Bristol Drug Crimes Lawyer

If you were recently charged with a drug crime, you have a right to work with a Bristol criminal defense lawyer.

At McKenzie Law Firm, P.C., our Bristol drug crimes lawyers are proud to provide legal representation for the community. We can fight y to protect your rights and work toward the best possible outcome for your case.

Bristol Drug Crimes Lawyer Services

A Bristol drug crimes lawyer from our team can provide you with several services, including:

Fight for low or no bail: We can push to have your bail reduced or eliminated, allowing you to get out of jail to attend to your pre-trial obligations.
Defend your fights: Our team can review the circumstances of your arrest to determine if your rights were violated. If law enforcement violated your rights, it could strengthen your case.
Gather evidence and identify witnesses: Evidence and witnesses are vital to drug crime cases. We can gather relevant evidence and contact witnesses with knowledge of your arrest.
Negotiate a plea deal: In some cases, plea deals can produce the best outcome. We can discuss entering a plea deal with you and negotiate the terms of your sentence with the prosecutor.
Make your case in court: Attorney David C. McKenzie can take the stand on your behalf, fighting aggressively to reduce your charges or prove your innocence.

Drug crimes are complex, involving seemingly endless pages of codes and legal texts. Without years of legal experience, you may be stressed, confused, and unsure of what to do next. To simplify your case, we can:

Quickly return your phone calls, texts, and emails
Keep you updated on your case
Provide you with our lead attorney’s phone number if you join us as a client
Answer your questions

Our Reputation

Attorney McKenzie leads our firm. Before he entered private legal practice, he worked as an Assistant District Attorney (ADA), prosecuting several cases. Now, Attorney McKenzie works on the other side of the courtroom, protecting clients charged with criminal offenses.

Attorney McKenzie has years of legal experience and worked as a prosecutor, meaning he understands the techniques prosecutors typically use. We’re prepared to put this insider knowledge to work for you.

Additional accolades Attorney McKenzie and our firm have secured include the following:

The National Trial Lawyers Top 40 Under 40
AV Preeminent Rated from Martindale Hubbell Rankings

Types of Drug Crimes Cases Our Firm Handles

Our firm handles several types of drug crimes cases, including:

Drug Paraphernalia Possession

Drug paraphernalia refers to equipment used to inject, inhale, produce, or otherwise ingest drugs. Possession with the intent to use or use of drug paraphernalia is illegal in Bristol. Common types of drug paraphernalia include:

Freebase kits
Equipment used for the manufacturing or growth of controlled substances
Bongs
Pipes
Syringes

Drug paraphernalia possession charges are punishable by up to $2,500 in fines and one year of imprisonment. If you delivered drug paraphernalia to a minor, these penalties could become more severe.

Drug Trafficking

Drug trafficking refers to the distribution or transport of large quantities of drugs. The penalties for this crime depend on the amount and type of drug in possession. For example, the fines associated with marijuana trafficking hinge on the quantity you had at the time of your arrest:

Between two and ten pounds of marijuana: One year in prison and relevant fines
Between ten and 50 pounds of marijuana: Three years in prison and relevant fines
More than 50 pounds of marijuana: Five years in prison and relevant fines

Drug Possession

Drug possession, unlike drug trafficking, often refers to smaller amounts of drugs intended for personal use. The penalties associated with these crimes depend entirely on the amount and type of drugs in possession.

To use marijuana possession as an example again, if you have 30 grams or less of marijuana, you can only be punished by a misdemeanor, which entails a maximum of 30 days in prison and $500 in fines. As the amount of drugs in possession increases, you could face more severe penalties.

Drug Manufacturing

Manufacturing illegal drugs is a crime in Bristol, punishable by misdemeanors at a lower level. Remember that these charges can be combined with other crimes like possession or trafficking, making penalties more severe.

Forms of drug manufacturing include:

Growing hallucinogenic mushrooms, marijuana, or other illegal flora
Cooking illegal drugs using over-the-counter substances
Deriving psychoactive substances from plants
Chemically synthesizing designer drugs like MDMA or LSD

Marijuana and Drug Crimes in Bristol

In Bristol, marijuana is illegal for recreational use. However, if you’ve obtained a medical license or “green card,” you can legally possess and use specific amounts of marijuana.

Yet, even if you have a “green card,” there are limits to medical use:

You can only possess a three-month supply of medical marijuana.
You cannot grow your own marijuana.
Marijuana is still illegal at the federal level. You cannot take marijuana out of the country or over state lines.

Due to these additional regulations, it’s still possible to face drug crimes, even with a medical marijuana license. Our team can answer further questions about your case involving medical marijuana during an initial case evaluation.

Federal Drug Crimes

Drug crimes can be prosecuted at either the state or federal level. Typically, drug crimes only reach the federal level if they involve interstate transport or criminal syndicates. For example, trafficking large quantities of cocaine across state lines could result in federal involvement.

Federal drug crimes are typically pursued and investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), a well-funded arm of the federal government. This administration employs forensic scientists, law enforcement officials, and investigators.

According to the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), commonly cited federal drug crimes include:

Large-scale possession: Possession of large drug quantities, like 1000 kgs of marijuana or ten grams of LSD, is punishable by between ten years and a lifetime in prison.
Maintaining premises for drug manufacturing: This law, also known as the “crack house statute,” prohibits maintaining, renting, leasing, or opening a property for drug manufacturing purposes.
Continuing criminal enterprise: This law is commonly known as the “drug kingpin statute” and punishes those who oversee a drug trafficking operation that involves five or more individuals.

Facing a federal drug crimes charge is serious business and could end in a lifetime prison sentence. At McKenzie Law Firm, P.C., we’re not afraid to stand up to federal prosecutors on your behalf.