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The Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals recently overturned a guilty plea and 14-year prison sentence for an Oklahoma woman charged with a methamphetamine-related drug offense. Despite the fact that the defendant in the case technically broke the law by purchasing a key ingredient in the manufacture of meth, her guilty plea was overturned by the appeals court because the judge ruled that she was not properly informed by the state that she was prohibited from doing so because of a prior meth-related conviction. If you are facing criminal charges for a drug-related offense in Oklahoma, contact our knowledgeable criminal defense attorneys at AMA Law to discuss your legal options. In situations such as the defendant’s in this case – in which a conviction would have landed her in jail for over a decade – it is imperative to have qualified legal counsel on your side.

GUILTY-PLEA FOR METHAMPHETAMINE OFFENSE REVERSED

The Garfield County woman was sentenced to 14 years in prison after pleading guilty in 2011 to buying pseudoephedrine, following a 2005 conviction for possession of pseudoephedrine with the intent to manufacture meth. According to a 2010 law passed in Oklahoma, those convicted of meth-related crimes in the state are prohibited from buying pseudoephedrine – a key ingredient in making meth. The appeals court sided with the defendant’s argument that she had no criminal intent in her act and was not aware that buying pseudoephedrine (an otherwise legal purchase) was illegal in her situation. The judge ruled that the Oklahoma woman was not informed by the state that she was subject to such a law prohibiting the purchase of pseudoephedrine among those with prior meth convictions, and the prosecutors agreed that she had no criminal intent.

CONTACT OUR CRIMINAL DEFENSE ATTORNEYS FOR HELP

In an effort to crack down on drug crimes in the state, methamphetamine-related offenses and crimes involving the possession, distribution and manufacture of other illegal drugs are punished harshly in Oklahoma, even for first-time offenders. In addition to a felony conviction, penalties associated with an Oklahoma drug crime involving methamphetamine may include up to life in prison without the possibility of parole, mandatory drug testing, years of probation or parole, and other life-changing consequences. If you have been charged with a serious drug-related offense in Oklahoma, our skilled criminal defense lawyers at AMA Law can help. Contact our Oklahoma City law firm today to protect your legal rights and build a strong defense in your criminal case.