If your child recently received drug possession charges, then you are right to have serious concerns. Even in Michigan, where we enjoy legal medical marijuana, the punishment for drug possession can be very heavy compared to other non-violent crimes.
You don’t have to look very hard to find plenty of evidence supporting the notion that our country’s drug laws are filling our prisons to overflowing. Federal drug laws kick in fairly quickly when it comes to drug charges, and the sentences that prosecutors like to hand out are almost never equal to the offense.
Whether your child is genuinely innocent or legitimately made a foolish mistake, the end result is the same. As a parent, you have every right to want the best for your children, and helping them fight drug charges is one of the best things you can do.
Even parents who believe in tough love often help a child fight drug charges once they understand how harsh and unfitting the penalties are.
This fight is about your child’s entire future
There are many factors at play right now, and many of them you may not see immediately. Let’s say that your child does not fight the charges, but by some miracle the prosecutor lets them off without any jail time. Keep in mind, there is no reason to believe this would happen, but even if it does, your child still faces enormous obstacles to leading a productive life.
Even without jail time, your child now may not qualify for financial aid to go to school. If he or she is already in college, current financial aid may evaporate. Depending on the type of school that your child attends, he or she may face expulsion.
“No problem, my child isn’t really the school type,” you might think. Maybe so, but do you want your child to have a job? It may surprise you to learn how many employees refuse to even look at the applications of people with drug convictions on their records.
Do you also want them to find their own place to live? The vast majority of apartment complexes and rental properties do not prefer tenants who have drug convictions.
These are only some of the many reasons it is always wise to fight a drug conviction, apart from jail time. However, here in Michigan, things work a little differently. Remember, your child somehow, miraculously got out of jail time with that first offense, but still has a drug conviction. If he or she gets a second drug conviction, the jail time is automatically doubled!
Build a strong team to fight for your child
Even if your child is guilty of the drug offense, he or she almost certainly does not deserve everything that the court will throw at them. We all made mistakes when we were younger, some small and some big.
If you are ready to help your child fight these charges and reclaim one’s future, do not hesitate to reach out to an experienced attorney who understands Michigan law and local court system. Your child deserves the chance to grow up and be wiser in the future, and you deserve the peace of mind.
