St. Louis Drug Crimes Defense Lawyers

What Are Drug Crimes in Missouri?

Drug charges, felonies, or misdemeanors can have a lasting impact on your life. Jail or prison time, fines, a drug conviction on your record, and loss of your driving privilege are just some of the potential consequences you face, and they are worse if you are under the age of 21 or have prior drug convictions already. At Muhlenkamp & Bernsen, Attorneys at Law, we have experience in obtaining favorable dispositions in drug cases.

We have helped our clients by getting their cases dismissed, suppressing evidence, negotiating plea agreements and placement in treatment programs that keep drug convictions off your record, and winning at trial.

Let the St. Louis drug crimes lawyers at Muhlenkamp & Bernsen, Attorneys at Law help you. Call (314) 347-3313 now or contact us online for a free consultation.

Understanding Drug Search & Seizure Processes

Many drug charges begin with illegal searches and seizures at the hands of the police. Police are not allowed to simply search your person, your vehicle, or your property for no reason. They need to abide by strict legal formalities in order to do any of these things. If they do no abide by the rules, evidence in your case can be suppressed and you can win your case, keeping your record free of drug charges.

If you are contacted by police:

• Never consent to a search of anything
• Politely decline their request
• Ask to contact an attorney immediately

If the situation persists, just be patient until you can get an attorney involved. Drug charges are often born when a suspect believes that they will “get to go home” if they just cooperate and give the police what they are asking for. In reality, that rarely happens. Instead, you will end up with a drug charge. If you do comply with law enforcement’s request and they find a controlled substance or paraphernalia, you have just given the police the evidence they need to prosecute a drug charge against you in court.

Experienced Drug Legal Counsel

As your criminal defense lawyers, we will examine the specific facts and circumstances of your drug charge case and see if suppression is likely. If so, we will move to suppress the evidence or use those facts to gain a favorable disposition with the prosecuting attorney based on the illegal conduct by the police. We will also determine if drug court is an option for your drug charge.

However, you should not just jump at the opportunity to go into drug court because the drug charge will “stay off your record”—it is not that easy. Although drug courts vary from county to county, entering the program means you give up certain rights that you can never get back. If you fail to comply with the lofty requirements of the program, it can result in significant sanctions that include jail time or dismissal from the program and almost certainly a conviction.

At Muhlenkamp & Bernsen, Attorneys at Law, we do not just plead our clients out, throw them into drug court, and wish them luck. Instead, we will fully explain the process to you and make sure that you understand all expectations so you do not go into the program unprepared. If drug court makes sense for you, our goal is to fully prepare you for it so you can hit the ground running and complete it with as few issues as possible.

Call (314) 347-3313 now to schedule your free consultation.