It is every defendant’s right to demand and have a jury trial. However, the overwhelming majority of criminal cases (including drug cases) never end up going all the way to a full blown trial. In some cases, the attorney may be able to persuade the prosecutor to dismiss the charges because of a lack of solid evidence. Sometimes prosecutors decide not to refile charges after a defendant prevails at a preliminary hearing. Some defendants can escape conviction through a pretrial motion like a motion to suppress evidence, but the majority of drug cases end pursuant to a plea deal of some kind.