Pittsburgh Drug Conviction Lawyer
Arrests, criminal charges and convictions – what are the real-world consequences? If asked this question, most people would focus on the possible jail sentence, fines, probation or parole. Limitations on freedom and financial harm – isn’t that enough? Apparently not. The real-world consequences of drug charges and drug crimes convictions extend far beyond a jail or prison sentence and the financial cost.
- Lose your driver’s license: Conviction on a drug crimes charge results in mandatory suspension of your driver’s license by PennDOT. This is not a penalty ordered by the criminal court judge but an administrative penalty over which the judge has no control. The suspension period is at least six months for a first conviction and a year for a second conviction.
- Lose your right to own or possess a firearm: If you are convicted of a felony drug crime, such as drug trafficking, delivery, or possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance, you will lose your right to own or possess a firearm.
- Lose job opportunities: Any potential employer can view your criminal record and find out you have a drug crime conviction.
- Lose your access to college financial aid: If you are convicted of a drug trafficking crime such as manufacture, delivery or possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance, your application for federal financial student aid will most certainly be denied
- Lose your right to vote: Another consequence of being a convicted felon is that you lose your right to vote.
- Mandatory submission of DNA sample to a national data bank.
- Lose your parental rights: Parents serving long prison sentences run the risk of losing their parental rights in favor of adoptive parents.
Hire an Experienced Pittsburgh Drug Conviction Lawyer
In order to make smart decisions about your criminal defense strategies, you need to know the entire picture. A potential prison sentence is not the whole story, in fact, far from it. You need a lawyer who will tell you the whole story – straight, without sugar coating, and provide a realistic analysis that involves potential strategies as well as probable outcomes.
Pittsburgh drug conviction defense lawyer Gary E. Gerson has defended countless individuals facing serious drug crime charges. He not only knows which defense tactics are most likely to succeed in any given case, but also understands that drug-related convictions are potentially life-changing events. At The Law Offices of Gary E. Gerson we take our responsibility very seriously.
