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What to Do if You’ve Been Charged with Possession of Marijuana in VA

Do not plead guilty of drug possession!  You’ve probably had a friend, a co-worker, or even an attorney tell you that you should just plead guilty to the charge and ask for “first offender” status.  Listen: there is absolutely no reason you should EVER plead guilty to possession of marijuana. There are two very good reasons I say this:

  1. You do NOT have to plead guilty to the charge in order to be eligible for the “first offender” program; if you are eligible for the program, you can be placed into it even if you plead not guilty, have a trial, and get convicted;
  2. You can WIN at trial.  Don’t let anyone tell you that possession of marijuana cases are impossible to win – they are not!

There are several ways to win a possession of marijuana case, from illegal searches of your car, to “constructive” possession defenses.  And as I said, even if you have a trial and get convicted, you still are eligible for the “first offender” program. So, plan A should be to get the charge dismissed, and the “first offender” program should only be used as a plan B.  All too often I see folks with lawyers pleading guilty when the case could have been won!

There are two main ways to win marijuana possession cases, and I’ve successfully used them both many times.  One is to identify an illegal search, and the other is to identify a “constructive possession” case and argue it properly.

If you’ve been charged with marijuana possession, call Attorney John Gardner today at (757) 464-9224 or contact us online for a free consultation.

Related posts:

  1. Watch Out for School Buses and School Zones
  2. Citizenship Day 2019
  3. Get Peace of Mind with Gardner & Mendoza
  4. One Good Reason You Need to Lawyer Up

Filed Under: Immigration Blog Articles

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Well, hard to believe… job done! I’m frank to admit I had no idea that it would be so involved compared to 10 years ago when I did the renewal myself. Happily I was fortunate enough to find the best people to help get it done this time. When I was a working stiff it was mostly as a field guy in sales & marketing. High tech communication in those days was a pay phone in customers’ lobbies, so someone back in the office skilled in dealing w/problems was absolutely essential when I couldn’t be contacted. Most of those who supported me that way were good at what they did, some were outstanding. None were better than you!! This tedious & sometimes worrisome process would have been unbearable without your keeping it, & me, on track. So we want to extend our thanks to you and Radlyn. Hoping for Gardner & Mendoza to continue the good work for many years to come. - Anonymous
Gardner and Mendoza Law Firm is a great law firm no matter what kind of situation you may be in! For example I had court today, John Gardner, my attorney represented me today and got the charged dismissed totally the first time we both appeared in front of the judge in Virginia Beach Traffic Court. He uses every bit of knowledge he can to help you get the best results!! He also works very well with Latinos! They have a Spanish speaking person in their office at all times!! - Sebastian
My husband and I had a great experience with Mrs. Mendoza. She provided excellent information and a sense of urgency with every step of our immigration process. Her team was always supportive in getting us the information we needed throughout the whole process. This legal firm also treats their clients with the highest levels of respect. In all of Virginia I would say that the Gardener & Mendoza team is the best recommendation for same sex immigration cases and for immigration cases in general. It was a pleasure to work with them. - Anonymous
I Highly Recommend Radlyn Mendoza, An Excellent Immigration Lawyer. My wife and I were very worried about my wife’s immigration and legal status. We were quite impressed with Attorney Mendoza during our initial consultation. She proved to be a smart, knowledgeable, and very capable immigration attorney. She and her staff were very helpful and responsive to all of our requests. Kudos to her and staff, especially Leesa, for successfully handling our case. Thanks for a job well done. - Thomas and Cheong W.
My daughter received a reckless driving ticket going 60 in a 35 mph zone, so understandably, I was very concerned. In court, Mr. Gardner was able to get the reckless driving charge and ticket completely dismissed due to his knowledge of what the police officer had to present in court. Mr. Gardner was a familiar face to the judge and the clerks in the Virginia Beach courthouse. When we contacted John Gardner’s office at Gardner & Mendoza, he and his staff made us feel comfortable by explaining the whole process to us. His track record and the reviews online helped make the decision to choose Mr. Gardner over other attorneys easy. I highly recommend Mr. Gardner. He gave us peace of mind and won the case too! - Michelle

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Gardner & Mendoza, P.C.
909 First Colonial Rd., Suite 100
Virginia Beach, VA 23454
  • 757-464-9224
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Our main law office is conveniently located in the Hilltop section of Virginia Beach, near Sentara Virginia Beach General Hospital and Oceana Naval Base.

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