I found this. I'll look a little closer.
For Maryland schedules, see Maryland Code, Criminal Law, 5-401 through 406, which may differ slightly from the federal schedules listed above.
First Offense
Manufacturing, distributing or dispensing or possessing with the intent to manufacture, distribute or dispense (Maryland Code, Criminal Law, 5-603, 605-609, 612):
Schedule I or II narcotic: imprisonment of not more than 20 years; fine of not greater than $25,000, or both.
PCP, fentanyl or LSD: imprisonment of not more than 20 years; fine of not greater than $20,000, or both.
Any other controlled substance listed in Schedule I-V: imprisonment of not more than five years; fine of not more than $15,000, or both.
A fine of not more than $100,000 and a mandatory minimum sentence of not less than five years applies to the following amounts:
marijuana: 50 lb. or more
cocaine or cocaine mix: 448 grams or more
cocaine base: 50 grams or more
morphine or opium or a mix: 28 grams or more
LSD: 1,000 units or more or mix of same
PCP: 16 ounces or more, or 448 grams or more PCP mix
methamphetamine or mix: 448 grams or more
A fine of not more than $50,000 and prison of not more than 25 years is the penalty for bringing into the state of Maryland controlled substances in the following amounts:
marijuana: 100 lb. or more
cocaine or cocaine mix: 28 grams or more
morphine, opium or derivative: 4 grams or more
LSD: 1,000 units or more or mix of same
PCP: 28 grams or more, or 112 grams or more PCP mix
methaqualone: 1,000 units or more
methamphetamine or mix: 28 grams or more
fentanyl or fentanyl analogue: 4 grams or more (Maryland Code, Criminal Law, 5-614)
The penalty for simple possession of a controlled substance in Maryland is imprisonment for not more than four years and a fine of not more than $25,000. For simple possession of marijuana the punishment is prison of not more than one year and a fine of not more than $1,000 (Maryland Code, Criminal Law, 5-601, 602, 620).
Other Penalties, Second and Later Offenses
A controlled substance offense within 1,000 feet of an elementary or secondary school is punishable by imprisonment of not more than 20 years and a fine of not more than $20,000 (Maryland Code, Criminal Law, 5-627).
Enhanced penalties also apply to subsequent offenses.
if this person had 28 grams I question why they've been holding out on me so bad. ;)
That really sucks. Hopefully, if the person can go into treatment immediately upon making bail and get a decent lawyer, it shouldn't be all that bad. I hope everything works out okay, but I know from personal experience how scary that sort of thing always is. Good luck.
Here's section 5-601 of the Maryland Criminal Code.
Having 28 grams gets you the mandatory">http://mlis.state.md.us/cgi-win/web_statutes.exe?gcr&5-612">mandatory five years.
sorry to hear that, alameida. I've got one in the running for worst xmas ever, too: good friend strung out on special k and a sibling whose marriage came apart a couple of weeks ago (which blindsided me when I got here). What fun. At least the family member fighting cancer is doing well, so it's not unmitigated bad news.
And here's the bringing in 4 grams statute
If you can't get a good personal reference for an attorney, try using the Martindale lawyer locator:
Note the ratings, those are pretty reliable.
If you're talking simple possession with no priors, a good attorney should be able to keep your friend out of jail.
8 sounds whiny; sorry. Didn't mean it that way.
Oh, man, Alameida, that's awful. I don't think I can add to the statutes Charley's found for you, but if you need lawyer referrals, the firm I work for is ridiculously huge, and if I send out an email to the DC office, someone will guaranteed know a good local criminal defense guy.
(And that sounds like a rotten Christmas as well, soub -- please don't worry about sounding whiny. You just sound like someone who's been hit with a lot of stuff.)
Thanks LB; I just don't like the tone on re-reading. I didn't mean to derail Alameidas' thread at all with `oh yeah, well mine sucks too'. I can't offer anything useful though, other than to commiserate. I've been there, and it sucks.
Luckily this place is lousy with lawyers though, so you lot are offering something more substatial, anyway.
I wonder what the limits on pseudonymous community-blog sympathy are. Obviously having a friend or relative get war-on-drugs busted for buying heroin is well inside the sympathy line. I'd imagine posting "Fuck! I just got arrested for slicing open live cats with a scalpel! Worst Christmas ever!" would qualify as over the line. But what's the limit sympathy case?
14: "I really didn't respond well to the pressure of going to bed with Scarlett Johansson."
So sorry to hear it, Alameida (and SZ). I hope things look up.
There's a prosecutor from a nearby state who comments here sometimes, maybe he'll have something helpful to add. Otherwise, I would think you just want to get him representation as soon as possible. But my knowledge is purely theoretical and yields if there is a practioner who thinks otherwise.
Jeepers Alameida (and soubz) -- I hope your loved ones are able to straighten out without suffering to horribly.
