Too many Louisiana residents forget that they have rights, and that they are innocent until proven guilty. This is important to remember for all crimes, but it’s arguably most important when it comes to drug crimes for two reasons. First, police have very specific rules that they must follow when searching for drugs. Second, because the circumstances of a drug crime arrest are often key to the case.
Despite what you may believe, you have rights that you can exercise with law enforcement officials who are governed by specific rules and regulations. They cannot, for example, search your car or home without probable cause or a search warrant. What this means is that if you are obeying all the rules of the road and not driving in a suspicious manner and a police officer pulls you over, you can refuse to allow the officer to search your car if you believe that he or she does not have probable cause.
When it comes to drug crime accusations, there is often only the accused individual for police to question or investigate. Unlike homicides or sex crimes, there are no victims who can be examined, questioned or analyzed to gain more information. This means that if you are not behaving suspiciously, it is much harder for police to convict you, and in many instances, people are only arrested for drug crimes because they are found with drugs in their possession or on their property.
The important thing to remember is that you have rights at every point in the criminal process. Even if you have been arrested by an officer who had probable cause or found drugs in your possession, you still have a chance to prove your innocence with the proper legal defense. You could prove, for instance, that the drugs were planted on you, or that you were legally allowed to possess them, depending on the substance. Visit our web page to learn how we can help you defend yourself against drug crime accusations.