EXPERIENCED REPRESENTATION

Minnesota Drug Crime Attorneys

If you’re looking for the best defense for drug charges in the Twin Cities and beyond, you’ve come to the right place. Right now, you might be thinking that you don’t have options — but you’d be surprised. We’ve represented thousands of clients, all of whom started in the same position as you right now.

We’re here to help. This system can be complicated and punitive — that’s why you need an advocate who can help you navigate it every step of the way. Schedule a consultation to get started.

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About the law

Changes to Minnesota drug laws in 2023

If you’ve been charged with a marijuana-related crime, here’s what you need to know:

On May 30, 2023, Gov. Tim Walz signed a bill into law that legalizes marijuana for adults 21 and older and allows for expungements of prior marijuana convictions.

If you’ve been convicted of a marijuana-related crime: All felony-level convictions must be individually reviewed by the Office of Cannabis Management for expungement or resentencing. Unfortunately, the office isn’t expected to be set up for several more months, and the process could take years. 

But you don’t have to wait for the state — read our blog to find out how to clear your record faster.

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Experienced Counsel

Drug Crime Services

If you’ve been charged with a drug crime, we’re here to help. We will defend all drug crimes involving the possession, sale, distribution, or manufacturing of the following (but not limited to):

  • Marijuana
  • Cocaine
  • Hallucinogens
  • Methamphetamines
  • MDMA
  • Narcotics
  • Opiates
  • Prescription drugs
  • Drug paraphernalia

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Criminal Defense Services

DWI Defense

If you have been charged with a DWI, it may seem only thing to do is accept the accusation of a machine and plead guilty. It is far from your only choice. At Sheridan, Dulas & Kins, P.A., we don't seek plea deals for DWI charges. We will actually fight your DWI charges with the aim of a not guilty verdict.

Domestic Assault

An accusation of domestic assault or violence can have a serious impact on your personal and professional reputation and lead to severe criminal penalties. In addition, there are serious hidden collateral consequences, such as a lifetime ban on the possession of firearms. You should not ever try to face these charges alone.

Juvenile Defense

A juvenile record will adversely impact your child’s future opportunities, including educational opportunities that are so critical to their future. We understand that your child means everything to you, which is why we will build a vigorous defense on your child’s behalf.

Assault & Battery

Assault charges can vary depending on whether or not you caused injury to the victim, how severe the injuries were, and more. These cases can be complicated, which is why you need the best possible attorney at your side to fight for you.

Expungements

A criminal record can have major impact on your ability to seek an education, get a job, and secure housing. With the help of one of our experienced lawyers, you may be eligible to seal your record through an expungement.

Probation Violations

A probation violation could trigger significant penalties. In fact, a probation violation usually results in penalties more severe than an original sentence. It could easily result in serving the maximum penalty allowed by law. If you are accused of violating your probation, one of our experienced criminal defense lawyers will help you keep your freedom.

Drug Crime Charges in Minnesota

What are the degrees of drug crimes in Minnesota, and what punishments apply to each?

Chapter 152 of the Minnesota Statutes covers drug sentencing guidelines in Minnesota. The various drug offenses include:

  • Controlled Substance Crimes, ranging from 1st to 5th degrees
  • Importing Controlled Substances Across State Borders
  • Possession of Substances with Intent to Manufacture
  • Possession of Drug Paraphernalia

The severity of your charges and the penalties you’ll face will vary depending on the type of drug you’re charged with. Methamphetamine-related crimes are charged and prosecuted differently than prescription-drug-related crimes, for example.

The charges and penalties also vary depending on whether you were charged with possession, sale, distribution, or manufacturing; how much of the substance you had in your possession; and whether or not you had used the substance.

The least severe crimes will be fifth-degree offenses, and the most severe are first-degree offenses which can carry prison sentences of up to 30 years and fines up to $1,000,000 for a first offense.

Drug charges and penalties vary significantly from case to case, which is why you need an experienced criminal defense attorney who can understand the specific nuances of your case and create the best defense for you. 

How serious is my drug offense?

