On Sept. 8, a 34-year-old woman was taken into custody by the New York State Police following a traffic stop. She was ultimately charged with criminal possession of a controlled substance and unlawful possession of marijuana.
Authorities said that troopers observed her vehicle moving from her lane in an unsafe matter while on the interstate. While the trooper was talking to the female driver, the trooper reportedly smelled the odor of marijuana coming from the vehicle. When the vehicle was searched, the trooper found about 3.95 grams of marijuana and three tabs of LSD. She was taken to Putnam County Jail and she was scheduled to return to court in mid-October.
Those who are facing felony charges associated with major drug crimes could experience serious consequences if they are convicted. Depending on the type and the amount of drugs a person was accused of being in possession of, the consequences could range from probation and fines to a lengthy period of incarceration. Additionally, the convictions will also go on the person’s criminal record.
There are several different defense strategies that a criminal law attorney could utilize, though the strategy depends on the evidence the prosecution has. In some cases, the attorney could question whether or not the authorities had the requisite reasonable suspicion to pull the accused person’s vehicle over in the first place. The attorney may also question whether or not the search of the vehicle was legal. In other cases, it could also be argued that any drugs found did not belong to the accused person, especially if the person did not own the vehicle.
Source: Brookfield Patch, “Lane Change Leads To Drug Bust for Brookfield Woman in New York“, Lanning Taliaferro, Sept. 11, 2017
