February 18, 2014 • Posted In Your Rights
Being charged with a Violation of the Georgia Controlled Substances Act (V.G.C.S.A.) is bad news, as most people know. What many people don’t know is just how bad it really is. The consequences are more severe than they were in previous decades and those who run afoul of these laws often find themselves surprised by the punishments that accompany such a conviction.
Aside from potential jail time and steep fines, convicted offenders may be subject to a wide-ranging slate of collateral penalties that affect almost every area of their lives – forever, in some cases. Employment, driving privileges, and financial affairs of many kinds can suffer severe negative impacts after a conviction for drug charges. These convictions come with huge costs for students in particular. Some of the many consequences to students include:
• Notification to school, superintendent, and teachers/administrators of the student’s conviction, which may trigger a suspension or expulsion.
• Suspension from a public college or university for the current term.
• Automatic loss of eligibility for HOPE scholarship and HOPE grant funds.
• Loss of eligibility for federally funded student loans such as Direct Loans, Education for Public Service loans, and Graduate on Time loans.
• Private school students convicted of controlled substance violations will become ineligible for any public grants, loans, or scholarships intended for education.
Students convicted of drug offenses may also find that transitioning to work becomes extra challenging due to the many controlled substance violation penalties that affect a citizen’s right to work and own or drive a vehicle after such a conviction. In a subsequent post, we’ll examine these and other areas that are negatively impacted by such a conviction.
If you or a loved one faces charges related to drugs, it is very important that you seek competent legal advice immediately. The potential consequences are far too large and serious to shrug off or leave to chance.
