If you have been charged with drug possession in Houston, Texas, it may feel like the deck is stacked against you. In some cases, multiple state law enforcement agencies may have been working to arrest you. The prosecutor is also backed by the full resources of the State of Texas. With these things said, it's understandable if you initially feel like defending the charges against you is impossible, but don't despair.
The truth is that it's possible to prevail in your drug possession case. The key is to have the professional help of one of Houston's best drug possession attorneys. In fact, in certain cases, your attorney may be able to have the charges against you reduced or dismissed altogether.
Attorney Doug Murphy is recognized as one the top drug crimes lawyer in the Houston area as being named by his peers as a Texas Super Lawyer by Texas Monthly and also to the prestigious Best Lawyers in America list published in Newsweek annually. A dedicated advocate for the accused, Doug Murphy has extensive experience obtaining successful outcomes for his clients in and around Houston. To learn about your options in defending yourself, contact the Doug Murphy Law Firm, P.C. today.
What are the Benefits of Hiring a Houston Drug Possession Lawyer?
Defending a possession case in a Houston courtroom is complicated. Drug possession laws in Texas carry strict penalties, and the rules regarding introducing evidence at trial are old. It takes an experienced criminal defense attorney to build a defense that can succeed in front of a jury of your peers.
But the work of an attorney starts long before you enter the courtroom for trial. Defense attorneys are researchers and investigators. It is their job to sift through the evidence in a case to determine what is important and what isn't. Having an experienced criminal defense attorney aiding in your defense takes these duties off of your shoulders.
There are a variety of benefits for hiring a criminal defense attorney in your drug possession case, like.
- knowledge of the legal system;
- useful relationships;
- strong negotiating skills;
- impartial advocacy; and -- among others --
- access to resources.
Knowledge of the Legal System
Your attorney -- if you retain one of Houston's best -- will have years of education and experience at his or her disposal and can put that knowledge to use for you. Such an attorney has studied the concepts and laws that will apply in your case and can rely on that knowledge to craft a defense that gives you the best chance for a positive outcome.
Understanding the law is important, but it is something that cannot only be learned from books. An experienced defense attorney will have a deep knowledge of the Houston criminal justice system, and that can only be learned through first-hand experience. This can include many unwritten rules that vary from county to county and courtroom to courtroom. For instance, an attorney who has experience in the courts will have insight into whether or not your judge is more sympathetic to defendants or is a strict law-and-order type of jurist.
Useful Relationships
More than likely, this is your first experience with being prosecuted for a major crime. Even if you've been in trouble before, it's unlikely you've been involved in more than a handful of criminal cases. That isn't the case for your attorney. This is good news for you, as your attorney may have an understanding of or a relationship with the prosecutor in your case.
Is the prosecutor aggressive and never makes plea deals, or will he jump at the chance to get a case off his or her desk? Your attorney can leverage this knowledge by ensuring you are treated fairly and don't accept an offer that is not in your best interest.
Strong Negotiating Skills
An important tool your Houston drug crimes attorney should possess is strong negotiating skills. Your attorney may be able to use his experience and negotiating skills to convince the prosecutor in your case to amend the charges against you to a lesser offense -- if that's the best outcome for you. In some cases, negotiation can lead to the dismissal of the charges against you.
Negotiations, however, do not occur in a bubble. Your attorney will begin building your defense from the day you hire him. By following your attorney's guidance from day one, you put yourself in the best position to come out on top in your case.
Impartial Advocate
When you hire a criminal defense attorney, you hire an impartial advocate whose job is to tell you what you need to hear as opposed to what you want to hear. Your attorney isn't and shouldn't be your friend or your family. Your attorney must approach your case detached from emotion. This is important because friends and family aren't always able to tell you the hard truth or accept the reality of a situation. You will be able to rely on the guidance of your attorney and know that he acts in your best interest and sees your case without blinders.
This relationship is important because for some people charged with a crime the only person still standing by them is their attorney.
Access to Resources
Finally, your attorney has access to some resources that you won't have access to. Turning over every stone in your case may require the use of investigators, and your attorney may have existing relationships with people that can help. What's more, your case may require the use of expert testimony. Some drug possession cases turn on whether or not a substance is actually an illegal drug, and in that case, you would need an expert to review the drug test results.
An experienced drug crimes attorney may have existing relationships with experts with trial testimony experience. Attorneys also have access to Continuing Legal Education (CLE) seminars, which give them the opportunity to learn new techniques in their field.
It's one thing to hire a defense attorney that has attended their share of CLE courses. However, attorney Doug Murphy is well-respected enough in the Texas legal community that he is frequently asked to pass along his knowledge to other attorneys at these speaking engagements. The fact that other attorneys seek out his experience is proof Doug Murphy is one of the best criminal defense attorneys available.
What to Look For in a Houston Drug Possession Attorney
If you have been charged with possession of a controlled substance in Texas, there are ample benefits in hiring a Houston drug possession attorney to represent you. But how do you choose from the thousands of attorneys that hold themselves out as criminal defense attorneys in Houston? There are several criteria you should consider when selecting your lawyer:
- How much trial experience does the attorney have?
- Does the attorney handle administrative issues like ALR hearings as well as criminal cases?
- How did the attorney approach cases similar to yours?
- Is the attorney a Board Certified expert in DWI defense law?
- Is the attorney a Board Certified expert in criminal defense law?
- Does the attorney regularly teach or present to other attorneys at CLE gatherings?
- Is the attorney routinely invited to speak at continuing legal education seminars to teach other lawyers how to successfully handle DWI cases?
Your best opportunity to get the answer to these questions is by meeting with your prospective attorney in person. Most attorneys will discuss your case with you at no cost during an initial consultation. At that time, you can ask them about their approach to trials or how they handled cases similar to yours.
Keep in mind that your time may be limited, so it's worth doing your homework before your consultation begins. One thing you can research is whether or not your prospective attorney is a board-certified expert in criminal defense law.
Board Certification as an Expert in Criminal Law
When hiring a lawyer, arguably the best indicator of an attorney's quality is whether or not they are a Board Certified expert in criminal defense law. Only a fraction of the attorneys in the Houston area are certified by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization as an expert in criminal law. That's because to qualify, an attorney must have an extensive background in criminal law as well as pass an extensive practical exam. This difficult process means that only the best attorneys are certified as experts.
Hiring the Best Houston Drug Crimes Lawyer
Whether you have been charged with possession of a small amount of marijuana or a large amount of a penalty group 1 drug, you face the potential for serious legal consequences if convicted. An experienced Houston drug crimes lawyer can help you craft a defense that puts you in the best position to be successful.
If you are facing prosecution in the Houston area, attorney Doug Murphy can help. Doug Murphy is a Board Certified expert in criminal defense law. In fact, he is one of only two attorneys in the State of Texas to be Board Certified as an expert in both criminal defense law and DWI defense law.
Doug Murphy understands the weight of the charges against you, and he is prepared to work tirelessly on your defense. A fierce advocate, Doug Murphy prepares every case as if it will eventually go to trial. It is his belief that this approach leads to the best possible outcomes for his clients. To discuss the merits of your case with an expert criminal defense attorney, contact the Doug Murphy Law Firm, P.C. for a free consultation today.
