Our 37 year old client was initially charged with ‘strictly indictable’ offences of ‘cultivate by enhanced indoor means prohibited plant for commercial purpose’ for growing 14 large cannabis plants under 4 tents in his Camperdown apartment and with supplying ecstacy.
He was also charged with several other offences involving selling fake goods and possessing prescribed restricted substances.
He was told by 2 other Sydney criminal law firms that:
- the case would have to go up to the District Court because the two main charges are ‘strictly indictable’ and at least one would not be withdrawn,
- he could not participate in the drug MERIT program due to the charges, and
- he would likely receive between 15 months and 2 years full time prison, due to the seriousness of the charges and a previous conviction that he had.
He then came to Sydney Criminal Lawyers who fought and succeeded in:
- having both of the ‘strictly indictable’ charges downgraded (to straight ‘cultivation’ and ‘possession’ only)- so that the case stayed in Downing Centre Local Court rather than going to the District Court which would have exposed him to higher penalties,
- convincing the Magistrate to let him undertake the MERIT program, which he completed, and then
- obtaining section 9 Good Behaviour Bonds and small fines only.
It pays to have a confident and superior defence team on your side.