The "War on Drugs" goes on, snaring the innocent as well as the guilty.
Cocaine, heroin, methamphetamine (speed), and marijuana top the list of illegal drugs the police target. Prescription drugs like OxyContin®, Xanax®, and Valium® can cause big problems for the illegal possessor or abuser.
Crimes that involve trafficking or "dealing" may require jail sentences based on amount, if done near a school, or distributed to a minor. Just driving a car with illegal drugs can cause it to be seized and sold.
Even simple possession of the drug or the paraphernalia used to store or take it can cause an embarrassing arrest, prosecution, jail and a criminal record.
Too many people - - too many lawyers throw up their hands and whimper to the prosecutor, "Gimme a deal, please."
Good results depend on fighting back.
- Force the prosecutor to give you information that led to your arrest. It can be an informant looking to trade you to save himself;
- Challenge the arrest; challenge the warrant; challenge the wiretap. If your constitutional rights were violated, the evidence can be thrown out. No evidence means no prosecution;
- Go to trial. The harder you work, the luckier you get. It's true. Prepare, prepare, prepare. There are defenses to drug cases;
- If there's going to be a sentence, bring in the evidence to make it a light one.
For possession cases, there are programs that can lead to a dismissal and expunction of your arrest record.
I have successfully handled numerous drug cases. One young man was stopped by the police and found to have drugs in his car. The evidence was thrown out because of an illegal search and seizure. Another case had two young men in a car with drugs. My client was acquitted since the prosecution couldn't link my client to the drugs.
Drug arrests can be big trouble. Get help and get it soon.