Criminal Defense Lawyer John E. MacDonald, Inc. of Providence, Rhode Island
Schedule a ConsultationIf you are searching for the best criminal defense attorney to defend your drug offense, choosing an attorney with extensive drug defense experience in Rhode Island is essential.
RI Drug Crimes Defense Attorney John E. MacDonald is a former public defender from the Rhode Island Department of Public Defender and has extensive experience with drug crimes charges in Rhode Island.
The drug lawyers at the Law Office Of John E. MacDonald, Inc. have over twenty-five years of experience helping clients who are facing criminal prosecution for drug crimes in Rhode Island.
The Law Office of John E. MacDonald, Inc. represents clients facing felony or misdemeanor charges in the state and federal courts of Rhode Island and Massachusetts. We have aggressively and successfully represented clients facing criminal prosecution for all types of drug crimes which include: marijuana, cocaine, heroine and other Schedule I, II and other illegal drugs. We defend clients charged with:
The distinguished Rhode Island Drug Crime Lawyers at the Law Office Of John E. MacDonald, Inc. use aggressive legal tactics and well thought out defenses to successfully defend clients who have been accused of serious drug related crimes. If you have been accused of or arrested for a drug crime in Rhode Island, you should hire knowledgeable legal representation immediately. Remember that a drug crime is considered a serious criminal offense in Rhode Island.
Call 401.421.1440 the The Law Office of John E. MacDonald, Inc. today to schedule a free consultation with Criminal Defense Attorney MacDonald and discuss your drug offense case.
Criminal defense attorney John E. MacDonald has represented numerous clients who possess a patient or caregiver card and have a legal right to grow marijuana. Despite these protections, clients have been subjected to search warrants and prosecution for marijuana. Drug crime attorney John E. MacDonald has successfully suppressed these searches and dismissed the felony charges based upon defects in the search warrant affidavit or execution as well as compliance with the Thomas C. Slater Medical Marijuana Act.Being arrested and charged with a drug crime can be a scary and stressful process. Regardless if you’ve never been charged with a drug crime before or if this is your second or third offense, the legal consequences can be severe and daunting. This is why it is critical to have an experienced drug crime attorney defend you. If you haven’t spoken with a Rhode Island drug charges lawyer yet, it’s important to reach out to our law office right away at 401.421.1440. In the meantime, here are some frequently asked questions and answers regarding drug crime offenses and drug defense strategies.
There are various defense strategies that can be effective in a drug crime case, but this will depend on the circumstances surrounding the arrest and the quality of your drug crime defense lawyer.
Only an experienced drug crime lawyer will know what to look for and how to design an effective defense strategy for a drug offense. For instance, a strong defense might revolve around the terms and conditions of a search warrant.
Search warrants are often the means by which a drug crime offense is brought to court. Your Rhode Island drug crime attorney should be able to identify errors where police obtained or implemented a search warrant.
If there are issues with the prosecutor’s case or the police actions, only a skilled drug crime defense attorney can examine, discover, and use these errors to formulate a powerful defense strategy for you. If you’d like to know more about a drug defense strategy that’s specific to your case, contact our law office to speak with a drug crime defense attorney today.
Under Rhode Island and federal law, drug paraphernalia is defined as “any equipment, product or material of any kind which is primarily intended or designed for use in manufacturing, compounding, converting, concealing, producing, processing, preparing, injecting, ingesting, inhaling, or otherwise introducing into the human body a controlled substance.”
Some examples of drug paraphernalia include:
If you’re charged with possession of drug paraphernalia in Rhode Island, you can face the following penalties:
If you’re charged with possession with intent to sell or deliver paraphernalia to minors in Rhode Island, you can face the following penalties:
The ever-changing drug laws and penalties around marijuana can make marijuana charges incredibly difficult to navigate. Right now, Rhode Island has legalized marijuana for medicinal use and has decriminalized marijuana. Decriminalization simply means that the penalties have been brought to a minimum, even though it’s still considered illegal to consume marijuana for personal use in Rhode Island. For instance, if you’re caught with possession of less than 1 oz of marijuana, you’ll receive a civil infraction that will include a fine of $150. If you’re caught with possession of between 1 oz to 1 kg of marijuana, it’s considered a misdemeanor. This means you can face up to one year in jail and be required to pay fines up to $500.
