Drug possession and drug paraphernalia charges can be serious charges carrying stiff penalties and consequences. Because of the serious nature of drug paraphernalia charges, it is important to be familiar with criminal defense rights and options and how to challenge the charges. Drug paraphernalia charges can be used to place accused individuals in a difficult position.
There are many innocent, everyday, uses for items termed drug paraphernalia by authorities. Items such as baggies, scales or disposable plastic pens are items that may lead to possession of drug paraphernalia charges, though they may be used for legal purposes. That is why it is important to examine the facts of the situation, witness statements and police conduct associated with the charges the accused individual is facing.
Accused individuals have important criminal defense rights that must be protected. If authorities have violated those rights, such as a search and seizure violation or other violation of the accused individual’s rights, it may form the basis of a criminal defense response to the charges. A strong criminal defense strategy evaluates the entire circumstance and determines if authorities followed all the correct procedures and if evidence was obtained and tested properly.
The penalties associated with drug possession charges and drug paraphernalia charges can deny the accused individual their freedom and future and can have a lasting impact on their personal and professional lives. As a result, it is critical for accused individuals to be familiar with the protections available to them to mitigate the negative impacts of drug charges.