Collateral Consequences of Drug Possession in New York City

CRIMINAL POSSESSION OF A CONTROLLED SUBSTANCE – AVOIDING THE COLLATERAL CONSEQUENCES OF A NEW YORK DRUG CONVICTION
As an experienced New York City drug possession lawyer could tell you, the consequences of being charged with, let alone convicted for, a New York criminal possession of a controlled substance (CPCS) offense goes far beyond whatever may be imposed at sentencing. If you work or have career aspirations in public service or law enforcement, your mere arrest for a New York drug offense is enough to forfeit both present and future employment in these fields. In the event of conviction, the loss of your job and any held professional licenses (law, medical, etc.) are just as likely as incarceration. To top it off, New York’s Department of Motor Vehicle imposes an immediate six month suspension of driving privileges for all NY residents convicted of a drug offense, regardless of whether the offense occurred during the operation of a motor vehicle. VTL § 510.2 (b)(v).

An Experienced New York Criminal Attorney Can Help You Avoid Collateral Damage

Retaining an experienced New York criminal defense lawyer as early as arrest cannot always prevent all of these outcomes – especially if your job scrutinizes both arrest and conviction records – but we can help reduce some. Federal financial aid packages to attend vocational school or university are suspended if you receive a drug conviction while at school. To avoid this, a non-criminal or non-drug offense disposition of your case may be negotiated. Like most things in life, what matters in a criminal case is not how it starts but how it ends. Retaining a lawyer you can trust will increase the odds of your preferred end being achieved.

The collateral consequences of a drug conviction don’t just adversely affect students. Doctors, lawyers, stock brokers and anyone else with a state issued licensed are liable to have it revoked by the state upon being notified of a drug conviction. The experienced New York criminal defense lawyers at the Law Offices of Jeffrey Lichtman have had clients in just that situation and know while the chances of at least some civil penalty being imposed are high, the situation is not hopeless. Enrollment in a court diversionary drug program or voluntary enrollment in a rehabilitation program allows many drug possession offenses to be disposed of favorably and proof of their completion may preserve your professional license in the state. Alternatively, if a conviction on a New York drug offense is unavoidable or has already occurred, receiving a Certificate of Relief from Disabilities from the court or state Parole Board is powerful evidence to have when making a plea for leniency at any license revocation hearing.

With both present and future employment at stake, don’t hire just any criminal defense lawyer to handle your drug possession case. The Law Offices of Jeffrey Lichtman have the experience and wherewithal to fight and resolve the drug charges on your behalf. Seek the legal representation who you can feel confident in not only avoiding or reducing the criminal consequences of your drug arrest or conviction but also the equally serious civil consequences as well.

For more information on New York’s criminal possession of controlled substance offenses, including how illegal law enforcement search and seizures result in dismissed drug cases as well as the element of constructive possession, please see here.