Possession of between 1-5 kgs is considered a felony in Rhode Island and is punishable by a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years and a maximum of 50 years imprisonment and a maximum fine of $500.
Possession of more than 5 kgs is considered a felony in Rhode Island and punishable by a mandatory minimum sentence of 25 years and a maximum sentence of life imprisonment as well as a maximum fine of $100,000
In order to consume marijuana for medicinal purposes, you must go through the proper channels to obtain a medical marijuana ID card and only purchase marijuana through state approved medical marijuana dispensaries. The confusion around marijuana drug laws in Rhode Island can lead to many unnecessary injustices when it comes to drug crimes. Despite the decriminalization of marijuana and the reduced penalties, it’s still important to work with a drug crime defense attorney that specializes in marijuana crimes. If you’ve been charged with possession, intent to sell, or any other drug crime related to marijuana, contact our law office today.
Call the Rhode Island Drug Crimes Lawyers at The Law Offices of John E. MacDonald, Inc. at 401.421.1440 or EMAIL us today.
All drug related crimes that take place in the State of Rhode Island are very serious matters, and depending upon the circumstances, carry with them severe legal consequences. If you are convicted of a drug charge, there are many different penalties that you may be confronted with, such as monetary fines, probation, and/or a jail term. If you are convicted of a drug crime near a school or involving minors and your penalties could be double. Any drug related conviction on your criminal record may cause many problems in your personal and professional life, as it may minimize your chance of obtaining a good job, applying for a place to live, or obtaining a loan.
Some defendants in drug related cases may even be able to avoid jail entirely and complete a drug diversion course or drug rehab program. In fact, in certain circumstances a plea of “nolo contendere” allows first time, non-violent, drug offenders an alternative to jail by allowing them to undergo probation, a drug education program, and participate in community service.
If you have been charged with misdemeanor or felony drug charges, it is very important that you hire legal representation that you trust. The drug crime defense attorneys at The Law Office of John E. MacDonald. will use our extensive knowledge in the areas of criminal defense and State and Federal drug laws to create a defense for your specific drug crime offense. With our skill and experience, we may be able to have your charges dropped, or have your sentence reduced or altered.
The Law Office of John E. MacDonald, Inc. also guarantees that a drug crime attorney will take the time to completely explain why they are pursuing a legal avenue on your behalf. A drug crime attorney will explain the strengths and weaknesses of your legal matter from the very beginning. Your defense attorney will regularly update you on your case. You will never complete a discussion with one of our attorneys and not have the answer to your question or a plan and timeframe to obtain the answer.
We are available to our clients twenty four hours a day, seven days a week. We frequently answer emails after hours, on weekends, and while on vacation. We love what we do and we love to win. We encourage you to consider a complimentary consultation, wherein you will notice, first hand, the professionalism, competence, and dedication we have to offer in resolving your legal situation.
Call the Rhode Island Drug Crimes Lawyers at The Law Offices of John E. MacDonald, Inc. at 401.421.1440 or EMAIL us today.
Cocaine crimes in Rhode Island are treated very seriously and the penalties and punishments can be harsh. Below find the state law that covers cocaine crimes in Rhode Island. This includes cocaine trafficking, distribution of cocaine, manufacturing, possession of cocaine, and possession with intent to deliver cocaine.
Rhode Island General Laws TITLE 21 – Food And Drugs
CHAPTER 21-28 – Uniform Controlled Substances Act – ARTICLE 21-28-2.01
Standards and Schedules § 21-28-2.08 Contents of schedules. – Schedule I
(a) Schedule I shall consist of the drugs and other substances, by whatever official name, common or usual name, chemical name, or brand name designated, listed in this section.
