What began as a routine traffic stop became much worse when law enforcement saw occupants of a vehicle throw bags outside a car window. The Fort Pierce police stopped the driver for failing to stop at a red light. Instead of writing a red light ticket, they arrested two individuals for possession of marijuana and other controlled substances.
A Saint Lucie drug arrest lawyer can help the men address charges of possessing drugs. Law enforcement also found a large amount of cash that the men claimed was from selling a pair of shoes. The men may rely on a Port Saint Lucie criminal defense lawyer in order to defend against allegations that they intended to sell drugs because of the large amounts of cash.
There are many defenses that may apply in the drug arrest case. The men may be able to raise constitutional challenges based on violations of the Fourth Amendment. Law enforcement must have had a lawful reason to stop the vehicle. The men may work with a drug arrest criminal lawyer in order to request dash camera or body camera video that may have captured the traffic stop.
When they investigate a traffic stop, law enforcement may only investigate the incident on hand unless they have other reasons to suspect a different criminal violation. Law enforcement must be able to articulate a reason to suspect the person of possessing drugs. Something like throwing bags out a window or the smell of marijuana may give law enforcement evidence that there’s criminal activity underway. However, if law enforcement can’t state a valid reason for interrogating the occupants of the vehicle about drugs, law enforcement may be in violation of the Fourth Amendment when they continue the traffic stop beyond the time necessary to investigate the original traffic violation.
Saint Lucie Drug Arrest Lawyer
A controlled substance is any substance that has restricted access in Florida. Prescription medications can be the basis for a violation of Florida’s controlled substances laws if the person who has them doesn’t have a valid reason to have them in their possession. A person who faces drug charges may have a number of defenses available to them. The first step is to examine defenses to the charges like police error, a lack of sufficient evidence or constitutional violations. In addition, there are diversion programs that may be available for youthful offenders or drug offenders that may help in some cases to minimize the impact of the charges. An experienced Saint Lucie drug arrest lawyer can help you examine all of the options in your case. If you or someone you know have been in a similar legal situation contact Jonathan Jay Kirschner, Esq., & Associates, LLC at (772) 489-8501.
