When you receive charges of possession with intent to distribute in Georgia, it is important to understand the severity of your situation. You may face serious jail time and fines, even for a first-time offense, and in many cases may even face these charges as a felony rather than a misdemeanor. These are certain not charges you want to take lightly if you value your future freedoms and privileges.
In order to qualify as possession with intent to distribute, both parts of the charge are necessary. A police officer should not charge you with possession with intent to distribute if the officer cannot sufficiently prove that you both possessed a certain substance in sufficient quantity to distribute it and also prove you intended to do so. For marijuana charges, for instance, a person may generally have less than an ounce in his or her possession and reasonably claim it is for personal use.
If an officer does find that you control a sufficiently large amount of a substance, then you may face possession charges reasonably, but the officer must also prove some intent to distribute in order for additional charges to be appropriate. This could include communications you have with others that indicate intent, or even some equipment used to distribute.
If you face any drug charges at all, you must build a strong defense and fight for your rights. Possession with intent to distribute is a very serious charge and is often a felony. Felony drug charges leave those who receive convictions with very few options to live life fully once they serve their sentences, making these charges some of the most destructive to an individual’s liberty and opportunity. With professional legal counsel, you can understand your rights and build a strong defense to protect them.
Source: norml.org, “Georgia Laws & Penalties,” accessed Jan. 19, 2018
