Utah Teacher Charged with Heroin Crime

A third-grade teacher at an elementary school in Utah faces enhanced drug possession charges when evidence of heroin was found in her vehicle and in her classroom. The woman, who had been teaching at the school since 2007, was questioned on January 31, 2013 after law enforcement received a tip. An investigation with a trained drug-sniffing dog in a K-9 unit turned up the heroin evidence. The woman was booked into a local county jail on the drug charges.

Under Utah law and in many other states, drug possession or distribution in a drug-free zone can result in increased penalties, such as a substantial increase in jail or prison sentences as well as increased fines. Drug-free zones generally can include schools, pre-schools, parks, churches, libraries, shopping malls, movie theaters, and their parking lots as well as areas extending 1000 feet around such places. Prosecutors merely have to demonstrate that the defendant was within 1000 feet of the drug-free zone to impose the harsher penalties; it doesn't matter whether the defendant was unaware of the fact.

Criminal Defense in Greater Los Angeles

Being arrested and charged with a drug offense or any other type of criminal charge can have a major impact on the rest of your life. Drug crimes may be charged at the state or federal level; federal drug crimes are often based on drug trafficking activity and are investigated by such agencies as the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) or the FBI. Regardless of whether you are facing state or federal charges, it is essential that you have the benefit of a skilled and experienced attorney to help you fight the charges.

At the criminal defense firm of Martinian & Associates, Inc., your case will be handled with the utmost care and attention to detail aimed at helping you achieve the best outcome. This legal team of experienced trial lawyers has achieved many outstanding results for their clients in both state and federal courtrooms in the Los Angeles area. You will work directly with a skilled attorney from the firm from the start to finish of your case. To learn more about how you can be defended, contact the firm for a case evaluation today.