Prescription Drug Cases
Pascagoula - Gulfport criminal defense attorney Sean Buckley has over two decades of experience fighting criminal allegations involving prescription medications. If you’re under investigation or accused of illegally diverting, dispensing, obtaining, or possessing prescription medications in Mississippi, you need an aggressive criminal defense lawyer at your side. Gulfport criminal defense attorney Sean Buckley is here and ready to fight to defend your legal rights and your reputation.
Diversion of Controlled Substances
Federal and state authorities in Mississippi target healthcare providers and pharmacists who prescribe and dispense high volumes of controlled substances. For years, the DEA and state law enforcement agencies have unjustly labeled the pain management profession as “drug dealers in white coats.” Not only does this philosophy run contrary to current FDA guidance for the prescribing of opioid analgesics, but over-enforcement against pain management healthcare providers has almost single-handedly caused the ongoing deadly fentanyl crisis. Nevertheless, the DEA and the Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics (MBN) continue to single out healthcare providers and pharmacists for criminal investigation based on “red flags” such as:
Prescription Monitoring Program (PMP) data showing high volumes of opioid pain medications prescribed and dispensed alone or in combination with “cocktail drugs” such as alprazolam (Xanax) and carisoprodol (Soma);
Informants report pain management prescribers or pharmacies for allegedly operating “pill mills”; or
Police recover diverted drugs contained in prescription bottles with labels identifying certain prescribers or pharmacies, and automatically assume that the prescribers or pharmacies were complicit in diverting the drugs.
The legal standard for criminal liability in diversion cases involving medical professionals is that controlled substances were prescribed and/or dispensed “without a legitimate medical purpose and outside the scope of professional practice.” For years, defense lawyers have complained that this standard unfairly allows law enforcement to second-guess medical professionals based on objective standards of practice that are incompatible with the concept of criminal intent. In response to lawyers’ arguments, in 2022 the U.S. Supreme Court finally established a subjective defense for healthcare professionals accused in diversion cases. See Ruan v. United States, 142 S. Ct. 457 (2022). Understanding this complex defense, and the numerous regulations applicable to healthcare professionals who prescribe and dispense controlled substances, is critical when defending against allegations of diversion. Whether you’re a healthcare professional, a patient, or anyone else – if you’re under investigation or accused of illegally diverting controlled substances, Gulfport criminal defense attorney Sean Buckley is ready to fight to defend your legal rights and your reputation. Unlawfully Obtaining or Possessing Prescription Drugs Pascagoula - Gulfport criminal defense attorney Sean Buckley has over twenty years of experience fighting allegations of unlawfully obtaining or possessing prescription drugs. Mississippi and federal law both prohibit unlawful possession of controlled substances requiring a valid prescription, and Mississippi law prohibits acquiring or obtaining possession of controlled prescription drugs by larceny, embezzlement, or fraud. Most criminal cases involving prescription drugs involve opioid pain medications and related “cocktail” drugs such as alprazolam (Xanax) and carisoprodol (Soma). Tragically, good people suffering from acute or chronic pain can become dependent on opioid pain medications. Legal problems can arise when doctors stop prescribing the medications or taper down quantities – leading the suffering patient to obtain the medications through unlawful methods such as visiting “pill mills,” buying pills off the street, or forging prescriptions. These actions can lead to serious criminal charges that only serve to intensify the suffering patient’s struggles. When criminal drug cases arise from prescription drug dependence, treatment options are often an important component of the criminal defense strategy. Regardless of your circumstances, and regardless of the allegations against you, Pascagoula-Gulfport criminal defense attorney Sean Buckley is ready to fight to defend your legal rights and your reputation.
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To learn more about your legal options and which strategy makes the most sense, schedule an appointment for a FREE CASE EVALUATION with Pascagoula - Gulfport , Mississippi federal crimes defense attorney Sean Buckley.
Sean Buckley has extensive experience defending the legal rights & reputations of individuals in Gulfport, Biloxi, Pascagoula, South Mississippi and Statewide.
Serving Gulfport, Biloxi, Pascagoula, South Mississippi , Jackson County,
Harrison County & Statewide
Federal & State of Mississippi criminal defense attorney Sean Buckley, located in Pascagoula/Gulfport, Mississippi has defended numerous individuals over the past two decades that have been wrongfully accused of federal and state crimes.
There are many criminal defense attorneys throughout South Mississippi and across the U.S.
with impressive online profiles, but many lack the actual qualifications and experience to defend clients in serious and complex cases.
If you are facing serious allegations, you need an attorney with experience!
Criminal Defense Attorney Sean Buckley is here to fight for your legal rights & reputation!
