Drug offenses are considered very serious in Texas. If you are facing such charges, you should take the situation seriously and have a strong defense built in your case. Drug trafficking, in particular, is viewed as one of the most serious charges and carries hefty penalties.
What are Texas’s drug trafficking and distribution laws?
In Texas, drug trafficking violates the Texas Controlled Substances Act and is treated as one of the most serious drug offenses. If you are facing these drug charges, it means you can be found guilty of deliberately and knowingly trafficking marijuana or other controlled substances that are included in one of the four groups of illicit drugs listed in the Act.
A person must know that he or she is transporting or delivering an illegal drug or controlled substance. In other words, if someone planted drugs in another person’s vehicle, and that person was unaware of it, he or she would not be guilty of such drug charges. However, if an individual knew all along that he or she was transporting drugs, he or she could be found guilty and convicted of drug charges.
What are the punishments for drug trafficking and distribution?
These drug charges are classified as felonies, which means the consequences for drug trafficking and distribution can be serious. There are also several penalties a person can face if convicted of the crime. It’s possible to receive anything from a state jail felony to a felony in the first degree. The type of drug, which group it’s from, and the amount of the substance in question are factors that determine a person’s sentence. Of course, if the amount of the drug is small, the defendant will get a lesser sentence.
Sometimes, the prosecutor will allow a defendant to make a plea deal to receive lighter penalties if he or she agrees to provide information that can help the authorities with an investigation.
A conviction for drug trafficking and distribution can be as minor as being sentenced to between 180 days and two years in state jail and, possibly, a fine of $10,000 or no fine at all. On the other end of the spectrum, for a harsher sentence, penalties can include anywhere from 15 to 99 years in prison and a maximum fine of $250,000.
Never take drug trafficking charges lightly. You need the strongest defense in your case to possibly receive a lesser sentence.