Drug Paraphernalia Possession is a Washington State Crime
By Law Office of Scott Lawrence, PLLC
Jun. 17, 2013 11:41a
When you think of a drug crime, you normally think of the crimes of drug possession, distribution, sales, cultivation, manufacturing, and trafficking. These crimes involve such illegal drugs as marijuana, cocaine, heroin, and other narcotics as well as unauthorized prescription drugs. When these crimes involve a quantity of drugs that would be associated with more than personal use, they become serious crimes carrying heavy penalties. While these are the more serious drug offenses, the possession of drug paraphernalia is another drug crime that can bring additional charges against anyone found in possession of illegal drugs.
Drug paraphernalia is defined under Washington state law as any equipment, products, or materials which are used in association with illegal drugs. These items may be used in "planting, propagating, cultivating, growing, harvesting, manufacturing, compounding, converting, producing, processing, preparing, testing, analyzing, packaging, repackaging, storing, containing, concealing, injecting, ingesting, inhaling, or otherwise introducing" any illegal drug into the human body. Under this definition, items such as scales, spoons, baggies, pipes, seeds, syringes, and more can all be viewed as drug paraphernalia. The possession of such paraphernalia will result in a misdemeanor charge in addition to any other drug charges one might be facing. This can result in a jail sentence of up to 90 days and fines of up to $1,000.
Criminal Defense Lawyer in Everett, Washington
When facing drug charges or any other criminal charges, it is crucial that you immediately exercise your right to an attorney. That attorney should be someone who you can trust to do the best job possible in protecting you and working towards the most optimum case result. To do that, you will want someone with training, experience, and commitment. You will find such an attorney at the Law Office of Scott Lawrence, PLLC.
Mr. Lawrence has unique qualifications which make him an extremely desirable criminal defense attorney. He has a science degree in chemistry which makes him highly educated and efficient when it comes to the forensic evidence involved in many cases, such as DUI. He also has the training and background experience as a licensed private investigator. In addition to this, his firm currently holds a 9.7 out of 10 Superb rating from Avvo, reflecting a high level of client satisfaction as well as legal ability. To learn more about his firm and how he can help you with any criminal charges, contact his office to schedule a free, initial consultation.
