Why Your College Student Needs to Hire a Lawyer for their Drug Possession Case

Thousands of arrests are made throughout the state yearly for possession of controlled substances. Unfortunately, many people are not aware of the consequences of a first-time conviction for this offense. Young people, in particular college students, try to handle these cases themselves simply to avoid having their parents find out that they have been charged with a crime.

Unfortunately, a quick mistake in judgment or simply being in the wrong place at the wrong time can have a severe negative impact on your future. A criminal conviction can lead to you losing opportunities for jobs, graduate school, law school or medical school. It can even lead to you being expelled or suspended from your college or university.If you are a student that has been arrested for a criminal offense or if you are the parent of a college student charged with a crime, your first order of business in such a situation should be to get legal representation. It is important to hire an attorney right away to learn about your legal options.

Common defenses for Texas drug crimes stem from improper searches and seizures, as well as issues that arise during the chain of custody of the evidence. There are a number of diversion programs in most counties, both for the first-time offender and for offenders who are ready to make a substantial change in their lives.

Any drug or marijuana conviction in the state of Texas will lead to a driver’s license suspension of 180 days. That means even paying a drug paraphernalia ticket will get your license suspended. Additionally, once the license is suspended, the only way to get it reinstated is to take a state-certified drug offender program which is a 15 hour in-person class.

If you have a criminal drug charge call our office to schedule a free consultation. Rosenthal Kalabus & Therrian is Collin County’s largest criminal defense firm. We are the only firm in Collin County with two partners board certified in criminal law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization. Both partners are former state criminal prosecutors and head a firm of seven lawyers who have dedicated their practice to the defense of individuals charged with criminal offenses.