multiple felony charges

[Nick_signster]

What is the name of your state? Tennessee
My young & dumb friend got pulled over right in front of her apartment. Got searched, police found small amount of pot, scared her into giving up what she had in apartment.
WOW, she had various quantities of several drugs. She is being charged intent for resale.
(This is a first offence. She was 20 yrs old at the time is now 21. She knew she was doing bad things but did not consider the consequent of her actions.)
We bailed her out (serveral months back) but now she had 2 more charges brought up against her. She turned herself in yesterday. I hear the charges are from where they had been watching before she got busted the first time.
So I think that brings her up to 7 felony charges(if they didn't already have her in a bind).
She has gotten a lawyer but...what can he really do?
The way I see it she could spend the next 50 yrs in jail!
Anyways....What I want to ask is.... are they going to prosecute her to the full extent of the law?

Thank You

 

[chris86]

That would depend entirely on the judge...noone could say for sure. Seven felony charges is quite a lot, but the judge may only seek to prosecute any number of those, depending on the details. I would advise your friend to seek professional drug/alcohol counseling, as that may make a difference...she's looking at time, no doubt, but how much depends on the judge. If she knows a lot of non-law-abiding citizens, which is sounds like she does, look up "downward departure"...I would mention it to her, but to noone else, for obvious reasons. It may be a topic she may want to discuss with her attorney. Good luck...and get her some help.

 

[Nick_signster]

I do appreciate your advice very much.
I would like to ask. Since these are felony charges... if we did get her out jail again...and she left the state...would they go after her? I heard if she is out on bond and that it is felony that they would send a bounty after her.
What kind of consequent would there be if that happened?

Also if I bonded her out and she skipped would they come after me?

Furthermore you are correct about the crowd she chose to run with(rgr). I personally wouldn't pee on them if they were on fire! They helped her get in this, now they are running. Makes me so mad, I'm acquainted but not friends (or have ever been friends) with these people.

I'm just trying to explore any & all options.
Thank You again.

 

[mycarlb]

I am NOT being sarcastic or mean when I say this ... but the worst thing you could do for her is bail her out again!!! And the worse thing for yourselves as well... she needs to stay right there and either get clean, (if she is a user) or start accumulating the time she is getting ready to serve.

I have seen many people come to court with multiple felonies, and work with the DA's office to reduce it to one charge, or plead out to all the charges with concurrent sentences... I don't know about Tennessee, but in NY City they sometimes offer a lengthy inpatient drug program instead of prison, but if that person leaves or is kicked out of the drug program then their prison term commences...

Leave her in jail until her case is over... she needs to have a long time to think about where her life is going...

 

[Nick_signster]

your right about that...
I'm just brain storming
I just hate seeing a good friend in this mess, but I didn't put her there either,
I just talk to another person & found a little more detail to charges
(estimated)

1 count of manufacture & sale of - schedule 1 (mushrooms in candy coating)
2 sales - schedule 2 (ecstasy & prescription pills)
3 sales -schedule 6 (pot)
misdemeanor of paraphernalia
then 2 more sale indictments (just recently)
I assumed she was into something, but didn't imagine this scale by any means
LOL I thought I was young & dumb back in my day!

 

[mycarlb]

Sounds like she is in for some time, my friend... some have to learn that way, others never learn... visit with her if you feel bad, but don't enable her...

The only way my brother changed his life around is when we all stopped babying him... we stopped the packages of clothing, food, money... let the state take care of him and let him FEEL what he had done to his life... he hated us for a while... now he is an amazing young man with the rest of his life ahead of him...

As for the amount of time she may get... I couldn't tell ya... if this is her first contact with the law, she could get lucky and they run everything under one sentence... usually the longest one...

Good luck and don't let her manipulate you...

 

[Nick_signster]

Thank you I will take your advice.

 

[chris86]

Mycarlb is absolutely right...in addition, right now, she's simply in county lockup...Prison is a totally different atmosphere...I would let her ride out as much time in county as possible, as it is definitely more pleasant than prison, and the Judge may consider treatment in addition to "time served". There are probably programs in place even in the county detention center relating to treatment issues, educational programs, etc. Usually, a jail has religion-based programs available, too. Yes, if you bond her out, and she forfeits, they will send a bounty hunter after her...Say, her bail is 20,000..you post 10%, or 2000., the bounty hunter has just LOST 18.000. He's going to want that back, no matter what. He has made a promise to the judge that she will be there, and is so sure of it, that he's willing to put up that amount of money. There's no running from a pissed-off bail bondsman. She's right where she needs to be. Good luck, and just be there for her...You're a good friend.

 

[Kane]

Anyways....What I want to ask is.... are they going to prosecute her to the full extent of the law?

There's no way anyone here could know that... unless they worked in the county where you are. Even then they couldn't know for sure.

My county is pretty lenient on first-time drug offenders. The next county over is one of the toughest in the state. A probation case here could easily be a prison case there.

Broadly speaking, a person like the one you're describing might get probation where I live.

Even within the same county a lot can depend on the judge, and the prosecutor.

I would like to ask. Since these are felony charges... if we did get her out jail again...and she left the state...would they go after her? I heard if she is out on bond and that it is felony that they would send a bounty after her.
What kind of consequent would there be if that happened?

Also if I bonded her out and she skipped would they come after me?

In my state bail jumping is a crime, as is hiding a fugitive.

I doubt they would 'go after her,' (if by they you mean the police), but if she got pulled over for any reason - or had any contact with the law (for example, trying to get a drivers' license) she'd likely be arrested, and have to wait to be extradicted back. Needless to say, her chances for leniency would be reduced.

If she has a bail-bondsman, he probably would go after her. I don't know what lengths he would go to, but if you were involved in the bond, he would certainly want to talk to you. He might try to make you financially responsible through the contract you sign (if you sign one) as well. If the police know you're her friend, they might want to talk to you too.

If you have any idea she might run, bailing her out would be a bad mistake, I think.