Defense of Minnesota Prescription Drug Offense Charges

It is all too easy to get caught up in Minnesota’s harsh prescription drug laws. The laws surrounding the handling and use of prescription drugs are neither clear nor widely understood. An innocent mistake taking a single Percocet from a friend’s old prescription can easily result in a Fifth Degree Controlled Substance felony charge. And the addictive nature of many prescription drugs means that a once-valid, medically-justifiable use can easily turn into a destructive habit.

For whatever reason, if you’ve found yourself or a loved-one charged with a prescription drug offense you need to contact Minneapolis drug crimes defense attorney David Balmer!

Based in the southwest suburbs of Minneapolis, the Balmer Law Office represents and counsels people charged with Minnesota’s controlled substance crimes in Hennepin County and throughout the state. David Balmer will work tirelessly on your behalf to get your case dismissed, or for the charges to be reduced. And if the facts of your case don’t support a dismissal, he’ll build a strong defense to present to a jury. In addition to legal representation, Mr. Balmer assists in finding appropriate and confidential treatment resources if facts and circumstances warrant treatment.

Contact the Balmer Law Office for a free case evaluation. The Balmer Law Office is available via its 24-hour hotline: 612-326-4175.

Minnesota Prescription Drug Crimes

  • Procuring a prescription by means of fraud or deceit
  • Doctor shopping (i.e. going to multiple doctors to obtain multiple prescriptions
  • Unauthorized use of a prescription pad
  • Filling someone else’s prescription for your own use
  • Giving your prescription to another person — even if they have an identical prescription

The severity of controlled substance charges vary with the following factors:

  • Whether the substance was sold or merely possessed
  • The type of substance sold or possessed
  • The amount of substance sold or possessed
  • Whether the defendant has any prior controlled substance convictions.

Learn more about Minnesota’s controlled substance laws here.

Unintentional Murder in the Third-Degree

Minnesota Statute § 609.195(b) makes it a felony crime to “proximately cause” the death of another by selling or giving away a schedule I or II controlled substance. Under the law there is no requirement for the person accused to intend to kill the other person. All that is necessary is for the person who sold or gave the drug to be a "proximate cause" of death. An act is a proximate cause of death if, without that act, the victim would otherwise still be alive.

If you suspect that either yourself or a loved one has been involved in the death of someone because of a prescription drug overdose, you need the assistance of a criminal defense attorney experienced in murder / homicide cases. Contact the Balmer Law via it’s 24-hour hotline: 612-326-4175.

Minnesota Prescription Drug DWI

Minnesota DWI law doesn’t just apply to alcohol; the offense punishes any form of impaired driving. With respect to prescription drugs, Minnesota DWI law considers any amount of an unprescribed schedule I or II controlled substance to be per se impairment. That means it doesn’t matter whether the driver was actually impaired, all that is necessary for the state to win at trial is to show the presence of a controlled schedule I or II substance in the driver's system.

Learn more about Minnesota’s DWI laws and how DWI cases can be challenged and won.

How to Avoid a Conviction for a First-Time Controlled Substance Offense

For true first-time controlled substance offenders, an experienced criminal defense attorney can often convince a judge to stay adjudication of the offense — that is, not convict and instead place the defendant on probation. Typically probation involves successfully completing a drug treatment program, completing community work service, paying a modest amount of court costs, and remaining law abiding. This option is not available in all circumstances. Contact the Balmer Law Office for an individualized assessment of your case. The Balmer Law Office is available via its 24-hour hotline: 612-326-4175.

Defenses to Prescription Drug Crimes

In addition to providing a valid prescription for your possession of a controlled substance, there are numerous other ways to beat Minnesota drug charges.

Contact an Experienced Minnesota Drug Defense Attorney

If you have been charged, arrested, or even just questioned regarding a Minnesota controlled substance offense, you need to speak with an experienced Minnesota drug crimes defense attorney. The state is preparing its case against you — it’s time to start preparing your defense. The Balmer Law Office is available via its 24-hour hotline: 612-326-4175.