Michigan Criminal Lawyers Blog
On Friday July 17, a 50-year-old man was arrested in the Dallas area following a police chase that resulted in drug charges.
According to The Dallas Morning News crime blog, Jose Lopez led Mesquite police on a car chase after police spotted him near Belt Line Road and U.S. Highway 80 and attempted to stop the drug suspect. Lt. Brian Parrish, a police spokesman for the Mesquite department, said that Lopez fled from police in a pickup, driving to a neighborhood north of Fair Park. During the chase, Lopez jumped from the pickup, which was still moving. The truck crashed into a fence while Lopez ran on foot.
Eventually a Department of Public Safety helicopter tracked Lopez down, and he was apprehended and arrested by police. At the time of news reports he was being held on $12,500 bail, and had been booked on one count each of manufacture or delivery of a controlled substance and evading arrest in a vehicle. News reports do not indicate what drug or drugs were involved.
In the state of Texas, this charge is given for any type of drug dealing. Depending on the type and amount of drug involved, penalties for those convicted may include fines of up to $250,000 and a life prison sentence.
All states punish drug crimes harshly in an effort to crack down on drug sales/manufacturing, and drug abuse and addiction. In the state of Michigan, an individual may also be sentenced to life in prison and fines of up to $1 million in some cases, depending on whether the amount involved is more than 1,000 grams, and whether the drug is a Schedule I or II drug. Even an amount of less than 50 grams of these drugs may result in up to 20 years in prison.
If you have been charged with any drug crime, even one you consider minor in comparison to manufacture or delivery of a controlled substance, it is vital to speak with a highly skilled Michigan drug crimes attorney who will work vigorously to protect your legal rights and freedom. Without an experienced defense lawyer, your future is in great jeopardy.