Houston Firm Explains the Three Tools of a Drug Defense Lawyer
Former Texas prosecutors find ways to defeat controlled substance charges
When you’re accused of a crime related to drug possession, distribution or manufacturing, you might believe that there’s no chance of winning against the authorities lined up against you. Police and prosecutors often take advantage of this power imbalance to get suspects and defendants to give up their rights. A strong, experienced legal defense team can help even the odds. At Patrick M. Kelley, Attorney at Law in Houston, attorneys Patrick Kelley and Julie Jones are former prosecutors with decades of experience handling Texas criminal matters. We have the skill and knowledge to spot flaws in the case against you and to develop the best strategy in battling for a just result.
Motions to suppress illegal police conduct
Decisions on whether police have violated the privacy rights of an accused individual are normally made by judges, while prosecutors have wide discretion in pursuing or dropping charges. Therefore, a client charged with drug dealing or possession needs a defense lawyer who can persuade prosecutors and judges that the police acted improperly in stopping, arresting, searching or questioning a drug suspect. As a former Drug Task Force prosecutor and author of the “Drug Search and Seizure” newspaper column, Patrick Kelley not only has the criminal defense experience and knowledge that you require but also has a 30-year proven track record of convincing prosecutors and judges that drug evidence should be suppressed and drug charges dismissed as a result of illegal police conduct.
Motions to reveal confidential informants
The “best friend” of the narcotics detective is the confidential informant. The informant passes without suspicion anywhere in the drug world. The informant does not draw attention because the informant has bought, used and sold controlled substances in the past with the very same people that the informant is “setting up” for the police. After the drug crime defendant is arrested based upon information provided by an informant, the narcotics detective will normally try at all costs to keep the identity of the informant secret from the defense. Texas law requires that the identity of the informant be revealed to the defense if the defense attorney can make a plausible showing that the informant’s identity is material to the defense of the case. If such a showing is made by the drug crime lawyer to the judge or prosecutor, and the narcotics detective still elects to keep the identity of the informant a secret, then Texas law requires that the drug charges against the accused be dismissed.
Persuasion through extensive experience
The most important tool of the drug defense lawyer is experience. Without years of extensive experience successfully navigating the world of street level narcotics, the challenges of suppressing evidence acquired through illegal police conduct and of revealing confidential informants can be overwhelming. Patrick Kelley has spent the majority of his 35-year legal career perfecting his craft of street-level narcotics defense work, which includes the following professional accomplishments:
- Houston Drug Task Force Prosecutor and Organized Crime Prosecutor, 1989-1990: Drafted narcotics search warrants, monitored undercover narcotics investigations, supervised confidential informants and prosecuted street level narcotics, vice and auto theft rings.
- Author, “Drug Search and Seizure” weekly column, Houston Chronicle and Houston Post, 1994-1995
- Over 35 years of criminal law and criminal court experience
- Over 3,200 criminal cases defended since 1990
- Over 30 years of defeating illegal police searches, illegal police arrests and narcotics search warrants that lacked probable cause
Patrick Kelley and fellow former prosecutor Julie Jones form an established team that can pinpoint weaknesses in the government’s case against you.
Contact an accomplished Texas drug crime defense lawyer for a consultation
Patrick M. Kelley, Attorney at Law represents Texas clients who have been charged with criminal misconduct related to drug possession, dealing and manufacture. To speak with us, please call 713-222-6363 or contact us online.