Drug crime defenses: Your protection against charges

 Posted on June 02, 2017 in Criminal Defense

When you face drug charges, you could be looking at years of imprisonment, heavy fines and other penalties. It's very important that you have someone on your side to help you fight for your rights. Your attorney is there to assist you, and one of the things he or she will do is talk to you about your potential defense options.

In the case that you face charges for possessing drugs, you may wish to look into a number of different defenses. These are three that could work in your favor.

1. Challenge the location of the drugs

The first thing you may want to try is challenging the prosecution to present the drugs to the court. When drugs are seized, they go to crime labs and pass through the hands of many people before going into evidence. If the prosecution cannot present the evidence, your case could be dismissed.

2. Fight entrapment

Entrapment is a serious concern for people who are charged with crimes. If entrapment took place, that was against the law. Entrapment is when law enforcement officials encourage or even pressure you into committing a crime so that they can arrest you. The general rule is that if the state provides the drugs you purchase or are persuaded to sell, then the authorities participated in entrapment and you could have a strong case against the allegations you face.

3. Know to whom the drugs belong

Sometimes, you're set up for a crime without knowing it. For example, your friend may have planted the evidence in your bag to avoid getting into trouble. It's also possible that someone could have forgotten their drugs at your house or in your vehicle. If you know whom the drugs belong to and can prove that you are not the person purchasing or selling drugs, then you could be able to win your case and have the charges dropped.

Drug charges are serious, and your attorney can help. These are just a few possible defenses you can try if you're accused of possessing drugs.