Readers may remember that 35-year-old former Chicago Bears wide receiver David Terrell was arrested last October on charges of that he smoked marijuana in public. In addition, he and two others were reported to have been seen with materials used for packaging and distributing narcotics.
After Terrell’s arrest, his attorney initially stated that there was no evidence that he had any possessory interest in the items confiscated by police. Neither was there any evidence that he had any connection to the illegal activities of the two other men he was alleged to have been seen with prior to his arrest.
Terrell pleaded not guilty to the drug charges, which included manufacturing and delivery of marijuana as well as battery. The charges were serious enough that they could have put him in prison for between one and three years. This week, Terrell was vindicated when he was acquitted.
Sources didn’t provide any details about the judge’s decision, but as we mentioned, Terrell’s attorney is on the record as having pointed to a lack of evidence to support the charges.
It is important for those who are charged with possession of marijuana or any other drug crime to realize that prosecutors have the duty of providing evidence that supports the charges beyond reasonable doubt. Much of criminal defense is geared to challenging prosecutors’ ability to do this.
There are, of course, a variety of reasons why one would challenge the sufficiency of the evidence, and these reasons will vary from case to case. Those facing drug charges do well to work on their case with an experience criminal defense attorney.
Source: Chicago Sun-Times, “Ex-Chicago Bear David Terrell cleared of drug and battery charges,” February 18, 2014.
