Felony Drug Case Comes to Conclusion after Dramatic Sentencing Hearing

The case against R.M., 48, ended with the defendant screaming profanities after what was a fairly smooth court procedure. R.M. was arrested last year after officers with the Central Ohio Drug Enforcement Task Force served a search warrant of his home. Reports state that officers found substantial amounts of drugs as well as a loaded firearm. 12,000 grams of marijuana and 500 grams of methamphetamine were seized during the search. R.M. was charged with misdemeanor possession of drug paraphernalia, possession of marijuana, aggravated possession of drugs (a first degree felony), felony weapons charges and other related charges. He had two hearings on the same day—one for the drug charges followed by a second hearing regarding charges for allegedly threatening probation officers over the phone. He was charged with intimidation, a third degree felony, in the phone threats incident. Consult with a criminal defense lawyer if you are facing serious felony charges.

R.M. pled no contest to the drugs and weapons charges. He faced the possibility of 18 years in prison and over $40,000 in fines. The defendant stated, "I was wrong, I accept it." The judge sentenced him to 13 years in prison and ordered him to pay over $16,000 in fines and fees. He was then immediately seen before the same judge for the felony intimidation charges. He waived his right to a trial by jury and asserted that he had not threatened the parole officers. The trial on this second case was very brief—about 15 minutes. The judge ruled that R.M. was guilty of the charge against him and sentenced him to an additional two years in prison to be served after the 13 years for the previous conviction. It was at this point that R.M. got up from the defendant's table in the middle of the judge stating the sentence. He was reportedly swearing at an officer in the court room and telling the judge that he was wrong for giving him the additional two years of incarceration.

Make sure your rights are protected!

Felony and misdemeanor charges can mean serious penalties if a conviction is obtained against you. It is a criminal defense attorney's job to ensure that the client is not being falsely accused or unfairly charged. A defender with us at the Meranda Law Firm may be able to get the charges against you dismissed or reduced. Contact our law offices now to schedule a free initial consultation. We are driven to providing excellent defense representation in every case we take on!