Law enforcement everywhere is cracking down on the abuse of prescription medications. If you find yourself facing an illegal prescription drug charge in Nashville, you might be wondering what you can do to avoid a conviction. Drug charges are very serious and can derail your life in ways you cannot imagine. A conviction can result in jail time, a fine, a criminal record and other penalties. It is important for you to act swiftly to improve the chances of a favorable outcome.
It is possible to build a good defense against the charge you have pending against you. Here is a brief overview of two illegal prescription drug charge defense strategies.
1. Lack of probable cause
Law enforcement must have probable cause to search your vehicle and home. If you were apprehended with illegal prescription drugs on your person, they have a right to use the drugs obtained from the search of your body as evidence. In order for the search to be lawful, you must have been doing something that gives them probable cause to suspect you are breaking the law, such as driving while impaired. Evidence that authorities obtain illegally is eligible for suppression.
2. You did not know
If you were driving another person's car at the time of your arrest, you could claim you did not know the drugs were in the vehicle. The owner of the vehicle may be responsible. It is possible to use unlawful search and seizure in combination with you not knowing the narcotics were there if law enforcement did not have reason to search the vehicle.
Drug charges are not easy to overcome, even if you are actually innocent. You should not discount the possibility of a conviction. You should speak with an attorney to develop a more thorough understanding of the charges you face and learn about possible defense strategies.