It may sound like many of the stories we read about in the news. Two men were recently arrested in Chicago and charged with drug-related offenses. Police had been suspicious that they were involved in criminal activity and waited for an opportunity to approach the men. That opportunity came when the officers apparently witnessed one man delivering a package to the other man in a car.
The police concluded that the package must contain drugs and confronted the men. The car was promptly searched, as was a nearby apartment. Police reportedly found cocaine, methamphetamine and a handgun during the search. They were arrested and charged and now face the possibility of serious consequences.
The story may sound familiar because it happens on a regular basis. Authorities spend massive amounts of time, resources and financing to track down and arrest suspected drug offenders. They also stack charges against people in the hopes that they will be convicted on at least one of them. Officials all over the country are very aggressive when it comes to pursuing drug charges and convictions.
Since the 1970s, a war has been waged on drugs in the U.S. and, despite shifting attitudes regarding certain drugs and overly harsh penalties, authorities continue to go to extreme lengths to pursue charges against a person suspected of a drug crime. This means that even first-time offenders and those facing relatively minor charges could end up facing serious consequences.
However, people in this difficult situation still have rights that must be protected. Working with an attorney can help people charged with drug possession or manufacturing defend themselves against charges and work to limit their exposure to punishment.
Source: Associated Press, “2 men arrested on drug charges, $4M in cocaine and methamphetamine seized,” Dec. 5, 2013
