Matthew L. Norwood is experienced with drug crimes and property seizures and will investigate the police’s investigation of your case, including mishandling of evidence, invalid searches or improperly obtained warrants, and questionable information that may have been produced by informants interested in reducing their own sentences. Evidence found by violating your rights is most often not allowed in a case, no matter how convincing. If crucial evidence is deemed inadmissible, your case will most likely be dismissed.
Drug charges include possession of illegal substances, trafficking and sales, smuggling, possession of paraphernalia, manufacturing and prescription fraud. Sentencing can vary from fines, probation, and community service to jail time and a permanent criminal record. An experienced criminal defense lawyer can protect your rights, and can often have the charges against you reduced or dismissed. Most often, drug charge cases center on the protection of your fourth amendment rights against unreasonable search and seizure.
The federal and state governments have the right to seize any lands or assets they believe have been gained through funding from illegal activity. When this happens, it is a civil case separate from your criminal case. The police are required to serve a forfeiture notice in this event, which will require immediate attention. Failure to act quickly could result in forfeiting your property. Even if you are acquitted from criminal charges, you could still lose your assets from the civil forfeiture. An experienced criminal attorney can object to the forfeiture notice and assist with any civil forfeiture separate from criminal representation.
6b. In the midst of a war on drugs, law enforcement are constantly beefing up forces and cracking down on drug related activities in an attempt to clean up Michigan’s streets. When law enforcement steps up their efforts, mistakes can be made. More and more people are being caught up in drug charges. Matthew L. Norwood is an experienced criminal defense attorney. He can represent you in a court of law and protect your civil rights from being victimized by an overzealous court system. If you have been charged with possession of illegal drugs, trafficking, manufacturing, or prescription fraud, Matthew L. Norwood will investigate your case to determine if any evidence was obtained with unreasonable search and seizures, improper handling of evidence, or without probable cause. Attorney Norwood has experience handling drug charges and has successfully reduced sentences and dismissed charges for his clients.
In addition to a criminal case, the state can start a civil suit against your property or assets if they believe them to be the fruits of illegal drug activity. If a suit is brought against your property, it will take immediate action to fight the proceedings. If the proper steps aren’t taken in a timely fashion, many of your rights are waived, and your property can be considered forfeited. Matthew L. Norwood can object to any civil case separate from a criminal trial and protect your assets from undue seizure from the government.
Learn more about the practice areas of Attorney Matthew L. Norwood.