Possession of a Controlled Substance Business & Professions Code 4060

Under Business & Professions Code 4060, you may be in legal possession of a controlled substance so long as it was prescribed by a physician under certain circumstances.

There are controlled substances such as cocaine, PCP, LCD and other drugs that are considered to have no medical value and have a high potential for abuse and are never prescribed to the general public.

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Legal defenses:

  1. Temporary possession of the drug

If you possessed the drug only for the purpose of turning it over to law enforcement or to dispose of it, then you have a valid defense.

  1. Lack of knowledge

If you are able to demonstrate that the jacket, purse, article of clothing or luggage in your possession or which belonged to you was out of your control or possession and was in someone else’s possession (for anytime), then you might be able to convince the trier of fact that you had no knowledge or awareness that the drug found was in your “possession.”

  1. Lack of possession

You may not have been in possession of the drug if someone else had control or access to the area where it was found. You may also have abandoned the drug days earlier but someone identified you as having had possession at some point.

  1. Illegal search and seizure

Police overstep their authority or the law at times when arresting and/or searching persons they suspect of having committed a crime. You must be legally detained and only subject to a limited search under certain circumstances for this defense to apply.

If you are stopped for a traffic violation, your car may not be searched unless officers have probable cause to believe you are carrying controlled substances in your car.

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If you are validly arrested, you can be searched, but only of your person and the immediate area that you have control and dominion.

Misdemeanor or Felony

A violation of Business and Professions Code 4060 is a misdemeanor carrying up to one year in county jail and/or fine up to $1,000.

It is a felony, however, if you have a criminal history of violent felonies or sex offenses against a minor 14 years of age or younger, or are a registered sex offender. In these cases, you face 16 months, 2 or 3 years in state prison.

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Alternative Sentencing

Drug diversion or deferred entry of judgment is possible for certain drug possession crimes if you are deemed eligible under  Penal Code 1000 or Proposition 36.You are not eligible for Drug Diversion if you possessed the drugs for sale or were engaged in a violent act accompanying the offense.

More likely than not you would benefit under drug diversion if you possessed the controlled substances for your own personal use and you were not involved in any sexual or violent behavior. Other qualifying criteria include:

No prior drug offenses

No record of probation or parole violations

You have not participated in a drug diversion program within 5 years of the current offense

You have no prior felony convictions within 5 years of the subject or current offense

Expungement

Post-conviction relief by way of an expungement is available in most cases for a conviction under Business and Professions Code 4060. A felony conviction under this section, however, does result in state prison time, which disqualifies you for expungement.

Always a Free Consultation. Please call North Bay attorneys at (707) 571-8600 in our centrally located Santa Rosa office in Sonoma County to schedule a free and confidential consultation to keep you out of jail. 

“The Right Attorney Makes All the Difference.”

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