What will happen to me if I’ve been arrested for heroin possession?

Being charged with possession of a controlled substance has weighty and far-reaching consequences. When the controlled substance is a narcotic like heroin, one of the most addictive and deadly drugs on the market, you can expect that prosecutors will gladly use the vast resources at their disposal to get a conviction and ensure the consequences are as severe as allowed by law.

Heroin possession is a felony and being caught with even an insignificant amount can result in significant penalties. Get caught with as small as a trace amount and up to 15 grams of heroin and you face a Class 4 felony, up to three years in prison, and fines of up to $25, 000. Higher quantities mean higher penalties: 15-100 grams gets 4-15 years in prison and/or up to $200, 000 in fines; 100-400 grams gets 6-30 years in prison and/or fines of up to $200, 000 or the equivalent street value of the drug; 400-900 grams gets 8-40 years in prison and/or fines of up to $200, 000 or the equivalent street value of the drug; and more than 900 grams gets 10-50 years in prison and/or a fine of up to $200, 000 or the equivalent street value of the drug.

Facing these serious charges requires a serious and experienced defense. Work with attorneys who have a pattern of successful outcomes for their clients and who care about reducing the impact of a conviction on their clients and their clients’ families. An experienced attorney may set up a defense strategy based upon any number of factors that may be present in your situation including lack of possession, lack of credible informants, chain of custody violations, Fourth Amendment violations, or improper stop and detention, among other things.