If the police find cocaine in your possession, or you are a suspect in drug sting, you’ll want to hire a board certified Houston criminal defense lawyer who specializes in drug crimes as soon as possible. The Houston area is high drug area in general, so the Houston Police Department and the Harris County Sheriff’s Office are as vigilant as ever when it comes to the arrest and prosecution of cocaine related drug offenses.
Talk with a Criminal Defense Lawyer in Houston A.S.A.P.
Looking at the criminal penalties being handed down by the courts nowadays, its important that you speak with an attorney in haste if you were charged with a felony cocaine possession crime. Penalties and punishment post-conviction for cocaine drug crimes in Houston are listed below.
Cocaine Penalties in the State of Texas
| Amount of Cocaine | Offense Classification | Penalty, Punishment, Fines |
| Less than 1 Gram | State Jail Felony | Up to 2 years in prison – $10,000 Fine |
| 1 Gram – 3.99 Grams | Third Degree Felony | 2-10 yrs. in prison – $10,000 Fine |
| 4 – 199 Grams | Second Degree Felony | 2- 20 yrs. in prison – $10,000 Fine |
| 200 – 399 Grams | First Degree Felony | 5- 99 yrs. in prison – $10,000 Fine |
| 400 Grams + | Enhanced 1st Degree Felony | 10- 99 yrs. in prison – $100,000 Fine |
As you can see by the illustrative table above, it doesn’t take getting busted with very much cocaine to get you a stiff prison sentence in Texas.
In fact, I happen to know a guy who got 60 years for simply having a few rocks of crack-cocaine for, but he had prior convictions making him a habitual offender, which is a different can of worms altogether.
Habitual Criminals
If you are found to be a habitual offender, you may be subject to a criminal enhancement which will automatically move your case to the next level of punishment/criminal classification. To use marijuana as an example, a few joints may be a misdemeanor, but if you keep getting busted habitually you could be prosecuted and convicted as a felon.
Retain a Houston Criminal Defense Lawyer Specialized in Drug Crimes
When you hire an attorney, you don’t want to hire just any attorney. Even if they are known as good lawyer, you’ll still want a more specialized legal representative. Instead of searching for a Houston criminal defense lawyer, refine your search and look for a Houston area drug case attorney, because a highly specialized expert in drug charge litigation will further help in the fight against the State’s allegations against you.
A Texas Criminal Defense Lawyer Can Keep You Out of Jail
You may not necessarily have to serve a prison sentence if you are found guilty in the court of law for the possession of cocaine. Some courts will allow probation, drug rehab, fines, and community service for first time offenders convicted of a cocaine felony. Keep in mind, all cocaine related charges are felonies in the State of Texas so be sure to work closely with your Harris County criminal defense lawyer to succeed in court during trial.
