Tag Archive for: Drug Charges

Oklahoma drug trafficking case incurs severe penalty

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On behalf of Jacquelyn Ford Law, P.C. posted in Drug Charges on Thursday, June 4, 2015.

A 37-year-old man was indicted along with a group of nine others in Oklahoma. The federal drug trafficking charges alleged that the defendants conspired to possess and intended to distribute a large amount of a controlled substance. The man was recently sentenced to a federal prison for 20 years. The others involved have entered guilty pleas and now await their sentences.

The man in question is said to be a member of the Universal Aryan Brotherhood. Reports indicate that he had been incarcerated from 2009 to 2014. He was accused of using cell phones that were illegally brought into prison in order to orchestrate the acquisition and distribution of methamphetamine.

Various departments and agencies are said to have comprised a joint investigation in the case. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security was reportedly part of the investigative effort. The man is currently being held in police custody as he awaits his transfer to a federal prison. It has also been reported that his sentence does not allow the opportunity for parole.

A person in Oklahoma who is facing serious drug trafficking charges such as the man has in this case would most likely have need of professional legal advice in the aftermath of the incident. Depending upon the circumstances of an individual case, the potential penalties can be quite serious. This is particularly true with regard to federal criminal convictions involving drug trafficking. Acquiring legal representation from a criminal law attorney experienced in drug cases of this nature would help to ensure that a defendants’ rights are protected at every stage of the proceedings.

 

Source: muskogeephoenix.com, “Checotah man sentenced to prison, ordered to pay $1.4 million“, May 28, 2015

Related Posts: 3 strikes law for drug offenses changed by new Oklahoma law, Drug charges can affect every aspect of your life, 2 homicide suspects charged in beating, killing of male victim, Drug cases present harsh penalties for the accused

2 Suspects Charged in Oklahoma Killing

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On behalf of Jacquelyn Ford Law, P.C. posted in Drug Charges on Thursday, April 2, 2015.

When two alleged perpetrators are arrested for homicide in connection with a fight, each defendant must carefully go over the facts with his or her separate criminal defense counsel. That will allow counsel to evaluate which of the accused suspects may be the more culpable of the two. In Oklahoma, police recently arrested two men and charged them with the homicide of a third man with whom they resided.

The Oklahoma City police arrested an 18-year-old male and a 31-year-old male for homicide in connection with the beating death of a 40-year-old male with whom they resided. All three men lived together at a Grand Boulevard address, where the police found the decedent beaten and suffering trauma to his face. The man died later at a local hospital.

The younger defendant is reportedly the nephew of the decedent. He reportedly told witnesses that he and the other defendant had gotten into a fight with the victim and that the other defendant beat the victim to death by slamming his head repeatedly into the concrete in front of the house. It is also reported that the younger suspect told police a similar account of the co-defendant shoving the victim’s head into the concrete.

Counsel for the younger man will want to act quickly to establish that the defendant was either fully or partially an innocent bystander. Even if he was also arguing with the decedent, he is not guilty of homicide if he did not encourage, support, or participate in the physical assault, or otherwise assist the co-defendant in any way. In Oklahoma and elsewhere, criminal responsibility for homicide must be based on more than merely watching while someone else kills a victim in one’s presence.

Source: newsok.com, “Oklahoma City police arrest two in connection with homicide”, Feb. 19, 2015

Related Posts: Drug charges can affect every aspect of your life, Drug cases present harsh penalties for the accused, The dangerous implications of a drug charge

Oklahoma Drug Charges Penalties

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On behalf of Jacquelyn Ford Law, P.C. posted in Drug Charges on Thursday, January 15, 2015.

If you were to hear about someone who was accused of drug crimes, you may initially think “well, that person gets what he or she deserves.” Such a reaction isn’t surprising. Many people think this way, mainly because we’re told all our lives that people who mess with drugs are inherently terrible, evil people. Some people may fit this description — but some do not.

It may be funny to read this, but not every individual who is accused of drug crimes is a bad person who deserves harsh punishment. Many are first-time offenders. Some simply don’t have the means to get by any other way. This doesn’t excuse what they do — but it serves as important context for what they do.

People who are accused of drug crimes often come under heavy fire by the police and prosecutors. The book will be thrown at them (so to speak) and prosecutors will try to make a laundry list of criminal charges stick to them, in part to “show criminals that drug peddling isn’t acceptable in this city” and also in part to make the case look more serve and, thus, more beneficial to their career.

At the federal level, drug cases are extremely harsh. The people accused of the crimes face decades behind bars, and possibly even life behind bars. Even if the harshest punishments aren’t thrown at them, the consequences will linger and affect them in profound ways for many years. They may struggle to recover from the charge even when they are free of the penalties associated with their crime.

Ultimately we write all of this as a warning, and to let people in the Oklahoma City area know that if you are accused of such drug crimes, you should contact us at Jacquelyn Ford Law. We will fight for your rights and do everything in our power to mitigate the consequences of your case.

Related Posts: The dangerous implications of a drug charge

Implications of a Drug Charge

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On behalf of Jacquelyn Ford Law, P.C. posted in Drug Charges on Monday, October 20, 2014.

As a society, we often think that people who are accused of drug crimes are bad people who don’t deserve a second chance, let alone the possibility to see the outside of a jail cell. But the fact of the matter is that most drug crimes are non-violent in nature, and the people accused of the crimes have rights — the most important of which is that they are innocent until proven guilty.

We say all of this because the stigma of a drug charge can linger long after a conviction, even if the individual has paid his or her debt to society for what they have done. Even after jail time and other legal penalties, the individual’s criminal record can make it very difficult for them to find work or to find a suitable place to live.

In addition to all of this, prosecutors often go “all out” on people who are accused of drug crimes, trying to set an example that presumably would ward off people from ever dealing with drugs. However, this line of thinking isn’t necessarily grounded in reality. Drug cases also often see vague charges such as “drug conspiracy” charges which carry significant penalties that can ruin a person’s life, even though they may not mean much literally.

All of this is to say that if someone is accused of a drug crime, they need legal representation, and they need to get it as soon as possible. Anyone who is accused of a crime should invoke their right to remain silent and contact Jacquelyn Ford Law to help them through this difficult time in their life.