Charges of drug manufacturing in Texas come with severe penalties, and may also be enhanced by additional charges of possession and distribution of the substances. If you have been arrested for drug manufacturing, it is extremely important that you hire a Fort Worth criminal defense attorney as soon as possible, and be sure that you do not speak without legal representation present.
Again, it is of the utmost importance that the individual charged does not speak with law enforcement until they have legal counsel, as they may accidentally say something that wrongfully incriminates them or complicates the coming legal procedure. Read more below about drug manufacturing arrests in Texas, and contact us immediately.
What is Drug Manufacturing?
According to the Texas Health and Safety Code, Section 481-002, “manufacture” means the production, preparation, propagation, compounding, conversion, or processing of a controlled substance other than marijuana, directly or indirectly by extraction from substances of natural origin, independently by means of chemical synthesis, or by a combination of extraction and chemical synthesis, and includes the packaging or repackaging of the substance or labeling or re-labeling of its container.
Charges and Penalties of Drug Manufacturing
As with all drug charges, your penalties for manufacturing a controlled substance will depend on the schedule of the drug, as well as the quantity and evidence against you. Below is a simplified overview, but keep in mind that this is in no way comprehensive. The top way to understand penalties for specific charges is by working directly with a criminal defense lawyer in Fort Worth who can go through each of your charges and give you context to the overall picture while building your case.
Schedule I Manufacturing
Manufacturing penalties are much steeper than possession charges. If you are arrested for manufacturing and are in possession of under 1 gram (or under 20 units of Schedule I-A) of the substance, you can be given up to 2 years in jail, and a fine of up to $10,000. Between 1 and 4 grams (or between 20 and 80 units) jumps to a possibility of 20 years in prison. Above 4 grams, the penalties increase aggressively to possibilities of between 25 years and life in prison.
Schedule II Manufacturing
Because of the increased severity of manufacturing charges over possession charges, Schedule II and II-A manufacturing carries the same possible penalties as Schedule I and I-A drugs for the same amounts. This means that under 1 gram carries a possibility of 2 years in state jail, between 1 and 4 carries 20 years, and above that can carry anywhere between 25 years and life.
Schedule III or IV Manufacturing
Penalties for manufacturing Schedule III or IV drugs also carry severe penalties, but the weights change. If you are arrested manufacturing up to 28 grams, or 1 ounce, of a Schedule III or IV drug, your penalties are up to 2 years in jail and $10,000 in fines. 28 to 200 grams has a possible penalty of up to 20 years in prison, and quantities above 200 grams have a possibility of life in prison.
Contact Us Immediately
As you can see from this brief overview of drug manufacturing charges and penalties in Texas, these types of arrests must be dealt with aggressively and quickly. Our team’s experience will be an enormous asset to your situation, and we will make it our top priority to manage your defense all the way to favorable or positive sentencing. Contact us today to either have an initial consultation, or to have us represent you or a loved one immediately following a drug crime arrest.
