Heroin

Defense of Heroin Charges

Most people caught on heroin charges are addicts, who often need treatment and rehabilitation, not incarceration.

Depending on the specifics of your case, the attorneys of Loughran, Mlakar & Bilik can help you avoid jail for a heroin charge. In more than 36 combined years of practice, our lawyers have successfully handled dozens of drug cases throughout Greensburg, Pittsburgh, and other areas of southwestern Pennsylvania. Contact us for a free consultation.

What Can Be Done

In any drug case, our lawyers will fight hard for a full acquittal. For example, if the police used illegal search and seizure methods to find evidence, the evidence can be suppressed and the charges dismissed. Our lawyers are very experienced in both state and federal courts.

Possession

In cases of possession, it is often most wise to enroll in a program and avoid jail time. Each county in Southwestern Pennsylvania has a different method for dealing with drug offenders. A few examples are as follows:

• If you were charged in Allegheny County, you can participate in Drug Court which is geared toward rehabilitation programs.
• In Westmoreland County, there is no drug court, but there is a program called Restrictive Intermediate Punishment/Alternative Treatment Services (RIP/ATS). In this two-year program, you remain on house arrest for the first 4-6 months while you go through day treatment. Following the day treatment, you will be supervised by the Probation Department while you continue in outpatient treatment.

Intent to Deliver

Sometimes a simple case of Possession will be "overcharged" by the police into a more serious charge of Possession with Intent to Deliver. This distinction makes a huge difference: Possession is a misdemeanor, while Intent to Deliver is a felony that is more likely to involve incarceration.

The police may make a charge of Possession with Intent to Deliver based solely on the quantity of heroin found. Some people use 30 packs a day, but when police find 90 packs on them, the police assume they are dealing. Our lawyers are often successful in having these charges reduced or dismissed.

More Serious Charges

In violent cases such as armed robbery, for example, we use legal strategies to try and beat the charge in court or minimize jail time.

Contact Us

Get a free initial consultation with an experienced attorney about your heroin case. Contact the Pennsylvania, drug offense lawyers of Loughran, Mlakar & Bilik.