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.

Schedule a free consultation

Thank you! Your submission has been received!
Oops! Something went wrong while submitting the form.

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.

Schedule A Consultation

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

‍

Schedule A Consultation

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.

Read More

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.

Read More

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.

Read More

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.

Read More

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.

Schedule A Consultation

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.

Anonymous

Mr. Kins was a fantastic attorney! I lived quite a distance from his office so most of the initial conversations were by phone which worked out wonderful for me since I requested it. Mr. Kins truly cared about me and my case and responded to all my phone calls no matter what time I called him. For someone who has never been in any kind of trouble, I was truly grateful for Mr. Kins. He explained everything to me and got me the best possible outcome I could have asked for. If anyone needs an attorney that will take a personal interest in your case and do the very best he can for you I highly suggest you hire Mr. Kins.

Caleb

(I apologize in advance for my bad typing skills) This man was absolutely tremendous, I had a false OFP put against me from my ex-GF, she wanted to make me seem like a bad person and ruin my life where I would not see my kids for 2 years and it was an act of evil against me. I have never had a lawyer before and I took my chances with Randall Kins and prayed this was the lawyer to help me and he did tremendously. He was honest and respectful and professional to a T, he knew what to say and how to say it and had the face of a confident lawyer it really put my mind and heart at ease and my family to know he was that confident in the case and we WON, I get to keep my gun rights, see my kids with visitations and am no longer feeling down or depressed and I thank God for giving me a chance to meet an amazing man such as Randall Kins. Thank you so much Randall.

Anonymous

I was charged with Domestic Assault (Strangulation) A felony. Randall Kins was the lawyer that was appointed to me in jail that day. I decided to hire him after speaking to countless other lawyers who wanted to charge me a ton of money. Mr. Kin's fee was reasonable and worth every penny . Randall Kins worked tirelessly and fought for me every step of the way. He is a Magic Lawyer. He was always clear and never sugar coated anything. Mr Kins worked every angle and treated me as #1. He also was able to explain my situation to the prosecutor in a way that made them look at the circumstances and ultimately led to my charges being dropped! I would recommend Randall Kins if you are facing any criminal charges. He gets it done. Really Really Awesome Lawyer. If you are having any legal issues hire this man! He will fight for you!

Scott

Last year right before the pandemic started, I was charged with a DWI and afterwards it felt like my life was on a downward spiral. After searching online and going to friends for legal referrals it seemed like a dead end with no results. Looking on Avvo I found Mr. Kins through his positive feedback and testimonials; I had a gut feeling that he was the right person for this job and he was! If there is one adjective that can best describe Mr. Kins is a Bulldog, because he will fight for you and make sure you get the best and fairest outcome. He was able to get my DWI reduced to a Careless Driving conviction! I am a highly satisfied customer and will refer anyone to his services.

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.

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.

Joseph

Randall was awesome, he listened to me, then he carefuly guided me to making very helpful decisions. All I can say is thank you, Randall, me and my family thank you.

Anonymous

After my positive experience with Mr. Sheridan and your firm, l have no hesitancy in recommending your services to others. I feel so fortunate that a kindly ER nurse steered me in your direction. l will forever be in your debt for all you have done to bring about a better than hoped for resolution to my case. If that nurse hadn’t referred me to your firm, l hesitate to think about how badly this could have played out.

David

I contacted multiple attorneys in the south Metro before finding Mr. Randall Kins. During my consultation I immediately felt his compassion for my situation, and his determination to win for his clients. I hired him during that call. I had 8 felony charges each carrying a potential term of 5 years imprisonment. He quickly reached out to the prosecutor and started working my case, communication during the process was great, and his office easy to deal with. He did not tell me what I wanted to hear, was straight forward, and honest about my chances of a good deal. Mr.Randall Kins was able to have all 8 Felonies dropped or reduced to gross misdemeanors, I was not sentenced to serve time, I retain my rights, and most importantly it will not affect my job. Thanks to his amazing work, I can move on with my life. I would highly recommend Mr. Randall Kins to help with your case.

Vanessa B.

They made a very difficult time for me as quick and as painless as possible.

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.

Schedule A Consultation

Recent articles

Related Blog Posts

What does pleading guilty mean? Everything you need to know about pleas

What does pleading guilty mean? Everything you need to know about pleas

Accused of a crime? You’ll have to submit a plea of guilty, not guilty, or no contest. How can you learn which one is best for you? First, you’ll need to understand all of your options — and that’s where we can help.

Read More
Disorderly Conduct in Minnesota: What You Need to Know

Disorderly Conduct in Minnesota: What You Need to Know

What is disorderly conduct in Minnesota? What consequences can you expect? And what should you do if you’ve been charged? We answer all these questions and more in our blog post.

Read More
Do you have questions about your case?
Contact Sheridan, Dulas & Kins, P.A. Today

Complete the form below to schedule a consultation with an attorney. We look forward to serving you.

Thank you! Your submission has been received!
Oops! Something went wrong while submitting the form.