(4) Coca leaves and any salt, compound, derivative, or preparation of coca leaves, and any salt, compound, derivative, or preparation which is chemically equivalent or identical with any of these substances, except that the substances shall not include decocainized coca leaves or extraction of coca leaves, which extractions do not contain cocaine or ecgonine.
Rhode Island Legal Code Section 21-28-4.01, et seq. – Offenses and Penalties
Any of the above cocaine crimes committed within 300 yds. of a school will result in double penalties.
Call the Rhode Island Cocaine Attorneys at The Law Offices of John E. MacDonald, Inc. at 401.421.1440 or email us today.
There are more arrests associated with the possession of marijuana than with possession of any other illicit drug in Rhode Island. According to the Rhode Island UCR, in 2001 nearly 53 percent of adult arrests for drug possession and over 81 percent of all juvenile arrests for drug possession were marijuana-related. Find below the state law that covers marijuana crimes in Rhode Island.
Rhode Island General Laws TITLE 21 – Food And Drugs
CHAPTER 21-28 – Uniform Controlled Substances Act – ARTICLE 21-28-2.01
Standards and Schedules § 21-28-2.08 Contents of schedules. – Schedule I
(17) Tetrahydrocannabinols. Synthetic equivalents of the substances contained in the plant, or in the resinous extractives of Cannabis, sp. and/or synthetic substances, derivatives, and their isomers with similar chemical structure and pharmacological activity such as the following: delta 1 cis or trans tetrahydrocannabinol, and their optical isomers. Delta 6 cis or trans tetrahydrocannabinol and their optical isomers. Delta 3, 4 cis or trans tetrahydrocannabinol and its optical isomer. (Since nomenclature of these substances is not internationally standardized, compounds of these structures, regardless of numerical designation of atomic positions covered).
Rhode Island Legal Code Section 21-28-4.01, et seq. – Offenses and Penalties
In addition to these penalties if caught driving while in possession of marijuana this is penalized by automatic suspension of the offender’s driver’s license for six months for the first offense and for one year for subsequent offenses.
For sentences of probation with no imprisonment, the offender is required to undergo a drug abuse evaluation, attend a drug education course and perform 100 hours of community service.
Call the Rhode Island Marijuana Possession Lawyers at The Law Offices of John E. MacDonald, Inc. at 401.421.1440 or email
us today.
If you are found guilty of any other drug possession charge, schedule I-V, the penalties will vary from substance to substance but are:
The most likely Presumptive sentence on a Possession of a Controlled substance conviction is 0-18 months in jail.
A Second (2nd) Offense drug possession/simple possession charge in Rhode Island will face doubled penalties, over 100 hours of community service, a possible drug abuse program and drug counseling and education.
On any Second (2nd) Offense Drug charge conviction relating to any narcotic drugs, marijuana, depressant, stimulant, or hallucinogenic substances, the defendant is subject to doubling of the jail sentence, fine, or both.
On any Third (3rd) Offense Drug charge conviction as above, the defendant is subject to 3 times the jail sentence, fine, or both.
The penalties for drug/narcotics offenses in RI can be extreme if you are charged with possession or cocaine, heroin, meth, GHB, ecstasy, and may have mandatory jail times depending on the quantity of the drugs involved. Additional charges may include possession with intent to sell, transport, cultivate, trafficking, or manufacture.
There are also substantial increases in penalties if you are charged with distribution within a school zone (within 300 yards of a park, playground, or school), or selling to minors 3 years younger than yourself.
The Rhode Island Criminal Defense Law Office of John E. MacDonald is open 24 Hours to take care of your drug case. Don’t leave your future to chance, hire a Rhode Island Criminal Defense Lawyer with more than two decades of experience in criminal law like John E. MacDonald. to defend your criminal charge.
Rhode Island Drug Defense Attorney Office
Phone: 401.421.1440
Call the Rhode Island Drug Crimes Attorneys at The Law Offices of John E. MacDonald, Inc. at 401.421.1440 or EMAILus today.
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