Asked in Criminal Law for Alabama

Q: My sister was arrested n Alabama with 4 grams of marijuana but she is from Arkansas. She has never been in trouble befor

What charges may she be facing? Fines, jail time, etc.

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1 Lawyer Answer

A: Where was she arrested in Alabama? She will likely be charged either with unlawful possession of marijuana in the first (if they determine that she intended to use it for something other than for her personal use) or second degree (if she intended it for her personal use only). I would guess that she'll be charged with unlawful possession of marijuana in the second degree, which is a class A misdemeanor. Class A misdemeanors in Alabama carry a sentence of up to one year and a $6000 fine. A municipal court would likely not sentence her to more than six months. Because she hasn't been in trouble before, a court would likely be willing to let her enter a pretrial intention program, where the charges would be dropped if she could follow the terms of her probation for the probation period.

If this incident occurred in Mobile or Baldwin County, please feel free to give me a call at 251-947-6247 and ask to speak to James P. Coleman III. I would be happy to assist her in this matter if she needs an attorney.

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