Drug Trafficking

Salt Lake City Drug Trafficking Attorneys

Defending Clients from Serious Drug Charges

If you were charged with trafficking drugs in Salt Lake City, Utah, you’re dealing with an accusation of one of the most serious drug crimes in this state. In fact, this type of drug offense is charged as a felony, which means you face costly fines and prison or jail time if convicted. This possibility is why it’s important to defend yourself from serious drug charges by hiring a skilled Salt Lake City drug crime defense lawyer.

When you contact Conyers & Nix for support with your criminal defense case, you’ll have a trusted team by your side to protect your legal rights while helping you navigate the criminal justice system in Utah. If you’re ready to learn how our drug crime lawyers will fight for the best possible outcome on your case, call us for a consultation at our law office in Salt Lake City, UT.

What Is Drug Trafficking?

Drug trafficking is a serious drug crime that refers to the unlawful distribution, transportation, or sale of controlled substances. The act of drug trafficking typically involves manufacturing, distributing, or possessing drugs in quantities that are much larger than an amount one would have for personal use.

So, if you’re caught with a high quantity of illegal drugs, the police will likely determine that you intend to transport and sell them for profit rather than possessing them for personal use. This intent is why drug trafficking is considered the most serious type of drug crime since selling drugs to other people affects many more lives than simple possession for personal use does.

The following are the most common drugs involved in drug trafficking cases:

  • Methamphetamine
  • Heroin
  • Cocaine
  • Crack cocaine
  • Marijuana
  • Mushrooms
  • Prescription drugs, such as fentanyl, oxycodone, hydrocodone, and morphine

If you were charged with trafficking these or other drugs, you need a drug crimes defense attorney to fight for you in court. Otherwise, you face severe penalties that could affect the rest of your life since drug trafficking is among the most serious drug crimes you can be accused of.

Other drug crimes in Utah tend to be less severe than trafficking, but they can still result in jail time and fines upon conviction. These drug crimes include the following:

  • Simple possession
  • Possession of drug paraphernalia
  • Possession of a forged prescription
  • Drug distribution
  • Drug manufacturing
  • Possession with intent to distribute

If you’re facing drug charges of any kind in Utah, you need support from an experienced drug defense attorney who has the legal resources and knowledge to get your charges dismissed or reduced. Contact our Salt Lake City, UT law firm today to discuss your legal options.

What Are Utah’s Drug Schedules?

As you begin your criminal defense case, you’ll likely wonder what penalties you face if you’re convicted of drug trafficking in Utah. The answer is that your punishment primarily depends on the type and amount of drugs you’re caught with, as well as what the police believe you intend to do with them.

If you’re charged with trafficking, this indicates that the police thought you planned to transport and sell the drugs. The next detail that could affect how your case goes is how harmful the drugs are considered. This consideration is based on Utah’s schedules of controlled substances, which divide drugs into categories depending on their accepted medical uses and potential for abuse. Generally, drugs that are commonly abused and have no medical uses are considered the most serious and therefore lead to the harshest criminal penalties if you’re convicted of trafficking them.

Utah’s drug schedules are as follows:

  • Schedule I: Drugs with no medical use and a high potential for abuse, such as peyote, heroin, opium, LSD, ecstasy, and marijuana
  • Schedule II: Drugs with some medical use and a high potential for abuse, such as Adderall, Ritalin, fentanyl, Ritalin, Vicodin, GHB, Demerol, methamphetamine, cocaine, methadone, and OxyContin,
  • Schedule III: Drugs with commonly accepted medical uses and moderate to low potential for abuse, such as anabolic steroids, testosterone, ketamine, and Tylenol with codeine
  • Schedule IV: Drugs with commonly accepted medical uses and low potential for abuse, such as Ambien, Xanax, Valium, Soma, Darvocet, Ativan, and Tramadol
  • Schedule V: Drugs with frequent medical uses and very low potential for abuse, such as Robitussin AC, Lyrica, or prescription drugs with small quantities of opium or codeine

If you’re unsure which schedule the drugs involved in your drug charges fall into, it’s time to hire a Utah drug crime lawyer to provide the answers you need for your case. Our skilled drug crime attorneys have successfully handled numerous drug crime cases for clients across Utah, so you can count on us to give you the guidance you need to fight drug charges that include drug possession, trafficking, and more. Call our Salt Lake City, UT, law office to schedule a consultation with a caring criminal defense lawyer.

What Are the Drug Trafficking Penalties You’re Facing?

Once you talk to a skilled drug crime lawyer about your case, you will learn what penalties to expect if you’re convicted. You can then discuss how to approach the case together to get the drug charges dismissed or reduced in order to avoid these penalties if possible.

In most cases, the more dangerous the drugs you allegedly trafficked, the more severe your punishment will be. Other factors that could affect your punishment include the quantity of drugs you were caught with and whether you have prior convictions on your criminal record.

If your drug crime involved a Schedule I or II controlled substance, you’re facing a second-degree felony, which can be punished by up to $10,000 in fines and 1 to 15 years in prison. If this is your second or third time being convicted of trafficking a Schedule I or II controlled substance, you face a first-degree felony, which can be punished by five years to life in prison.

Drug crimes involving less dangerous drugs can be charged as third-degree felonies or misdemeanors. For example, if you’re accused of trafficking a Schedule III or IV controlled substance, you face a third-degree felony that could be punished by up to five years in prison and $5,000 in fines. It will be upgraded to a second-degree felony for a second or subsequent offense of this kind.

If you’re charged with trafficking a Schedule V controlled substance, this is a class A misdemeanor, which can result in up to one year of jail time and $2,500 in fines for a first offense. If this is your second or third time being charged with this drug crime, the offense will become a third-degree felony.

Of course, the penalties for Utah drug crimes can vary depending on several details, so it’s best to talk to a Salt Lake City drug defense attorney about your specific case. It might turn out that the punishment for your drug-related crime will be more or less severe than usual, depending on your criminal history and other factors. If you’re curious about what penalties to expect for drug possession, trafficking, and other drug-related crimes in Utah, contact our law office in Salt Lake City, UT to speak with an experienced lawyer about your case.

Should You Call Salt Lake City Drug Trafficking Lawyers?

If you’ve been accused of committing a drug-related crime in Salt Lake City, don’t wait to get legal advice. The consequences of a drug crime conviction can be life-altering since they often include years in prison, so it’s crucial to hire skilled drug crime lawyers to fight for your legal rights and protect your future.

At Conyers & Nix, our experienced drug crime lawyers have won countless criminal defense cases for clients facing everything from drug possession charges to marijuana trafficking allegations. So, if you were arrested for any drug-related crime in Utah, we’re here to assist you. We’ve spent years providing high-quality legal representation for clients throughout Salt Lake City, UT, so you can trust that we understand the complexities of all kinds of drug cases.

Regardless of the specific drug-related crimes you’ve been accused of, our Salt Lake City drug crime lawyers have the legal education and experience to get the best possible outcome for your case. Call us today at 385-469-1097 to schedule a consultation with our compassionate drug crime lawyers serving Salt Lake City, UT.