Fayetteville, GA asked in Criminal Law for Alabama

Q: My daughter was arrested on a misdemeanor paraphernalia charge. She's never been in trouble ever. What can happen?

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1 Lawyer Answer
William E. Scully Jr.
William E. Scully Jr.
Answered
  • Criminal Law Lawyer
  • Daphne, AL
  • Licensed in Alabama

A: Possession of Narcotic Paraphernalia is a misdemeanor offense, but it is a class A misdemeanor. The maximum jail sentence is 1 year, or 6 months if she is in municipal court. It is unlikely that your daughter would actually spend time in jail if her record is clean. If she is under 21 and has a clean record, she might be treated as a 'Youthful Offender.' This means that her record would be confidential. It is also possible that the charges could be dismissed if she completes a pretrial diversion program, if available. There is a whole world of possibilities here. One of which, to be sure, is her being jailed. Even though it is unlikely that she will go to jail, she needs an attorney to assist her with this case without a doubt. There are too many things that can go wrong...even WITH an attorney, much less alone.

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