If you have been arrested and charged with a drug offense in Virginia, you will be facing serious consequences, as many drug charges carry the possibility of a prison sentence. In addition, a conviction means having a criminal record that may forever affect your education, job, housing possibilities, and your family and social relationships.
With penalties so severe, this is not something you should attempt to fight on your own. If you have been accused of a drug crime, you need a skilled lawyer to fight for your rights and your freedom.
Drug defense attorney Cody Villalon has 12 years of experience successfully fighting for the rights of people who have been accused. He knows the courts, the prosecutors, and the system, and will explore your defense options to negotiate or litigate for a dismissal or a lesser penalty.
Cody is a hard-working solo practitioner who genuinely cares about clients’ well-being. He takes a personal interest in every case and never hands his cases off to another attorney. He believes that everyone charged with a crime is guaranteed rights under the law and deserves to be treated with basic human dignity. He will be there for you throughout the entire legal process, addressing your questions and concerns, and aggressively fighting to have your drug charges lowered or dismissed.
Virginia drug laws are especially strict. Arrests can be made for drug possession, manufacturing, distribution, or possession with the intent to manufacture or distribute. Even simple possession of many substances can be a felony. However, being arrested and charged with a drug offense doesn’t have to mean you’ll be found guilty. With the help of an experienced criminal defense lawyer who knows Virginia criminal and constitutional law, you may have a basis for a drug charge defense that can allow you to obtain a favorable plea bargain agreement, reduce charges to avoid prison, or have your charges dropped completely.
When you have the Cody Villalon legal team on your side, we will:
Cody Villalon knows that you have many rights under the law, including the right to remain silent and not answer questions by police unless an attorney is present. You have the right to refuse to say anything to incriminate yourself, to confront witnesses against you, to have a public, speedy jury trial, and to be represented by an attorney. We will aggressively fight to make sure your rights are upheld.
According to Virginia’s Drug Control Act, (Va. Code § 54.1-3401) a controlled substance means a drug, substance, or immediate precursor listed according to their potential for abuse, harm, and medical use in Schedules I through VI. Virginia’s Act reflects the drug classifications used in the federal Comprehensive Drug Abuse Prevention and Control Act of 1970. Schedule I and II offenses are considered to be felonies and are punished the most harshly.
Schedules are as follows:
Schedule I (Va. Code § 54.1-3446) covers substances with a high potential for abuse and no safely accepted medical use. Common Schedule I substances include recreational drugs such as heroin, LSD, and ecstasy.
Schedule II (Va. Code § 54.1-3448) covers substances that have a high potential for abuse and may lead to severe psychic or physical dependence, but have currently accepted medical use with severe restrictions. These include opium and opiates, fentanyl and hydrocodone, morphine, oxycodone, adderall, methamphetamine, and cocaine are in this category.
Schedule III drugs have less potential for abuse, a potential for moderate dependency and an accepted medical use. Anabolic steroids and codeine fall into this category.
Schedule IV drugs have less potential for abuse than Schedule III drugs, a limited potential for dependency, and are accepted in medical treatment.
Schedule IV drugs include Valium, Xanax and other tranquilizers and sedatives.
Schedule V drugs have a low potential for abuse, limited risk for dependency and accepted medical uses. These include drugs like cough medicines with codeine.
Schedule VI includes certain substances which are not “drugs” in the conventional sense but are nonetheless used or abused recreationally. These include toluene (found in many types of paint, especially spray paint) and similar inhalants found in many types of aerosol cans.
Schedules III to V include drugs that have less potential for abuse than Schedule I or II and they have more medical purposes, so include many prescription drugs such as Xanax and Ambien and cough medicines with codeine. Possession without a prescription, or selling, manufacturing, or distributing these drugs and substances are considered criminal acts.
The three major types of drug crimes are drug possession, drug distribution, and drug manufacturing.
Drug possession occurs when a person possesses any controlled substance without a valid prescription.
Drug sale or distribution occurs when a person sells, provides, gives away, delivers, or distributes a controlled substance.
Drug manufacturing occurs when a person produces or possesses chemicals used in the manufacture of a controlled substance with the intent to manufacture.
According to Virginia law, possession of any controlled substance without a prescription classified in Schedule I or II of the Drug Control Act are a Class 5 felony and carry the stiffest penalty compared to other schedules of drugs. Possession of any Schedule III through Schedule VI controlled substance is charged as a misdemeanor.
Potential penalties depend on the schedule of controlled substance and whether the crime involves possession, sale or distribution, or manufacturing drugs, as follows:
When you are faced with drug charges, it’s important to do everything possible to avoid a conviction. Depending on the circumstances, there are several approaches we can take, including showing:
Being faced with drug charges is a frightening experience, as consequences are potentially severe. It’s natural to have concerns and wonder just what you are up against. Here are some answers to questions Cody Villalon is often asked:
Cody Villalon believes that we are guaranteed rights under the law, but they exist only as long as there are people that are willing to defend them. As an experienced Richmond defense lawyer, he is proud of the work he does and will aggressively fight for your rights and the type of world he wants his own children to live in. He provides skilled, aggressive legal representation to ensure that his clients have been treated fairly.
Don’t risk your future. Call us today for a free, confidential consultation if you are facing any type of drug charges and let us show you what we can do to help. Time is of the essence when you are placed under arrest; the sooner you contact us, the sooner we can start working for you and fighting for your rights and freedom.
”If you ever need help look no further, this is the only phone call you need to make. Cody is the best, he goes above and beyond and there’s no one else I’d rather have in my corner fighting for me than him.” – Asher Casazza (Google Review)
