Being charged with possession for sale, when you know the drugs were only ever for your own use, is one of the more frightening positions in a drug case — because that one word, “sale,” is what turns a misdemeanor most people can put behind them into a felony that follows them for years. The…
Most drug cases in Riverside County stay in state court. The ones that don’t — the ones that become federal drug trafficking charges — are a different and far more dangerous proposition, because federal law runs on mandatory minimum sentences a judge cannot go below, federal time is served at about 85 percent with no…
Many drug cases turn not on whether the drugs existed, but on whether the police were allowed to find them. If officers searched your car, your home, or your person in violation of your constitutional rights, the evidence they seized can be thrown out — and when the drugs are the case, throwing out the…
When California legalized recreational marijuana, it did something many people still do not realize: it reached backward. If you carry an old marijuana conviction from a case in Murrieta, Temecula, Menifee, Lake Elsinore, Wildomar, Winchester, Canyon Lake, or French Valley, there is a real chance it can now be reduced, dismissed, or sealed. Proposition 64…
Drug possession under California Health & Safety Code § 11350 is the crime of possessing a controlled substance — including many prescription medications — without a valid prescription. It is the most common drug charge in the state, and for most people the real harm isn’t the sentence; it’s the conviction record that follows them…
Drug transportation is one of the more serious drug charges California recognizes, and it is widely misunderstood — including by people who assume that moving drugs only matters if you were caught selling them. If you are facing this charge after a stop or arrest in Murrieta, Temecula, Menifee, Lake Elsinore, Wildomar, Winchester, Canyon Lake,…
For property owners, residents, and small-business operators in Murrieta, Temecula, Menifee, Lake Elsinore, Wildomar, Winchester, Canyon Lake, and French Valley, the common assumption that Proposition 64 made marijuana legal in California is partially true and largely misleading. Prop 64 legalized personal recreational use within narrow limits — possession of up to 28.5 grams of flower,…
One of the things people find most frightening about drug cases is learning you do not have to personally handle, move, or sell drugs to be charged with a serious felony. Through conspiracy and accomplice laws, California can pull family members, partners, roommates, and friends into a single drug case — sometimes for little more…
Using Medical Marijuana is legal in a few states. Some people can legally possess certain amounts of marijuana under California law, but those distribute may face various criminal charges. Many members of the medical community believe that the drug should be available to patients because it has health benefits. Details about how it is beneficial…
A recent case that’s making the news and raising questions about California’s criminal justice system involves a rapper, Brandon Duncan (who performs under the name Tiny Doo). Duncan is now up for charges in connection with several gang shootings; he faces a possible life sentence in prison if found guilty. But what is Duncan’s connection…
This past Election Day, California voters passed a new law, Proposition 47, which will make some important changes to how drug possession and certain other crimes will be penalized by the criminal justice system. What are some of the changes that the law introduces? Due to Proposition 47, nonviolent drug possession for personal use will…
A Supreme Court case involving anonymous tips and traffic stops highlights the possible ways in which people’s constitutional rights may be violated. Although in this case the Supreme Court ruled in favor of the State of California (and its law enforcement officers), their ruling still leaves important questions unanswered. In Navarette vs. California, the Supreme…
If you or a loved one is facing criminal charges in Southwest Riverside County, time is critical. Contact the Law Office of Nic Cocis today for a free, no-obligation case evaluation.
