfax drug defense calls for the Virginia criminal defense lawyer to be highly skilled at controlled substance defense specifically and criminal defense generally; knowledgeable about the relevant science, statutory law, and caselaw on the topic; and ready to obtain, analyze, deconstruct, reverse and tear apart the relevant adverse evidence and information in the matter. As a Fairfax criminal lawyer, I know that such defense needs to be at the chess level, and far from checkers / elementary approaches. Legalization of smaller quantities of possessed marijuana has not disturbed Virginia’s harsh scheme with other drugs. Also, as provided in Virginia Code § 18.2-250, it remains a felony in the commonwealth merely to  possess or use even a small quantity of any Schedule I or II controlled substance, which includes cocaine, LSD / acid, heroin and other opiate-based drugs / opioids.

Your Fairfax drug defense lawyer must not flinch at defending your case, even if the alleged drug is as harmful as fentanyl

Your Fairfax drug defense lawyer must not flinch for even a nanosecond about defending you and your drug case, even if massive alleged controlled substance quantities are involved, and even if the alleged drug is fentanyl or another similarly extremely dangerous and deadly drug. Plenty of people can get whipped into a frenzy against illegal drug use and their abuse.  Oversimplification is involved in lumping all drugs together in decrying them. Clearly drugs have different levels of dangerousness and benefits or not. Clearly, society needs certain drugs to be available for relevant medicinal use, whereby an entire legal scheme exists for authorizing the manufacture and dispensing of pharmaceutical drugs. I am all the more immune against flinching over controlled substance defense, having started my criminal defense career as an opponent to the drug wars as being oversimplified campaigns that may enable politicians to make the wrongheaded connection that they are tough on crime. Such a prosecution system leaves governmental budgets strained for investigating and prosecuting drug cases, as well as imprisoning such defendants, and which tramples on the Constitution’s Fourth Amendment and various other civil liberties.

How do I find a qualified Fairfax drug defense attorney?

Fairfax drug defense lawyers are many. Take the time to separate the great lawyers from those who are not ready for the heavy lifting involved in providing you a great defense. You can start with my free guide to finding a Virginia criminal defense lawyer and free webinar on the same topic. Your criminal defense lawyer should not be someone who shies away from rocking the boat and going against the status quo, but someone who fully cares deeply about you, your cause, your defense, and your liberty, and is unconcerned about whether their friends, relatives, neighbors nor others will dissent from or look down on such work. Criminal defense is honorable work for humans, and is on the side of the angels.

Why does my potential lawyer handle drug defense?

Among the most important questions you can your potential Fairfax drug defense attorney is not just why the lawyer practices criminal defense generally, but why the lawyer handles drug defense work. For me, the answer was obvious before I ever graduated from law school. I know that the drug wars severely damage civil liberties, bring us closer to being a police state, and excessively damage drug defendants beyond what is justified. Alcohol prohibition was a failed experiment in the United States, and drug prohibition has been going on much longer and is even more damaging to society than was alcohol prohibition.

What must I do on my own behalf once charged with such an offense?

Do not expect much sympathy among judges, jurors, prosecutors nor police if you have been involved in selling unlawful drugs to others. If you get prosecuted for selling drugs and have in fact been selling controlled substances, then your experiment with this line of money-making business must yield to your meticulously obeying all laws from hereon in. For me as a Fairfax drug defense lawyer, I discuss with my clients a tailor-made defense action – self improvement plan to be on the road to self improvement, so that by the many months after the incident date that it takes to get your case to trial (in part with delays due to Virginia Department of Forensic Science (DFS) substance testing backlog), your lawyer can present you as a much different and improved person than on the incident date. Talk closely with your lawyer about how to proceed with him or her as a successful criminal defense team.

To snitch or not to snitch – that is the question

During the time of your Fairfax drug defense — and often starting with the day of your arrest — police (particularly common with Fairfax police), the prosecutor and/or your lawyer may have talked with you about the option for you to do cooperation / debriefing / snitching work with police and prosecutors. I do not offer snitching defense — lest I be like a deputized prosecutor in my case — while it is common for most criminal defense lawyers to provide such assistance. Many of my clients who decline to snitch conclude that it is not worth watching their back and reputation to snitch, particularly when the snitching is against the person’s friend.

Why should I meet with Jon Katz before hiring a controlled substance defense lawyer

Defending against drug prosecutions is the big leagues. Fairfax drug defense lawyer Jonathan Katz has successfully defended hundreds of those accused with violating this law. Jon never judges you, and is only here to defend you. Rather than being a hired gun, Jon does this work because he deeply cares about his clients, and very much opposes the drug wars. Call 703-383-1100 for your free in-person initial consultation with Jon about your court-pending case.