California Criminal Lawyers Blog

Our Westminster drug possession criminal defense lawyers were interested to see a high-profile drug arrest that seems to have ended well for the defendant. Alexis Neiers, the Los Angeles teenager who became infamous for her part in a ring of celebrity break-ins and then as the star of a reality show, was sentenced to rehabilitation Dec. 9 after she was caught in possession of black tar heroin. Neiers was already on probation for first-degree burglary of Orlando Bloom's home. The heroin was found after probation officers searched her home, which they did because she hadn't reported in with probation officers for two months. She will spend a year at a live-in drug treatment program.

Neiers, now 19, originally became famous as part of a "bling ring" of teenagers who broke into famous people's homes and stole high-cost items. She pleaded no contest to residential burglary and was given six months in jail, of which she served 29 days, and three years of probation. Probation officers searched her family's Thousand Oaks home after Neiers didn't check in with offers as required for two months and didn't make court-ordered restitution payments for three months. In addition to the heroin, officers found a fake Florida driver's license and burnt foil, consistent with heroin use. Her criminal defense attorney successfully argued for drug treatment rather than prison, but the judge said he'd send her to prison if she committed another heroin offense. Ventura County authorities have the option of prosecuting Neiers separately for drug possession.

Naturally, this case is getting widespread coverage because Neiers is a pop culture figure. But as Corona drug possession criminal defense attorneys, we would work for an outcome like this for any defendant accused of simple drug possession. Drug possession is a victimless crime, so it doesn't really protect the public to throw people in prison on that basis alone. On top of this, some drugs -- especially including heroin -- are very physically addictive, meaning their users actually can't do much to get off them. In this kind of situation, rehab is better for everyone involved than prison. If Neiers is an addict, she won't enjoy rehab, but addressing her addiction will likely also address her behavior problems. By contrast, adult prison would likely be a "criminal finishing school" where she may still have access to heroin.

Continue reading "Teen Who Became Famous for Stealing from Celebrities Sent to Rehab for Heroin" »

Our Westminster drug possession criminal defense lawyers were interested to see a high-profile drug arrest that seems to have ended well for the defendant. Alexis Neiers, the Los Angeles teenager who became infamous for her part in a ring of celebrity break-ins and then as the star of a reality show, was sentenced to rehabilitation Dec. 9 after she was caught in possession of black tar heroin. Neiers was already on probation for first-degree burglary of Orlando Bloom's home. The heroin was found after probation officers searched her home, which they did because she hadn't reported in with probation officers for two months. She will spend a year at a live-in drug treatment program.

Neiers, now 19, originally became famous as part of a "bling ring" of teenagers who broke into famous people's homes and stole high-cost items. She pleaded no contest to residential burglary and was given six months in jail, of which she served 29 days, and three years of probation. Probation officers searched her family's Thousand Oaks home after Neiers didn't check in with offers as required for two months and didn't make court-ordered restitution payments for three months. In addition to the heroin, officers found a fake Florida driver's license and burnt foil, consistent with heroin use. Her criminal defense attorney successfully argued for drug treatment rather than prison, but the judge said he'd send her to prison if she committed another heroin offense. Ventura County authorities have the option of prosecuting Neiers separately for drug possession.

Naturally, this case is getting widespread coverage because Neiers is a pop culture figure. But as Corona drug possession criminal defense attorneys, we would work for an outcome like this for any defendant accused of simple drug possession. Drug possession is a victimless crime, so it doesn't really protect the public to throw people in prison on that basis alone. On top of this, some drugs -- especially including heroin -- are very physically addictive, meaning their users actually can't do much to get off them. In this kind of situation, rehab is better for everyone involved than prison. If Neiers is an addict, she won't enjoy rehab, but addressing her addiction will likely also address her behavior problems. By contrast, adult prison would likely be a "criminal finishing school" where she may still have access to heroin.

