A 37-year-old man in Florida was taken into custody in October on drug-related charges. The incident happened around 9:40 p.m. when the man reportedly ran a stop sign in Fort Pierce.
Law enforcement then pursued him. According to police, before the man’s vehicle came to a stop, he was observed making movements that they found suspicious. He was described as leaning across the center of the car trying to throw something out the window on the passenger side.
The car then came to a stop. The police report says the law enforcement officer who approached the car saw the man trying to hide a can of beer. Police said that upon searching the vehicle, they found a clear baggie that had whitish residue inside and a glass crack pipe. The baggie was later tested, and the residue was found to be crack cocaine. When the man was asked about the baggie, he said it was not his and that the wind must have blown it into the car or the police may have planted it. The man was booked into the county jail in St. Lucie and released later on bond. He is due to be arraigned on Dec. 3.
If a person is facing these types of charges, a criminal defense attorney may use circumstances of the case as possible defenses. For example, a person might claim that drugs found belonged to someone else. An attorney might look at whether the search performed by police was legal and if the person’s rights were violated in any other way. The attorney might also want to ensure that any alleged drugs are tested correctly and that samples are not contaminated. Depending on the charges and evidence, the person might want to consider pleading guilty in exchange for a lighter sentence.
