When defending a drug distribution case, one of the areas an attorney would focus on is the investigation and the arrest of the individual in question. Although law enforcement has various ways of investigating a drug distribution case in Arlington, a savvy defense attorney may have just as many strategies to rid the defendant of any guilt, or at least lessen the severity of the offense.
To learn more about challenging the arguments of the prosecution, be sure to schedule a consultation today.
One of the more common ways a person is charged with distributing drugs involve hand-to-hand purchases. In these cases, an informant working for law enforcement would set-up a hand-to-hand purchase or trade with the potential defendant. If the exchange is successful, law enforcement can move in on the individual in question and place them under arrest.
Other situations involve a traffic stop or arrest for another offense, and they just so happen to have a certain amount of drugs on them. If the quantity is high enough to warrant a distribution charge or the packaging indicates that the drug is not for personal use, an individual would likely be charged with distributing drugs.
When pursuing a drug distribution charge, the Commonwealth of Virginia does not care for the manner of their arrest so long as it is lawful. However, if the defendant was apprehensive about selling drugs prior to sting operation, the court could be more sympathetic towards the person charged. For example, if they were coerced into the sale because they needed to care for a sick family member or something similar, the court could prove to be sympathetic towards the individual.
Law enforcement rarely conducts investigations specifically geared towards determining whether someone has the intent to distribute drugs. This is usually up to the prosecution to determine whether someone was planning to sell drugs based on the amount of the drug as well as the packaging of the drug. For example, if a person has a significant amount of marijuana, so much that it is doubtful that the amount is simply for one person, the prosecution could infer based on the amount alone that they were planning to distribute. If the arrested individual had selling paraphernalia in their possession, such as baggies, scales, and labels, the prosecution would likely believe they are involved with a distribution operation and would issue charges as a result.
If you have been charged with distributing drugs or believe you are under investigation for drug distribution, get in touch with our law offices today. A professional attorney familiar with the ways the law enforcement goes about investigating a drug distribution case in Arlington could review your circumstances and advise you on how to proceed forward with building a defense. Call today to learn more