Category Archives: Drug Trafficking
Drug Crimes in Maryland
The opioid epidemic is getting an outsized amount of national media attention. Politicians highlight the damage it has caused families and communities. Some discuss the wanton peddling of habit-forming drugs from large pharmaceutical companies. Police chiefs talk about the need to get these drugs off of the street. They target doctors who over-subscribe and… Read More »
Maryland Drug Trafficking
There is no document and set of principles more essential for protecting the rights of clients than the U.S. Constitution. One area of particular interest is the area of drug trafficking law. That’s because the Constitution provides detailed protections from illegal searches and seizures. For example, the Massachusetts Supreme Court is set to hear… Read More »
What is intent to distribute?
Maryland residents should learn what circumstances may put them at risk for being accused of intending to distribute a controlled substance versus being charged with possession alone. Even watching or reading news stories, people in Maryland can hear about different types of criminal charges and offenses. However, media reports do not always offer clear… Read More »
Maryland bill proposes expunging marijuana criminal records
Bill would apply to people convicted of possession prior to decriminalization In October of last year Maryland decriminalized minor marijuana possession, meaning that people caught with small amounts of the drug faced only a civil penalty and were no longer burdened by a potential criminal record. However, for people who were convicted of possession… Read More »
New Maryland law aims to decriminalize marijuana
Up until recently, people convicted for possession of marijuana in Maryland could face strict penalties, including imprisonment of up to one year and/or a fine of up to $1,000, according to the General Assembly of Maryland. The consequences could become even steeper upon subsequent convictions. A new bill signed by Governor O’Malley last April… Read More »
‘Drug deals on wheels’ gets doctor arrested
It’s hard not to notice that the entire country is in the midst of a prescription drug panic — caused largely by the number of deaths from prescription drug overdoses in the last year or two and the rising tide of addicts who got their start on prescription painkillers. Prescription drugs used to be… Read More »
Baltimore officers plant evidence, destroy dozens of cases
A drug case may rest entirely on the testimony of the officers involved in the bust — which is why a smart defense attorney is going to question just how trustworthy those officers really are. There’s a growing body of evidence that suggests juries have good reason to be skeptical. For example, Baltimore prosecutors… Read More »
The drug epidemic is claiming lives at an alarming rate
The problem of deaths related to drug abuse is something that is very serious. In fact, this is one of the driving forces behind why states are spending so much money and putting so much time into stopping the sale of drugs. One drug in particular, fentanyl, is causing a serious health crisis around… Read More »
Maryland takes new steps to stop opioid and heroin epidemic
Maryland’s government has announced a new Heroin and Opioid Prevention, Treatment, and Enforcement Initiative for 2017, an ambitious and broadly-sweeping approach to the ongoing opioid and heroin epidemic. The 2017 measures are designed to augment legislation and programs begun in 2015. Combined, the programs have some important features — some already in place and… Read More »
Prescription pill trafficking: A quick road to federal court
What turns a drug trafficking crime into a federal offense? While there are several different ways that drug crimes can be elevated from the state level to the federal level, trafficking in prescription pills is one of the most surefire ways to land in federal court these days. That’s important to understand, because federal… Read More »