Zionsville Drug Trafficking Attorney
The need to find a Zionsville drug trafficking lawyer indicates that you or someone you know faces serious drug charges in Indiana. The prosecutor’s use of the term “trafficking” indicates charges more severe than simple possession. The legal definition of drug trafficking includes activities such as dealing, intent to deliver, transportation, and possessing large quantities, which result in felony convictions that may lead to lengthy prison terms.
About The Criminal Defense Team of Baldwin Perry & Wiley P.C.
The Criminal Defense Team of Baldwin Perry & Wiley P.C. is an Indiana criminal defense firm serving Zionsville and Boone County with legal representation for drug trafficking and other felony cases. Prosecutors often file drug trafficking cases in Boone County at the Boone County Courthouse located at 100 N. Main Street, Lebanon, IN 46052.
At The Criminal Defense Team, we assign at least two attorneys and a paralegal to every case. Our attorneys collectively bring over 100 years of serious criminal defense experience and strategy to each case. We even include a former prosecutor on our team who has experience with major felony and homicide prosecutions. There are only six Board-Certified* Criminal Trial Specialists in Indiana, and five of those attorneys work at this firm.
What Counts as Drug Trafficking in Indiana?
The most common Indiana statute for drug trafficking is Indiana Code § 35-48-4-1, dealing in cocaine or a narcotic drug. Other common Indiana statutes relate to methamphetamine trafficking, marijuana trafficking, and other controlled substances. Drug trafficking offenses can be based on the following:
- An alleged drug sale
- Possession with an intent to deliver
- Transporting drugs across geographical lines
- Drugs found with other related items, such as cash and baggies
- Text messages, emails, or voicemails suggesting drug activity
The Importance of Intent
Many drug trafficking cases rely upon questionable assertions of intent to establish their foundation. Prosecutors use several specific facts and conditions to convince juries about a defendant’s trafficker status. Some of these facts include:
- Drug quantity
- Drug packaging
- Cash from drugs
- Firearms
- Any statements you made to law enforcement
The sale or manufacture of drugs accounted for 12.3% (107,118) of the predicted 870,874 arrests for drug law offenses that took place in the United States in 2023, while possession of a controlled substance accounted for 87.7% (763,756).
The Difference Between Possession and Trafficking
Drug possession can still be a felony charge, but it is rarely as serious as dealing or trafficking. Trafficking charges involve Level 2, 3, 4, or 5 felonies, depending on the substance and the alleged amount. Felony levels can result in:
- Years in prison
- Hefty fines
- Sentence enhancements
- Probation
- Collateral penalties, such as consequences to housing and employment
How Defense Attorneys Challenge Drug Trafficking Cases
Drug trafficking charges require specific proof that you possessed drugs and, if dealing, that you intended to deliver or sell. Experienced defense lawyers usually tackle trafficking defense from two angles:
- Contesting the stop, arrest, or warrant. If police didn’t have probable cause or violated your search and seizure protections, they cannot use key evidence against you. Illegal police activity can sometimes lead to charges being dismissed or at least reduced.
- Challenging intent. The prosecutor has the burden of proving you possessed the drugs and that you intended to deliver them to someone else. While they can point to baggies, large amounts of cash, or text messages, this does not automatically prove you were dealing drugs.
Common Situations That Lead to Drug Trafficking Arrests
Drug trafficking arrests in Zionsville and Boone County come from many different situations, but common scenarios include:
- Traffic stops on I-65 or surrounding roads after police claim probable cause to search your vehicle. These searches often happen after a police dog alerts to drugs.
- Police executing a search warrant at your home. These warrants are often based on an informant’s tips or controlled buy.
- An overdose investigation. If someone overdoses near you, police may work backward through phone records and messages looking for drug activity.
What to Do if You’re Charged With Drug Trafficking
If you have been arrested for drug trafficking in Indiana, the first thing you should do is remain calm and protect your rights. Refrain from sharing your version of events with law enforcement, investigators, or anyone during jail phone conversations. Whatever you say can and will be used against you later in court. Call for a Zionsville drug trafficking attorney, and don’t speak until they arrive.
Hold onto anything that may aid in your defense. This includes text messages, receipts, location information, or contact information for witnesses. Drug trafficking arrests often include search warrants, confidential informants, and digital evidence. It’s important to have counsel review the situation as soon as possible. The sooner you retain counsel, the sooner they can work to suppress the stop, search, and evidence.
Hire a Drug Trafficking Lawyer
Just as you wouldn’t hire any doctor for your medical issues, you wouldn’t hire any lawyer for your legal issues; you would hire a specialist.
Deciding to hire a drug trafficking lawyer is an important step if you’re arrested for drug trafficking. Trafficking offenses are serious felonies in Indiana that come with years in prison and felony convictions. Often, you will also face evidence that includes phone dumps, drug lab testing, confidential informants, and search warrant litigation.
A Zionsville drug trafficking attorney helps preserve evidence, analyze discovery, file suppression motions, and frame negotiations from the start.
Contact Us Today
Our firm, The Criminal Defense Team, is based in Indiana and represents clients facing drug trafficking charges in Zionsville and Boone County, including cases at the Lebanon courthouse.
We prosecute felony cases using a team-based approach with extensive evidence review and a trial-focused defense strategy built on 100+ years of collective experience, including time as a major felony prosecutor.
There are only six Board-Certified* Criminal Trial Specialists in Indiana, and five of those lawyers are at this firm. We can assist you in your drug trafficking case. We understand drug trafficking laws and can help you understand how they apply to your situation. Contact us today for a consultation.
*Andrew Baldwin, Kathie Perry, Maxwell Wiley, Kelly Pyle, and Michael C. Cunningham are Board-Certified* Criminal Trial Specialists, as certified by the National Board of Trial Advocacy. Find out why having a Board-Certified* Criminal Trial Specialist as your defense lawyer is important here.