Recent Posts in Drug Offenses Category

Attorney Robert M. Bernstein was hired to defend Danny Delgadillo. Delgadillo was charged with several drug offenses, including possession of cocaine for sale, possession of methamphetamine for sale, and possession of marijuana for sale. Because Delgadillo was arrested the previous year after being investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, he stood to face 16 years in prison if found guilty.

After a two-week jury trial, Delgadillo was acquitted of all charges, and was found not guilty of each offense.

If you have been arrested for your alleged involvement in a drug crime, it's important to ensure your charges are aggressively defended. Los Angeles criminal defense attorney Robert M. Bernstein has been defending clients against both felony and misdemeanor charges for over two decades. You can trust Mr. Bernstein to vigorously fight your charges and provide you with the dedicated defense representation you need during this unsettling time.

Contact the Law Offices of Robert M. Bernstein today if you are looking for an experienced, dedicated, and driven criminal lawyer to defend your case.

Pop star, Natalie Mejia, of the girl band called Girlicious, was arrested and charged with a felony count of possession of cocaine with intent to sell.  Her driver was pulled over for speeding and after police found that he was driving on a suspended license, they performed a vehicle search which revealed over a dozen plastic bags of cocaine in Mejia's purse. 

Mejia has stated that she did not know the drugs were in her purse and does not know how they got there.  She was released on $30,000.00 bail and is ordered to appear in court on April 15^th.

If convicted, Mejia could receive 3 - 5 years in state prison.  Penalties for possession with intent to sell can be greater if the accused is a repeat offender, was caught selling drugs to a minor, or the transaction occurred in a certain public area such as a school, church, synagogue, daycare, or youth center.

There has been a dramatic rise in theft crimes and robberies occurring at medical marijuana dispensaries in the Los Angeles area.  A team of gunmen allegedly enter the dispensaries posing as customers, then take over the business and flee with large quantities of marijuana and U.S. currency.  The frequency of the heists, and their violence, is increasing.   

Theft crimes, especially armed robbery, is a very serious crime in Los Angeles and requires the skill of an experienced Los Angeles criminal defense attorney.  The penalties for robbery crimes in Los Angeles may include imprisonment, fines, restitution, community service, probation, and more. 

Los Angeles theft crimes include petty theft, grand theft, shoplifting, carjacking, burglary, robbery, armed robbery, identity theft, credit card fraud and more.  Some crimes are classified as misdemeanors and carry fines and possibly short periods of jail time.  Carjacking, armed robbery and felony grand theft carry much more severe penalties including years in prison.  Such crimes require a skilled Los Angeles criminal defense attorney who knows and understands how to properly defend these serious charges.  Contact Robert M. Bernstein for a free consultation today.

California, particularly Southern California, is a hot spot for drug importation and trafficking. International and interstate drug import and export leads to an increase in drug crime altogether, thus both State and Federal law enforcement agencies vigorously prosecute drug offenses.

Although California law authorizes the legal use of medical marijuana, it is illegal under Federal law. Over the last several years Federal Agents have regularly raided California marijuana dispensaries and filed Federal criminal narcotic charges against these dispensary owners.

However, the new Obama administration has announced a change to this policy. United States Attorney General Eric Holder stated this week that the Drug Enforcement Administration would end its raids on state-approved marijuana dispensaries.

Federal raids on medical marijuana distributors continued at least into the second week of Barack Obama's presidency, when federal agents shut down at least two dispensaries in California on Feb. 3.

Robert M. Bernstein, Los Angeles Criminal Defense Attorney discusses Medical Marijuana, is it legal to possess or grow Marijuana in California for medicinal purposes?

In 1996, California voters passed a ballot proposition to legalize the possession and cultivation of marijuana for medical use. However, ever since its passage there has been continuing misunderstanding of what is legal or not legal in regards to marijuana possession in California. In 2004, the California legislature passed a law codified as Health and Safety code section 11362.7 et. seq, which offers legal definitions and provides procedures regarding medical marijuana. It provides that the possession and cultivation of marijuana is legal if prescribed by a licensed physician as long as there are no indicia of sale or commercial use. Further, that a medical caregiver may possess six mature marijuana plants for medicinal purposes. However, each individual city or municipality may adopt its own guidelines that as long as they are not more restrictive than the state law.

Further complicating this issue is the fact that although California has made medical marijuana legal, it is still illegal under the United States Federal Law. In 2005, this conflict between the state and federal law was argued before the United States Supreme Court, which held that the California state medical marijuana law does not protect someone for the illegal possession and cultivation of marijuana under Federal Law. Therefore, even though a person may be in compliance with the California medical marijuana laws, they may still be prosecuted and imprisoned by federal prosecutors in federal court for the violation of the federal Controlled Substances Act.