College is a time of growth and learning. For a lot of young people, that process includes making some ridiculous mistakes. You may not want to imagine what your college student is doing with his or her spending cash and free time on the weekends.
As long as there are no legal consequences, you can simply hope that your child will finish this experimentation phase and move into adulthood seamlessly. Unfortunately, college students get arrested for drug charges every day in Georgia. Whether your child is facing possession or possession with intent to distribute, legal guidance is advisable.
Just because your student was caught with a substantial amount of drugs doesn’t mean that a conviction is inevitable. Sometimes, an attorney with the right experience can help your college-aged child challenge evidence and testimony. Other times, the courts may be open to your child accepting a plea of a non-drug related offense. It is even possible to have criminal charges reduced or dismissed if your child completes substance abuse education, commits to community service and is willing to remain under probation for a time.
Courts will take these charges seriously
You know that your kid is a good person who just made a youthful mistake. Unfortunately, Georgia’s laws and courts like to make examples of young people caught with prohibited substances. It is very unlikely that the courts will be lenient just because of age or because your child is going to college.
Your child could face a criminal record and even the loss of federal student aid if he or she pleads guilty or ends up convicted after a jury trial. Knowing that the courts will take these charges seriously, you need to do the same thing.
The sooner you retain the help of an experienced criminal defense attorney who understands Georgia’s laws on controlled substances, the better the chance of positive outcome. Failing to adequately defend against drug charges could result in hefty fines, incarceration and a criminal record that keeps your adult child out of most housing and employment opportunities. You don’t want to see one simple mistake derail and destroy your child’s future. Finishing college and moving onto a fulfilling career will be much more likely if your child doesn’t have a criminal record.
The better your attorney, the better your chances
You don’t want to gamble with your child’s future by working with a public defender. These well-intentioned professionals are often overworked and may not have the experience in the right areas of defense. Don’t wait until you need to appeal a conviction! Speak with an experienced criminal defense attorney as soon as your child has been charged with a drug crime.
Source: Nov. 30, -0001