Heroin Arrests Increase in Newport Beach, Which Alarms Police

A recent article by the CoronaDelMar Patch states that detectives say heroin use and sales are on the upswing in Newport Beach, a disturbing trend for police.

Drug crimes in Orange County are always serious charges to pick up because lawmakers have been adamant about increasing the penalties to serve as a deterrent to future users, buyers and sellers.

Sadly, these crimes of drug possession and sometimes sale tend to affect juveniles in Santa Ana and throughout Orange County. This can be dangerous because it can lead to disqualification from college, scholarships, jobs and the military. A conviction for a young person can lead to much more than possible jail time. It can mean a ruined future.

Fighting drug charge must be a priority. And it must be done by an experienced and dedicated Santa Ana criminal defense attorney who can use the years of experience handling similar cases to fight the evidence and the facts prosecutors intend to use at trial.

According to the California Health and Safety Code 11350, a person must be sent to prison if they are convicted of an offense involving heroin or other controlled substance. They can be sentenced to fines and fees, community service, probation and other penalties as well.

In Newport Beach, the numbers are a bit staggering. In the last three months, police say they have made 13 heroin sales arrests, 19 heroin possession arrests and 18 arrests for possession of narcotic prescription pills.

Most of the suspects are in their early 20s or late teens, with some as young as 17. Detectives tell the newspaper they are most concerned about the age of the suspects, with many saying they were introduced to the heavy drug at parties.

The most common form of the drug is black tar heroin, which is made in Latin America. Mexican drug cartels are blamed for moving the drug into the country, while Hispanic street gangs distribute the drugs once it hits the Southern California.

Burned aluminum foil, burned pen tubes or straws, hypodermic syringes, burned spoons and torn plastic with a brown tar-like residue are tell-tale signs that someone has been using, police say.

It is important that our young people not get caught up in the dangerous and addictive world of using, buying and selling drugs. While an experienced Santa Ana criminal defense attorney can pull out all the stops in attempting to reduce the sentence or outright beat the charges, parents must take an active role in helping their teens.

Drug charges in Orange County often come with gun charges, as people dealing drugs tend to feel the need to have protection at all times. This can lead to additional charges and stiffer penalties. An attorney will always work to reduce the charges against a defendant or possibly get a not guilty verdict if the facts present themselves. But it's important for defendants to learn from an arrest and attempt to change their lifestyle so they don't make a habit of going to court. This is especially true for juveniles.