The War on Drugs has gone on now for decades and, during that period, state and federal laws have grown in both size and complexity.
Furthermore, modern-day court cases that require the interpretation of those laws often hinge on very specific details.
As millions of Americans find themselves swept up in the increasingly assertive enforcement of the massive number of federal and state laws that govern the manufacture, possession, and distribution of controlled substances, the legal field has had to adapt in order to ensure that clients are represented by a drug crime attorney who is fully competent and able to defend them.
As this practice has evolved, these legal professionals must maintain a thorough knowledge of not only state and local laws, but also the legislation that is pending before state, local, and federal courts.
They must also actively seek out continuing legal education to improve their training and skills so that they are prepared to ably state a client's case.
Finally, they must closely monitor the many cases that are working their way through local, state, and federal courts in order to be aware of new legal theories, the intricacies of new surveillance and forensic technology, the development of new prosecutorial techniques, and any developments in jurisprudential doctrine that they might be able to use to assist their client.
In the computer and Internet age, this means that these lawyers must be in a constant state of learning.
Many drug crime attorneys subscribe to special services that track court cases, judges, and legislatures in order to keep informed with the latest news.
The success of a client's defense often rests on the dedication, skill, and tenacity of the lawyer representing them.
Since the advent of mandatory sentencing, success and failure have lifetime implications.
As a result of the field's rapid evolution and the serious consequences of failure, it is no longer advisable to seek a general counsel for legal advice on substance possession charges.
Instead, if you are accused of a crime involving controlled substances, you should seek out a specialized drug crime attorney.
In the legal field, this is not a surprising development; after all, one seeks a specialist in family law, personal injury, real estate, wills and trusts, and similarly complex areas of law.
A drug crime attorney is a similarly specialized professional in an increasingly complex field, and as such they should be chosen with the same care.
After all, their success or failure can make a lifetime of difference for you.