The severity of your charges and penalties depends in part on the specific type of drug in question. Minnesota follows the federal government’s list of Scheduled Drugs, with the Schedules arranged from one (I) to five (V). The most serious penalties and charges will be attributed to Schedule I drugs.

However, your unique case will depend on a variety of factors — particularly the amount of the drug, your prior criminal history, and whether you were found in possession, selling, distributing, or manufacturing the drug.

Schedule I Drugs

Considered highly addictive and with no medical uses. Examples include heroin, LSD, marijuana, ecstasy, methaqualone, and peyote. (Note: In 2023, Minnesota legalized marijuana. It is still illegal at the federal level — see our FAQs for more details.)

Schedule II Drugs

Considered highly addictive but with some medical uses. Examples include methamphetamine, cocaine, fentanyl, and many prescription painkillers.

Schedule III Drugs

Considered addictive and may have medical properties. Examples include codeine, ketamine, anabolic steroids, and testosterone.

Schedule IV Drugs

Considered potentially addictive and may be prescribed by a doctor. Examples include most prescriptions, like Xanax, Soma, Ambien, and Valium.

Schedule V Drugs

Considered slightly addictive or non-addictive and may be sold over the counter. Examples include off-the-shelf medications, such as pain relievers and cough medicines.

Next steps

So you’ve been charged — what happens now?

Knowing what to expect can make it easier to handle this difficult and stressful time. The legal process can seem daunting and confusing, but when you’ve got an advocate by your side with decades of experience defending drug crimes, everything is easier.

We’re here to guide you through this process so you can come out on the other side with the brightest possible future.

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Frequently Asked Questions About Drug Defense

Do I really need an attorney?

Only if you want the best chance at getting your charges lowered or outright dismissed. Being charged with any crime is a life-altering event. We don’t just mean now, where you’ll likely face jail time or steep fines. We mean in the future, too, where your conviction can prevent you from getting employment, providing for your family, maintaining custody of your children, and for felony-level convictions, it will bar you from your constitutional rights to own firearms or vote.

An attorney’s job is to come up with a strategy for your defense, combing through every detail of your case to find inadmissible evidence and identifying every possible opportunity for your charges to be lowered or dismissed.This level of defense is what we call “leaving no stone unturned”. It’s an approach that requires time, energy, and expertise, which is often why attorneys who do this will charge more for their services — but it can get you life-altering results (whether that’s getting your charges lowered or even outright dismissed). 

If you’ve been charged with a crime, you may not think you have options, but there is hope. Schedule a free consultation with us, and we’ll go over the facts of your case and let you know what options you have. Then, you can decide whether you want to work with an attorney or not.

What about if it’s a marijuana charge (illegal at the federal level, but legal in the state)?

As of 2023, recreational marijuana is legalized in Minnesota (with several stipulations, see here for more details).

But at the federal level, marijuana possession is still considered illegal. So how can marijuana possession be lawful and unlawful at the same time?

It’s possible because most marijuana regulations and enforcement are done at the local and state level. 

That said, the U.S. Congress still has full power to enact federal laws for acts that occur on federal property or that affect "interstate commerce," which means any movement of goods or services that cross state lines (think vehicle and air travel). These acts are not permitted under any law (even Minnesota law).

Reviews & tESTIMONIALS

Reviews For Sheridan, Dulas & Kins, P.A.

See what our clients are saying.

Matthew

Randall listened to my case, gave me honest feedback, and helped me along the way. I was charged with a domestic, got the charged down to a misdemeanor and a minimal fine. The charge will also be removed after a year. Randall does an excellent job in negotiations in the courtroom. Is demeanor makes him a winner! Thanks Randall for all of your hard work and communication. Would highly recommend.

Shawn

Mr. Kins is at the top of the game when it comes to his craft. He will fight for you all the way to the end and get you the best deal. He stands off in the courtroom above all the other lawyers. He did an amazing job for me in my case and you will be going the wrong way if you don’t choose him for your case.

Bruce

I hired Attorney Randall Kins for a criminal matter involving a Felony. Not only did Attorney Kins handle this matter in my favor but did without even a court appearance from me. He was upfront from the start and remained very professional throughout. Thank you Attorney Kins.

