Some cities in Texas, like San Antonia and Houston, are considered high-intensity drug trafficking areas, as per the anti-drug abuse act of 1998. Almost half a million people over the age of twelve in the Houston area have used an illicit drug in recent years.
With the high number of drug-related crimes, many possession and consumption charges are observed in Houston. Suppose you have any run-ins with the law enforcement agencies regarding a possession charge or other charges. In that case, it is necessary to hire a Houston drug crime lawyer to represent your best interest in the court.
There are certain steps and things you can do to protect your interest. Here are some tips to follow if you are fighting drug possession charges in Houston.
- Understand Search and Seizure
To begin with, you need to understand the practice of search and seizure. No matter the state you are in, any of the law enforcement agencies can unlawful search and seizure. This means that any law enforcement agency can not search your property, take evidence without proper warrants or probable cause.
Unlawful search is one of the most effective defense strategies your lawyer might employ.
If any law enforcement agency entered your property or car without a probable cause or warrant, then they are violating your rights. If that is the case, a Houston drug crime lawyer will try to prove the search was unlawful and get the charges dropped.
If they have collected any evidence during an unlawful search, they can not be used against you in court.
- Chain of Custody
All of the evidence collected in any drug busts is stored in the evidence lab with the police and other concerned agencies. As soon as evidence is entered into the system, the police will begin a sequential chain of custody.
Since there is a high volume of substances flowing through the evidence room, It is not unusual for the police to lose drugs between multiple detectives and evidence rooms.
You must always ask for the chain of custody of the substance so that you do not end up in jail for someone else’s substance. On the other hand, if the police lose the substances seized from you, charges against you will be dismissed.
- Proving Ownership
In many cases, people serve sentences owing to circumstantial evidence. But, a skillful lawyer in Houston will help clear any doubt regarding the ownership of the drugs. However, if you show up without an attorney, they will assume that the substance belongs to you only.
There is a high chance that the case will be dropped if the prosecution can not prove ownership back to you.
- Tell Your Lawyer if You Think You Were Framed
There were a lot of cases when the people were framed by agencies or some other people in their circle. If you think you are being framed, inform your lawyer about this. They will help you determine if you have been a victim of drug entrapment or planted evidence.
Beating drug possession charges is a matter of your freedom. You need to have the best lawyer and support you can find to prove your innocence or get the least amount of sentence.
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