Search warrant that produced a possession of heroin for sale charge. Should I hire a private lawyer? Am I facing prison?

With possession for sale, you definitely need a criminal defense attorney to represent you in court. If you cannot afford to hire one, ask for the public defender the first time you go to court.

I doubt that any of us are going to tell you not to get a good criminal defense attorney. You will want to look into all the issues in your case to determine what defenses you may have. Search warrants are ripe with legal issues. It is a very good thing that you were not on probation at the time of this offense, but you will probably be ineligible for prop 36 again, so you're going to have to face the music, so to speak, this time.

Unless you have a specific disqualifying prior conviction (a "strike" or sex offense that requires registration), any term for possession for sale would be served in county jail, not state prison, due to the Realignment Act of 2011. Your prior convictions for possession for sale could add three years apiece, so you're still looking at a chunk of time. Be careful when hiring a private attorney. With the Los Angeles Public Defender's office, you're going to get a well-trained and qualified attorney, who may be overworked, but it still competent. On the other hand, there are lots of marginal (or worse) criminal defense attorneys out there who will still charge big bucks.

An experienced criminal defense attorney can review the evidence and discovery materials, determine whether you have any motions or possible defenses, and advise you as to your best course of action. I would strongly advise you to make sure you have an attorney. If you have an attorney appointed to represent you, give that person a try. If you don't like what that person is doing or telling you, you have the right to ask that person to withdraw. Then you can ask for a new attorney appointed to represent you, or you can hire your own. Good luck.

Get a good lawyer NOW....After 28 years of handling these types of cases, I can tell you that you are probably going to be offered substantial custody time, so you will need a lawyer who will actually FIGHT FOR YOU....I wish you well..... David Wallin

The prosecution will typically scare you with a prison offer right off the bat. Believe it or not, you are in control of the outcome. You could benefit from meeting with an attorney to discuss this further. Even if you decide not to hire the attorney the consultation with him or her could help you to understand the issues and your options. Many attorneys offer a free consultation. I wish you the best.

Without knowing your whole criminal history, it's impossible to say if you're facing prison- but if all you've had are narcotics offenses, then your maximum is probably a long stay in county jail. I think the question whether or not to hire a private lawyer is a tricky one- the issue isn't really private vs. public defender but the competency of the individual. Many public defenders are more experienced and aggressive than private attorneys and vice-versa.

With that history and the cash flow that comes with your "business" I would definitely suggest retaining a private criminal defense attorney.

You definitely are facing prison. Without a record the DA's minimum offer for Sales is 180 days in LA. With priors that number goes up. Lawyer up with someone who has alot of experience in the LA Courts. Many of us offer free consults, call around.

Of course you should hire a lawyer. Why not find one here on ? Read the client reviews and endorsements.