A 20-year-old man in New Jersey is facing drug charges after police allegedly found drugs in his home on Aug. 25. Just after 8:40 p.m., officers on patrol spotted a group of people gathered in front of a residence on Lamberton Street's 600 block in Trenton. Officers reportedly decided to investigate because the residence was believed to be abandoned. After one man was approached by police, they claim that he dropped a bag of marijuana when he was asked to show his hands.
Authorities also allege that they noticed paraphernalia inside the residence when the man opened the door to retrieve his identification. He reportedly gave consent to the officers' request to search the premises. Once inside, police allegedly discovered three digital scales and several drugs inside the home, including six bags of marijuana, crack cocaine and 151 glassine packets of heroin. The man was charged with multiple counts of drug distribution.
People faced with drug distribution charges or other serious offenses could benefit from working with a criminal defense lawyer. Legal counsel might be successful in getting charges or sentencing reduced by challenging the credibility of the state's case. Creating the plausibility of doubt or exposing violations in the procedural laws may be effective in obtaining an acquittal or getting critical evidence dismissed from the hearing.
For instance, after reviewing the facts of the case, legal counsel may be able to formulate some strategies that could possible get the charges reduced or dismissed. A lawyer may focus on challenging the officers' probable cause for the initial investigation or in gaining entry into a defendant's home. Officer misconduct or breaches in protocol may be enough to derail the prosecution's case against the defendant.
Source: NJ.com, "Trenton man faces drug charges after police find crack, heroin and marijuana in his house", Keith Brown, August 26, 2014