JONATHAN BURGE

Attorney at Law

Possession or distributions of drugs can be a misdemeanor or felony, depending on the type and quantity of drugs involved.

The United States' war on drugs has been very well publicized.  Hawaii has held a similar war over the last ten years.  Here, possessing any amount of crystal methamphetamine, or ice, calls for mandatory jail of at least five years.

Despite this, there are often ways around mandatory jail.  The best way is to seek some form of treatment, if there is a problem.  That way, the prosecutors and the court will often agree to amend drug charges, avoiding mandatory jail.  In fact, in 2002 the legislature passed a law giving first time drug offenders (possession not distribution) probation, drug treatment and ultimately wiping the charges from your criminal record.  This occurs even in "ice" cases.  As with anything else, a person's past criminal record plays a big part in what their sentence will be.

[ Home ] [ Up ] [ DUI ] [ Household Abuse ] [ Misdemeanors ] [ Federal Crimes ] [ Investigation ] [ Misc. Issues ] [ Our Staff ] [ Links ] [ Military ]