Anonymous

I was unfairly charged with a domestic assault misdemeanor and I was really terrified. Attorney Randall took on my case and he was very transparent throughout each step. Knowing what to expect and what my options (good and bad) were was very helpful to me. Randall really advocated for me and even went further to ask other third parties involved to help prove my innocence. I will forever be grateful to him. If you are looking for someone who genuinely cares about your story and is willing to go the extra mile then please consider Randall to represent you. He is a real Shark and he is very persistent in ensuring the best interests of his clients.

Anonymous

One year ago today, l stepped over a line l thought l would never cross again. It would have been a much, much worse experience without the help, expertise, and guidance provided by Jeff Sheridan and the team at Sheridan & Dulas. Where there was hopelessness, Jeff provided hope. Where there was embarrassment and guilt, Jeff was nonjudgmental and without bias. Where there was fear of the unknown, Jeff provided a calming presence. Where there was a lack of know-how and knowledge on my part, Jeff provided the requisite skill and expertise to navigate the complexities of our legal and judicial system. Where there was great stress and feelings of foreboding, he helped to alleviate that strain. Jeff gave me back a normal life.

Anonymous

Randall was extremely helpful regarding my DUI case. I had no idea how to precede or what to expect as this was my first offense. He gave great advice regarding my case and he never rushed anything and kept me updated along the way throughout the long process. He was able to negotiate to get my license back while we waited for the final ruling which was very helpful. I had a great outcome on my case and would recommend him to anyone looking for an attorney.

Mary

I met with Randall due to my 3rd Degree DWI charge. I was shaken, I was scared (because who wouldn't be). He made me feel at ease. He was very informative on how a DWI case goes, there are 2 cases to be fought out. When I told my peers about that, they were surprised because they didn't even know there were 2 sides to a DWI charge. He will fight tooth and nail to get every piece of evidence, study all that is given to him and make sure that you are satisfied with the outcome. I would just like to say that the outcome that I received on my case is the best that I could have ever hoped for. It went from a 3rd Degree DWI down to Careless Driving. I won my case with a lesser charge and I am truly happy about it. All this could not have been possible without the knowledge, trust, and hard work that Randall did for me.

Nicole

Immediately after I was involved in a DWI incident I contacted Mr. Kins. During a free consultation, he actively listened to my story and made me feel comfortable. I hired him immediately and he continued to be a great resource and trusted attorney. Throughout my complicated two-year case, he maintained professionalism and always had my best interest in mind. The result of my court case turned out better than I could have expected, and I would recommend him to anyone that needs a competent and trusted attorney.

Rahul

I was charged with 4th degree DWI, in March last year before COVID. This was my first DWI, and me being on a temp visa (H1-B) in the USA, the gravity of the situation is worse compared to a citizen. I could've been deported and would've been denied my work visa and lost my livelihoodI found Randall to be a very charismatic and a confident lawyer, with strong persuasive skills, who knows the loop holes of criminal law and is very knowledgeable in handling DWI cases. His ability to think outside-the-box with my situation, presenting my case in a manner that forced a very old-school by-the-book prosecutor to think twice about how he went about this case and got my case resolved to a careless driving made me absolutely ecstatic with the results that Randall provided.

Anonymous

I could not have asked for a better outcome with a committed lawyer. I would highly recommend Randall Kins to those who need the right representation. Thanks again Randall for the great job you have done.

Let's Fight This Together

There's hope for the future.

Even if you think you’ve run out of options, there is hope. To learn more about the results we’ve achieved for our clients, check out our Settlements & Verdicts page to review a small selection of our recent case victories. 

Victories

Available 24/7

Serving the Minneapolis-St. Paul region and beyond

Our criminal defense attorneys are ready to defend cases statewide in Minnesota and Wisconsin. We’re here to serve you in every county, including Anoka County, Carver County, Dakota County, Hennepin County, Washington County, and Wright County.

We're available 24/7. Give us a call now to start preparing your best possible defense.

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