Georgia Man Sentenced to 20 Years for Drug Trafficking

Taronta Clayton was recently arrested in Cobb County, convicted, and sentenced to 20 years in prison. He was convicted of trafficking heroin as well as some other charges.

According to reports, he had been tracked by undercover agents from the Georgia Bureau of Investigation since the early fall of 2018. He sold over 10 grams of heroin to an undercover agent which led to his arrest.

As a Georgia Criminal Defense Lawyer, I believe it is important for people to know the laws behind Drug Offenses in Georgia. In the story above, Clayton was arrested on charges of trafficking a schedule 1 narcotic. In today's post, I will explain what constitutes a schedule 1 drug in Georgia.

Schedule I Drug in Georgia

The Controlled Substances Act of Georgia is defined in O.C.G.A. §16-13-24. According to the law, there are established five schedules of controlled substances, to be known as Schedules I, II, III, IV, and V. The schedules shall consist of the substances listed in Code Sections 16-13-25 through 16-13-29. The schedules so established shall be updated and republished by the State Board of Pharmacy on an annual basis.

A Schedule I drug means: The drug or other substance has a high potential for abuse; The drug or other substance has no currently accepted medical use in treatment in the United States; and There is a lack of accepted safety for use of the drug or other substance under medical supervision.

Hundreds of controlled substances have been classified as Schedule I drugs. Schedule I Drugs are the most serious classification of controlled substances. Each one is considered highly addictive and has no medical use. The list of substances can be found in O.C.G.A. §16-13-25. Some of the more commonly known drugs that are deemed Schedule 1 drugs include:

• Benzethidine
• Codeine methylbromide
• Ecstasy
• Heroin
• LSD
• Morphine

There are different offenses for the different schedules of drugs - from possession to trafficking.

Practice Note

But just as with any other type of crime, there are those who are wrongfully accused of drug offenses in the state of Georgia. If you or a loved one has been accused of crime, contact a Georgia Criminal Defense Attorney now.