My sympathies, alameida. Many thoughts are with you and yours this eve.
mm, thanks guys and soubz I'm sorry your xmas is going shitty. I'd like to note that I should be banned for using an emoticon in 3, but since I don't have any priors I'm hoping ogged'll go easy on me. I hope that my friend will be able to more or less skate on the no priors/white people get out of jail free thing, with some drug testing probation, but I don't know exactly the amount (fairly certain it's on the low/personal use side, unless people had the bad luck to be stocking up for the holiday parties). this person isn't actually addicted to dope, more of a partier; it takes a lot of time and effort to really get hooked. but fuck Baltimore vice! arresting people on christmas eve! there's no call to get all nasty like that. fuckers. I'd like to piss in their egg nog.
I don't think the emoticon rule is mine, but that just means that I can't use any discretion when it comes to enforcement. Sorry Alameida, it's been great.
Conversation with my SO:
"You know, with all the time o the darkside, I never saw much heroin."
"Well, there was G and M, they did it"
"Hey I lived with G, not even chippin, he didn't even have contacts or go lookin, just fell into it sometime, like amps of morphine or demerol from a drugstore burglary"
"Yeah, that's right, but M..."
"Yeah she was closer to that scene, she..."
"Yeah she, umm umm..."
"She wanted to fuck black guys"
"I was tryin to say it more nicely but yeah.."
damn, zero tolerance strikes again. did I mention I'm white?
Man, I'm sorry, Alameida. My Christmas is pretty crap too, but I'm not facing jail. Best wishes to all.
Isn't it great that whitey gets screwed for a change? You can get kicked off the blog and advance race relations.
21, 25: Hey, wait a sec, I thought you were out of posting range until Tuesday. Or did that apply only to actual posts, not just comments?
I made it halfway to LA, totally ran out of energy, spent the night in a motel, and decided to head back home this morning. The rest of the holiday will be spent on this couch.
Sheesh, seriously? Take it easy. Major surgery is, well, major. Even months down the road.
I look forward to tomorrow's keenly observed post on the vagaries of roadside motels.
Hadn't considered a motel post. There's a thought.
Hadn't considered a motel post. There's a thought.
A Lileksian thought.
I said keenly observed,/i>, people.
(And besides, wasn't longstanding friendship the only reason FL wasn't banned for his Lileks paste-ins?)
On the upside, Alameida, if your relative *is* in jail past Xmas, you'll be around to visit.
Oh, and Ogged, you idiot. I *told* you you could have stayed here.
Also, re:4, I didn't mean to imply that I was a schmecker myself, just that I've been up on felony charges, and known plenty of people who were looking at felony drug charges, and it often tends to work out in the end, especially if you're on the white/no priors end of the continuum. Also, how many feelings compare to the elation of walking out of a police station or county jail with a friend by your side?
Yeah. What minne said. Basically, 'They'll be fine if they don't do anything else stupid.' Also, always avoid copping the plea unless it is a damn fine deal.
I don't think the emoticon rule is mine
That's an alt.angst rule! Ah-ha! }:>~ I wave my private parts in the face of your hipper-than-thou poser rules!
but fuck Baltimore vice! arresting people on christmas eve! there's no call to get all nasty like that. fuckers.
I suspect your friend was maybe kinda fucked up and being really really obvious and this was their Xmas Eve bust, ya know?
m, then they had to go get donuts
Am I the only law-abiding citizen on this blog?
Am I the only law-abiding citizen on this blog?
My excuse is that the annoying hit-the-trackpad-counts-as-a-click thing is on.
Since this post is named "FUCK" I thought I would mention that I fucking hate itunes.
Hate it.
39:I've obeyed a law or two, IIRC. I try not to let it become a habit.
Just remember, FL, that death is not the end.
I don't know exactly which one it is, but I am going to kill it.
Moral of the story: Don't buy Horse, you won't go to jail!
Where's the fucking responsibility here?? Whine for getting caught? Geez Louize
Sorry, we've all eaten too much already. Pastry will have to wait.
Don't buy Horse, you won't go to jail!
Some of us think the drug laws are pretty silly, Mr. Authoritarian.
Don't buy Horse, you won't go to jail!
They didn't pass that law, dude.
I guess I'm late for this and its not a competition, but I'd trade mine for almost any of 'em...
I was sitting in a hospital recovering from open heart surgery and riding out fits of coughing.
I'm apparently ok, though (just weak as a new kitten), and every other system checked out ok, except that one..... So today I'm home, and reading about what ya'll did for Christmas.
Open heart surgery + coughing fits. Sounds awful. Sorry, TomF, and good luck to you.
Geez, Tom, that sounds rough. Hope you have a full and speedy recovery.
I'm thinking the Mineshaft should add a Rehabilitation and Recovery Center. Unfortunately I have not got a clever name for one.
TomF: It's a bitch, yes? Only time I had open heart surgery, the next day a couple of HUGE physiotherapists built like pro wrestlers came round and started beating me on the spine. They had to go away because my screams were upsetting the nurses.
Get well soon, happy new ear.