If you have been arrested for committing a drug charge, your first order of business after being released from jail is to find a criminal defense lawyer. You will need time to work with your lawyer on your case. You may be able to avoid being convicted if your lawyer deploys some defense strategies. Drug crimes can carry serious penalties, including hefty fines and lengthy prison sentences. If you are facing drug crime charges, it is important to work with an experienced criminal defense attorney who can help you develop a strong defense strategy. Find out more by reading below.
Common Drug Crime Defense Strategies
A defense strategy is a plan to combat charges using legal means. A case can be filled with issues that can result in dropped or lessened charges. Some of these include:
Illegal search and seizure: If law enforcement officers conducted an illegal search and seizure, any evidence obtained may be inadmissible in court. This can include situations where officers did not have a valid warrant or probable cause to search your property or vehicle. For example, drugs must be visible in most cases to law enforcement before they legally search your vehicle without permission.
Lack of possession: In drug possession cases, the prosecution must prove that you had knowledge of and control over the drugs in question. If you were unaware of the presence of drugs or did not have control over them, it may be possible to argue that you lacked possession.
Invalid drug testing: The results of drug tests are not always accurate or reliable. If the prosecution is relying on drug test results to prove their case, it may be possible to challenge the validity of the test and argue that the results should be excluded.
Entrapment: If you were induced or coerced into committing a drug crime by law enforcement officers, it may be possible to argue that you were the victim of entrapment.
Mistaken identity: If you were mistakenly identified as the person responsible for a drug crime, it may be possible to argue that you are not the individual who committed the offense.
These are just a few potential defense strategies that may be used to avoid drug crime convictions. It is important to work with an experienced criminal defense attorney who can help you identify strategies for your specific situation, so speak with a local criminal defense attorney today.
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