Laboratory testing may help you fight drug charges

by | Dec 20, 2018 | Uncategorized

Building a strong defense to drug possession charges often requires using legal tools to find weaknesses in the evidence against you. Depending on the circumstances of your arrest, you may have a number of ways to challenge the charges, including questioning the conduct of the arresting officers and disputing your ownership of any illegal substances.

Failing to build a strong defense is never a good option when it comes to drug charges because the sentencing for drug crimes is often much harsher than other non-violent crimes. Even if your charges do not seem serious, they can still result in months or years of jail time, so it is wise to build a defense to keep your rights secure against unfair punishment.

Forcing the prosecution to produce evidence

It is difficult for the prosecution to make a strong case against you if they cannot produce physical evidence of your alleged crime. As a part of building your defense, you may want to request that the evidence against you undergo laboratory testing to determine its composition.

Filing this request first forces your prosecution to prove that they have the evidence against you that they claim to have. While it is not a common occurrence, there are numerous instances when the prosecution simply cannot find the drugs that you allegedly possessed, due to a clerical error.

If they cannot produce the evidence, your defense is that much stronger, and a judge may toss out the charges altogether.

Conflicting results

If the prosecution does produce the evidence, the laboratory results may create more opportunities to challenge the charges. The officers who arrested you may have misidentified the substance and incorrectly charged you, or the results themselves may be inconclusive.

Even if a judge is not willing to throw out charges entirely, a strong defense can often help lessen sentencing, which is always an important consideration for anyone facing drug possession charges. This is particularly true for young defendants who may see their personal and professional opportunities suffer significantly if they are convicted.

However you choose to build your defense, don’t wait.

While these issues often take a good deal of time to sort out, the longer that you wait to begin defending yourself, the fewer options you have. Protect your rights and priorities as soon as you can by using the tools and guidance you have available to build a personalized defense to your charges and keep your future secure.