Few non-violent offenses hold the power to completely alter the course of a person’s life like drug convictions. Although many states have shifting attitudes toward substances that are currently illegal at the federal level, Indiana is still fairly strict when it comes to drug possession.
If you find yourself facing drug charges, understand that the matter is serious, but it is not helpful to panic. Instead, focus your time, resources and energy on examining the evidence against you and using the strength of the law to protect yourself. A strong defense may succeed in reducing charges or seeing them dismissed entirely, but the longer you wait to begin, the fewer options you have.
Examining the evidence
It is much simpler to build a defense if you understand the evidence against you. In many cases, the evidence is simply not as strong as it may seem at first, and the police and prosecution team may not have as much of a case as they would like for you to think. While this is not always true, be sure to scrutinize the facts with great care so that you do not miss defensive opportunities.
For instance, if you received possession charges because of substances found in your home, you may have grounds to claim that these substances belong to someone else who visited and left them.
You should also consider requesting that the drugs in question undergo laboratory testing to determine their composition. If the prosecution fails to produce the evidence for testing, you have much more leverage to defend yourself. Likewise, if the testing confirms that the substance collected as evidence does not match the charges against, you, this also gives you leverage.
These are only a few of the tools that you may use to challenge charges against you. The important thing to remember is that you must put up a strong fight if you do not want the prosecution to make an example of you. Failing to build a defense does not inspire prosecutors to “go easy” on a defendant. It may actually encourage prosecutors to seek unnecessarily harsh sentencing to bolster their own professional image.
Defend yourself today, not tomorrow
The sooner you begin building your defense, the better prepared you are to keep your rights and privileges secure. Although drug charges are serious and often result in harsh sentencing, a strong defense can still keep you secure while you resolve the matter. Make it a priority to build your defense quickly, using the best legal resources and guidance that you can find.
