Drug and Sex Crimes Among the Most Common in California
Along with theft, driving-related crimes, and assault and battery, drug crimes, fraud, domestic violence, and sex crimes are among the most common in the state of California. If you have been charged with any of these crimes, it is imperative that you mount the strongest possible legal defense. The reason for this is because conviction could result in jail time, fines, court fees, serious damage to your reputation, loss or restriction of the right to drive, loss or suspension of professional licenses, community service, and more. As such, you need a skilled and experienced California criminal defense attorney to fight to protect your legal rights. The purpose of this article is to explain the basics of criminal charges for drug crimes, fraud, domestic violence, and sex crimes in the state of California. If you have been charged with a crime in California, contact a skilled and experienced San Diego criminal defense attorney.
Drug Crimes Include Possession, Sales, Transportation, Manufacturing, and Being Under the Influence
Drugs crimes are among the most common in California. The most common drugs at issue are marijuana, cocaine, heroin, methamphetamine, ecstasy, PCP, and more. Of course, there are many permutations of some of these drugs, and many different “street” names for each. In the legal system, however, drug charges are prosecuted in accordance with the precise classification of the substance as scheduled under state or federal law. At the lower misdemeanor level is mere possession of a small amount of illegal drugs. This type of possession, commonly recreational in nature, can result in serious penalties, but is not as aggressively prosecuted as drug crimes associated with the economic aspects of the drug trade. When possession is accompanied with intent to sell or transport illegal drugs, the charges and penalties levied upon conviction are elevated. The same is true for manufacturing. Finally, the more sizeable the amount of drugs – kilograms instead of grams, for example – is highly relevant to the seriousness of the charges prosecuted by the state.
Sex Crimes Include Rape, Sexual Battery, Indecent Exposure, Prostitution, Solicitation, and Lewd Conduct
Sex crimes, along with drug crimes, are at once common, serious, and aggressively prosecuted by the state of California. Rape is defined as nonconsensual sexual intercourse by means of threat, force, or fraud. Statutory rape occurs when any person engages in sexual intercourse with a person under the age of 18. Sexual battery is the touching of the intimate part of another person for the purpose of gratification, arousal, or abuse. Indecent exposure is the willful exposure of one’s genitals to another person, motivated by either a desire to sexually gratify yourself or to offend the other person. Prostitution is engaging in a sexual act in exchange for money or other consideration. If you have been charged with any of these sex crimes, or any of the above detailed drug crimes, contact a skilled and experienced San Diego criminal defense attorney to mount the strongest possible legal defense.
