Trafficking is the highest level of all drug charges. A conviction for trafficking carries substantial prison time, difficult parole situations, and oftentimes a larger-than-life fine, which is why you must fight the charges with a drug attorney. Ryan Brown handles drug trafficking cases across the state of Georgia. Let our team of Newnan drug trafficking lawyers help you through this difficult time.
To be convicted of drug trafficking, prosecutors must come into court and prove essentially two elements of a crime. The first element of trafficking is that you either: 1) possessed, 2) delivered, 3) manufactured, or 4) distributed the alleged drug. The second element is that you did one of those four things with a certain quantity of drug. The quantity varies from drug to drug.
I-85 travels directly through LaGrange and Newnan up to Atlanta. I-20 comes from Atlanta and passes through Douglasville, Carroll County, Villa Rica, and Bremen. Because of this, drug trafficking cases are exceptionally common in the West Georgia area. Law enforcement units have unique units decided to try and stop trafficking on the highways.
Trafficking cocaine requires that the defendant possess as little as 28 grams of cocaine or a mixture of cocaine (a mixture that is at least 10 percent cocaine). The levels are as follows:
If you are convicted of trafficking between 28 and 200 grams of cocaine, the mandatory minimum sentence is ten years to serve and the maximum is thirty years in the state penitentiary. The fine for this level is $200,000.
If convicted of trafficking in Georgia of 200 grams or more but less than 400 grams, then the punishment range increases. For this quantity of cocaine the minimum prison sentence is 15 years, the maximum is thirty, and the fine increases to $300,000.
The highest level of trafficking cocaine is 400 grams or more. If convicted of trafficking in this amount the range of punishment is narrow, but it is substantial. Upon conviction, you face 25-30 years in prison and a $1,000,000 fine.
Morphine, opium, heroin, are among the drugs that are easiest to mistakenly traffic. That is for one particular reason: many people assume that the quantity of drugs required for trafficking is in the hundreds of grams. However, as a dedicated lawyer can explain, for morphine, opium, and heroin, a mere four grams constitutes drug trafficking in Newnan.
If convicted of trafficking 4 grams or more but less than 14 grams, then you face a minimum punishment of five years in prison and a maximum of thirty years. The fine associated with this level of trafficking is $50,000.
If convicted of this quantity of trafficking then both the fine and minimum punishment double. Thats right – an increase from 13.99 grams to 14.00 grams of heroin will double the minimum prison sentence from five years to ten years and double the fine from $50,000 to $100,000.
If convicted of trafficking heroin, opium, or morphine in Newnan, you are facing a sentence of between 25 and 30 years and also a $500,000 fine without a strong drug defense on your side.
Marijuana trafficking requires a higher quantity (by quite some margin) of drugs than any of the other trafficking crimes. Like all of the other crimes, there are certain levels of punishment depending on the crime.
This particular range starts at ten pounds and reaches all the way to just shy of one ton. The minimum punishment for this level of marijuana trafficking is five years in prison. Additionally, there is a $100,000 fine associated with a conviction for this level of marijuana trafficking.
As the quantity increases so do the punishments. For this 8,000 pound range of marijuana trafficking the minimum punishment is seven years in prison, the maximum is thirty, and there is a quarter-of-a-million dollar fine associated with a conviction for this.
The maximum range for marijuana trafficking requires five tons of marijuana or more. A conviction in this range requires a minimum sentence of fifteen years and a $1,000,000 fine.
Methamphetamine trafficking is of law enforcement’s favorite “busts.” Whenever a trafficking meth arrest is made you often see it in the news with law enforcement officers taking pictures in front of their fancy police cars while they confiscate drugs, money, and property from the people of this state. For this reason, these cases often receive special attention. Take a look at these punishment ranges for meth trafficking.
For this range of methamphetamine trafficking the minimum sentencing range is ten years in prison and the maximum term of imprisonment is thirty years. The fine associated with a conviction for this violation is $200,000.
For trafficking meth in this range both the minimum sentence and the fine increase. The minimum prison sentence is now fifteen years and the fine is $300,000.
This is the grandaddy of meth trafficking charges. The highest fines, the highest prison sentence. If convicted of trafficking 400 grams or more, then you face a minimum of twenty-five years in prison and a $1,000,000 fine. Remember, to be convicted of trafficking the state must only prove the quantity and that you possessed the drugs.
Trafficking charges are no joke. Do not fight against trafficking charges alone because the prosecutors are certainly taking your case seriously. All defenses must be explored, warrants must be examined, and a strategy must be developed. Contact us today, come meet a Newnan drug trafficking lawyer, and let’s get started.
J. Ryan Brown Law, LLC
J. Ryan Brown Law, LLC
