Violation of the Uniform Controlled Substances Act (VUCSA) – Washington State
Washington State is one of the leaders in arrests for drug possession, and simple possession of controlled substances. “Drug crime” charges may include the possession, use, sale or furnishing of any illegal (and under certain circumstances, legal) drug or drug paraphernalia that is prohibited by the laws in the State of Washington. Possessing even the smallest amount of cocaine is a felony in Washington. A VUCSA (Violation of the Uniform Controlled Substances Act) charge is an offense for which an individual faces serious, life impacting criminal penalties, including significant prison time and heavy fines.
Because the punishment for “intent to deliver or sell drugs” is so much greater than the punishment for simply “possessing drugs”, it is common for prosecutors to allege that a defendant who was in possession of drugs, intended to sell or deliver the drugs rather than simply possessing the drugs. Thus, it is imperative that a person facing drug charges hire a qualified Seattle criminal attorney who is skilled and experienced enough to develop the strongest possible defense, and thoroughly prepare against the criminal charge(s). This is because a conviction could mean significant jail or prison time, and can seriously affect future education opportunities, financial aid, and employment.
The type of charge, and the seriousness of the punishment associated with the charge depend upon a number of factors:
- Quantity of drugs possessed;
- The type of drug (meth, cocaine, crack, heroin) and its classification;
- The purpose of the possession (for personal use or with the intent to sell or distribute);
- Evidence of sales activity;
- Weapons possession or use while in possession of the drug(s);
- Large amounts of money involved; and
- Past criminal history (offender score).
The Seattle criminal attorneys that make up the criminal defense team of SQ Attorneys, located in Western Washington, is a very skilled and experienced team dedicated to providing effective, aggressive representation for those charged with Violation of the Uniform Controlled Substances Act in Western Washington. As your drug defense team, SQ Attorneys will review all the evidence against you and will ensure that the government has not miscalculated your offender score, making you vulnerable to enhanced punishment. The SQ team creates success by working to ensure that all facts and circumstances related to the allegations are considered in creating an equitable, just and fair resolution.
If you or a loved one is charged with a VUCSA in King County, Pierce County, Snohomish County, Kitsap County, Thurston County or the incident which gave rise to the charge(s) took place in one of the following cities or towns: Bellevue, Black Diamond, Bonney Lake, Bothell, Burien, Des Moines, Duvall, Edmonds, Enumclaw, Everett, Federal Way, fife, Hunts Point, Issaquah, Kenmore, Kent, Kirkland, Lake Forest Park, Lake Stevens, Lakewood, Lynnwood, Maple Valley, Marysville, Medina, Mercer Island, Milton, Monroe, Mountlake Terrace, New Castle, Normandy Park, North Bend, Olympia, Puyallup, Redmond, Renton, Sammamish, Sea Tac, Seattle, Shoreline, Snohomish, Sumner, Tacoma, Tukwila, University Place, and/or Woodinville, or any other city or town in Western Washington, call The Criminal Defense Team of SQ Attorneys at (206) 441-0900.