Continue reading "Teen Who Became Famous for Stealing from Celebrities Sent to Rehab for Heroin" »

As Fontana drug crime criminal defense lawyers, we frequently surprise people when we explain that use of prescription drugs without a prescription is just as illegal as using street drugs. A recent article from the Lake Arrowhead Mountain News reinforces that. According to the Oct. 29 article, pharmacist Michelle Lynne Blain of Lake Arrowhead is charged with four felony counts of possession of drugs for sale, in connection with the discovery of more than 20,000 pills found in her home. The drugs include Xanax; appetite suppressant phentermine; insomnia treatment zolpidem; and Lomotil, which combines a nervous system drug that can cause hallucinations with an opiate diarrhea treatment.

The article says authorities discovered the pills when a parole officer visited Blain's live-in boyfriend, who was paroled from a bank robbery conviction. Blain and her boyfriend, Robert Flory, were both arrested. He has since died. At the time of the arrest, Blain told the newspaper that the pills had been returned by patients who no longer needed them. Blaine said she was doing inventory on them before destroying them, at the direction of the state pharmacy board. She also told the newspaper that she had been selling prescription drugs online in order to compete with bigger drugstores, but had been shut down by the state. In addition to the state court charges, she is now facing possible revocation of her license and a nearly $9 million fine from the state pharmacy board. The newspaper said the federal DEA may also be investigating, but that agency declined to comment.

Our Riverside County drug crimes criminal defense attorneys notice that Blain is charged with possession of drugs for sale -- not just drug possession. Those are different crimes in California, but the difference between them is usually a matter of police judgment. Prosecutors usually have to demonstrate possession for sale through circumstantial evidence like packaging materials. For that reason, possession for sale is often easy to defend. This article doesn't say how the drugs were packaged when they were found, but as a rule, pharmacy drugs already come in small vials. In fact, if they really are drugs returned to Blain by patients, they'd be most likely to be packaged in small amounts. An experienced defense lawyer could use that information to offer a jury evidence for Blain's story. This could reduce the charges from possession with intent to sell to just possession, or possibly even just an ethical violation of pharmacy laws.

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In early September, the rapper T.I. and his new wife, singer Tiny, were pulled over on suspicion of intoxicated driving in Los Angeles. Our Riverside drug possession criminal defense lawyers became interested because police found pills on the couple, even though neither ended up being formally charged with a DUI. Instead, both were charged with felony drug possession. On Sept. 17, the New York Daily News reported that court documents from T.I.'s arrest show that he had codeine and marijuana on his person in addition to Ecstasy pills, and tested positive for opiates in a court-ordered drug test. T.I., whose birth name is Clifford Harris Jr., was subject to drug testing because he is on probation from a federal firearms conviction. His probation may be revoked at a hearing not yet scheduled, exposing him to more prison time than the seven months he originally served.

Police in Los Angeles pulled over T.I. and Tiny, whose birth name is Tameka Cottle, after seeing their luxury car make a U-turn on Sunset Boulevard. Officers claimed a strong odor of marijuana was coming from the vehicle and suspected that he was driving under the influence of drugs. However, there was no DUI arrest. Instead, news reports say, officers found pills on both T.I. and Tiny, and arrested them for felony drug possession. The next day, T.I. tested positive for opiates, a class of drugs that includes codeine. Unconfirmed reports said he may have been drinking cough syrup. It was not clear how the marijuana was found. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, T.I.'s hometown newspaper, said his probation officer cited the Ecstasy and the codeine as potential probation violations. A third potential violation was also cited: association with Cortez Thomas, a convicted felon. A federal judge will decide whether T.I. should serve more prison time, and if so, how much, at the future hearing.

This case is a good example of why our Laguna Beach drug possession criminal defense attorneys tell clients to stay squeaky clean when they are on probation. If convicted of a probation violation, T.I. will serve more prison time for the firearms conviction. This is entirely separate from any drug possession charges he might face, which could carry serious prison time if the amount of the drugs is large enough. If the arresting officers are telling the truth, the couple was pulled over only because of the smell of marijuana -- suggesting that their driving was fine otherwise and not a cause for concern. Nonetheless, an experienced criminal defense lawyer should look closely into whether the officers are telling the truth. The smell of marijuana is a subjective judgment and difficult to prove, making it a good excuse for officers who might have had less savory reasons to make the stop.

Continue reading "Court Documents Show Rapper T.I. Tested Positive for Drugs After DUI Arrest" »