How to Choose the Right Lawyer to Defend You Against a Drug Charge in Missouri

Last year, Missouri’s adult-use marijuana bill took effect, making recreational marijuana use legal for people over the age of 21. This helped to eliminate drug charges for small-scale marijuana use and possession.

However, many other popular drugs are still criminalized in the state of Missouri. In fact, you can still find yourself facing a legal battle if you are found with more than the legal limit of marijuana.

If you’re facing a trial for a drug crime, you don’t have to fight the charges alone. An experienced Missouri drug crime lawyer can help.

How do you find the right defense attorney for your Missouri drug charge? Read on for this quick and easy guide to finding the best drug crime lawyer for you or a loved one.

Understand Your Drug Charges

The more information you can provide from the outset, the better positioned you are to choose the right lawyer. By communicating your charges, you can find out if a drug crime lawyer has handled similar cases and feels confident about their ability to help you. You should be able to answer questions about:

• misdemeanor vs. felony charges
• the type of drug you were accused of using or possessing
• the information you provided to the arresting officers
• any drug paraphernalia they found during the arrest

You should also be prepared to answer questions about your criminal history. Have you been charged with drug crimes in the past and do you have a criminal record? Though you may not understand the potential consequences of your charges, your defense attorney should. They should also be able to explain possible outcomes and what they’ll do to avoid them.

Look for Local Practices

Drug crimes can result in a combination of both state and federal charges, making these cases extremely complicated. While drug laws don’t differ from one Missouri city to the next, the intricacies of the local court system do.

Ideally, you want to hire a drug crime lawyer with experience in your region. They may have familiarity with the local district attorney as well as local prosecutors that take both state and federal cases in your city. This familiarity can better position them to foster plea deals and reduce your sentence, which may even help you avoid jail time.

Verify Relevant Experience

Criminal defense is a wide umbrella that can include everything from drug laws to aggravated assault to human trafficking. While every licensed attorney has proven an understanding of the law, not all of them will specialize in the same kind of law. When you’re searching for a lawyer, look for a drug crime lawyer, specifically.

Don’t hesitate to ask questions about prior experience. Hiring a lawyer that has never handled a case like yours is a gamble that isn’t worth taking. Without a deep knowledge of Missouri and federal drug laws, a criminal defense lawyer can’t adequately defend you in court.

Verify Credentials

Believe it or not, there are people out there who take advantage of individuals who are in desperate situations. They may pose as licensed and certified Missouri criminal defense lawyers when they do not, in fact, have a license to practice law. Before you hire a criminal defense lawyer, look them up using the Missouri Bar’s lawyer directory.

Not only will this directory verify that a lawyer has an active license, but it will also inform you if that lawyer has any complaints or grievances against them. These complaints and grievances could indicate poor conduct or shady legal strategies. Hire a lawyer with a clean track record to avoid unnecessary roadblocks.

Seek Referrals

When it comes to finding out about a lawyer’s track record, you don’t just have to take their word for it. You can request referrals from previous clients to find out about the real experiences people have already had. Good referrals can corroborate what a lawyer says about their own practice and give you insight into things like client comfort and satisfaction.

In addition to referrals, you can take a look at a drug crime lawyer’s online reviews. You can often find reviews on third-party websites like Yelp and Google Reviews. Many attorneys will also have reviews posted on their websites.

Ask About the Legal Team and Caseload

When you’re fighting drug charges, it can take several months (or longer) to get your case sorted out. This includes not only your court dates and trial time but also the time spent communicating with your lawyer to build a stronger case. It’s important that someone will be available to talk to you frequently while your case is still open.

Ask your drug crime lawyer if they have a large caseload and, if so, how they will continue to prioritize your case. Find out if they have a legal team that will not only work to build your case but also answer any questions you may have during the process.

It’s reasonable to take communication styles into consideration. You deserve to work with someone who makes you feel comfortable, respected, and helped. That includes the method of communication (i.e., email vs. phone calls) as well as tone, language, and overall accessibility.

Need a Missouri Drug Crime Lawyer? Contact Taylor Sloan!

If you’re facing a Missouri drug charge, you need an experienced drug crime lawyer. Taylor Sloan is proud to fight for Missouri and Kansas residents who are facing drug charges and has a strong track record of providing critical legal defense.

To find out more about Sloan Law Office and how we can help, contact us today! Let us know a little bit about the services you’re seeking and we’ll be in touch ASAP.