If you are arrested, hire a criminal defense attorney right away. In the War on Drugs, people are regularly arrested throughout the country. So regularly, in fact, that a marijuana related arrest takes place every 42 seconds. This is an astronomical number and should cause recreational drug users to take notice. Additionally, the FBI reported that 1,531,251 were in 2011 for drug related crimes overall. Since the majority of drug related arrests were of males, recreational drug users that are male should have a plan in place in case they are arrested.
Many of these arrests happen illegally. Police have been taking liberal measures with search and seizure laws, which has become hotly debated throughout the country. When the police stop you or pull you over, they are supposed to have a reason to do so. After stopping you, they need to have a specific reason for wanting to search you or your property and ask for consent before going forward. If you refuse, they are obligated to get a warrant in order to search you.
If they do so without a warrant, anything they obtain during that search should be thrown out of evidence and not be used against you in court. The key is hiring a criminal defense attorney that can make this argument on your behalf. They will likely still arrest you, but the drugs they find should not be used to convict you.
Once you have been arrested, invoke your right to an attorney immediately and refuse to answer any questions. Do not speak to the police or anyone else that you see until your attorney arrives. Every word you speak could be used against you in court, so it is important not to give them any ammunition. After we have arrived, we will sit down with you privately then speak with the police together if necessary. As your criminal defense attorney, we will also try to get you out on bail right away so that you can spend your time at home preparing for trial, rather than sitting in a jail cell.
As your criminal defense attorney, we will examine the charges from all aspects and look for ways to create reasonable doubt in the mind of a jury or to have the charges against you dropped or reduced. A drug-related conviction can haunt you for the rest of your life and our job is to reduce the likelihood of that happening.
Many people make the mistake of thinking that a simple drug charge is not a big deal. Unfortunately, it is. A drug conviction can lead to jail time, and it stays on your permanent record which makes it harder to get a job or to have custody of your children at a future date. It will also be used against you if you are ever arrested for a second drug crime or more serious offense. The state will try to demonstrate that you are a career criminal rather than someone caught in the wrong place at the wrong time. Don’t let this happen to you. Call The Taylor Law Firm today and ensure that you have the best possible legal representation.