Drug Possession, Sale and Manufacturing

Mark Freeman and Joseph Fuson have spent a large portion of the past five (5) years defending people who have been charged with possessing illegal drugs, sale and/or manufacturing illegal drugs, or drug paraphernalia. The cases are fact intensive and require the services of a skilled and aggressive attorney to be successful.

1. It is an offense for a Defendant to “knowingly”…
   1. Possess or casually exchange a controlled substance,
   2. Possess or casually exchange a controlled substance with intent to sell,
   3. Deliver a controlled substance,
   4. Sell a controlled substance, or
   5. Manufacture a controlled substance.

If convicted of Simple Possession or Casual Exchange of a Controlled Substance (Tennessee Code Ann. 39-17-418), a Defendant faces conviction for a a Class A Misdemeanor where they could face up to 11/29 days in jail, fines, drug classes, probation, and community service.

The penalties for Sale, Delivery, and Manufacturing a Controlled Substance (Tennessee Code Ann. 39-17-417) are significantly more severe and result in a Felony conviction on your record. You could involve many years in jail, large fines, and seizure of personal property and vehicles.

What do you do if charged with a crime, especially with a drug charge, REMAIN SILENT until you can speak with one of our attorneys.

Many of the drug seizures occur as the result of a search warrant, traffic stop, controlled buy, or K-9 intervention. Many times the police officers use the K-9 to pressure drivers into consenting to a search, while other times officers will simply call the K-9 unit to assist in a traffic stop even when there is no probable cause to detain the driver. Use of K-9 dogs in traffic stops on the interstate and around town has increased and the use of the dogs in many cases in is violation of the 4th Amendment. Additionally, in many instances the search warrants used by officer to search a residence are unlawful. Challenging these searches, challenging the use of the K-9 dogs, and fighting for your right to be free from unreasonable search and seizure in all aspects is what we do best. If you are charged with a drug related offense, obtaining a lawyer who knows how to fight these cases is the most important decision you can make if charged.

Confidential informants are also used in many drug arrests and serve as the basis for many indictments. These informants are most often drug users, former inmates, convicted criminals, or even the drug dealers themselves. A skilled attorney can properly defend your case by exposing the holes in testimony, as well as the credibility of the informant.

School Zone Violations are a very scary due to the severe nature of the punishment and are very common in Davidson County. If you are convicted by a jury, you could face increased range of sentencing and be required to serve 100% of your time. Having the right attorney who can properly advise you on these issues is imperative. Being an effective advocate and properly preparing the case can often be the difference between a reasonable plea agreement and facing a very long jail sentence.

We will work hard on your case to uncover every stone and ensure that you are provided with the best possible defense. We have successfully defended cases involving large quantities of marijuana, cocaine and prescription pills. Each case was unique and each time we truly represented our client. The attorney client relationship in these types of cases is very important and coming up with an educated and informed decision is key. And if a settlement cannot be reached, we have the trial advocacy skills to successfully represent you in front of a jury.

Freeman & Fuson handle drug cases in Davidson County, Williamson County, Rutherford County, Maury County, Robertson County, Cheatham County, Dickson County, Wilson County and Sumner County.

The costs of each case vary and are based on number and seriousness of the charges.