Drug possession is a serious criminal charge, which is why it is important for accused individuals to be familiar with their criminal defense rights. Accused individuals who have been charged with drug crimes face serious possible penalties and consequences.It is important to protect the rights, future and freedom of an accused individual. It is important to look at the facts and circumstances surrounding the criminal charge and it can be useful to determine if the police followed required procedures for the protection of the accused individual, such as properly obtaining a search warrant and having enough evidence to make a valid drug arrest.In some circumstances, the accused individual may be in the wrong place at the wrong time, which is why it is important to examine the facts, circumstances and [...]

Child protective services in New York recently put a 3-year-old child into relatives' care after her mother was taken into custody. New York State Police says the girl played an important role in her mother's arrest. The arrest and subsequent drug charges took place during a traffic stop on a recent Thursday afternoon.Troopers allege they observed the suspicious behavior of two occupants of a car and pulled the vehicle over. An incident report indicates that the odor of burning marijuana was evident immediately upon the occupants of the car opening the window. Reportedly, as one officer questioned the 26-year-old driver and the 33-year-old mother of the child in the front passenger seat, another trooper checked on the welfare of an unsecured toddler in the back seat.The officer who checked on [...]

It was recently reported that the executive officer of a Fortune 500 company was arrested and charged with drug trafficking. This followed the discovery of a significant stash of drugs, including heroin, cocaine, methamphetamine and ecstasy, in his suite at a hotel in another state. People in New York might have questions about drug charges that are filed after a housekeeper or another staff member of a hotel reports finding drugs in a guest's room.A patron who is lawfully checked into a hotel room is protected by the Fourth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution from legal action if a maid or housekeeper reports the presence of any illegal objects in the room. This protection is in effect until that guest is checked out or evicted from the hotel. Such a [...]

The actor and comedian, Pete Davidson, recently had a close encounter with law enforcement. It was reported that the actor was pulled over by upstate New York police in the early morning hours of a Saturday earlier this month. However, it was his passenger who was arrested on felony drug charges.A report by the Manlius police indicates that Davidson was pulled over at approximately 4 a.m. and subjected to a field sobriety test. He passed the test and avoided a citation. However, his passenger - also a stand-up comedian - was not so lucky. Officers claim they noticed a marijuana smell emanating from the vehicle when they approached the driver.Police officers allegedly found the passenger in possession of a controlled substance, which led to his arrest and felony charges. The [...]

Lynne Curtin, former star of Real Housewives of Orange CountyThis is not the first time Alexa has been in trouble with the law. She was previously charged for having heroin-covered paraphernalia and driving under the influence of drugs. Repeat drug or drugged driving offenders may receive harsher sentences each time they commit a crime.For example, driving while under the influence of drugs is a misdemeanor for first time offenders in New York and penalties include a fine from $500 to $1,000, up to a year in jail and a minimum 6-month revocation of your license. However, a second offense within 10 years may get bumped up to a felony, which could result in a $1,000 to $5,000 fine, a minimum of five days in jail or 30 days of community [...]

Following a traffic stop on a recent Friday, two men will likely be considering their defense options. The New York State Police filed drug charges against them and locked them up in the Orange County Jail. The two men were in a pickup truck when they were pulled over by law enforcement on Route 208.According to a police report, troopers claim they detected a strong marijuana odor when they approached the vehicle. This led to them searching the pickup truck. They say there was a wooden crate in the back of the truck, and when that was opened, they allegedly discovered 204 pounds of marijuana.Troopers further claim the load consisted of individual packages of marijuana of a high grade, with an estimated street value exceeding $1 million. The rental pickup [...]

Five men were recently arrested after a drug bust at a Bronx apartment. Reportedly, a Drug Enforcement Administration-New York Police Department task force had a 46-year-old suspect under surveillance when they noticed he came out of an apartment building, carrying a shopping bag after entering empty-handed. They followed his vehicle, pulled it over and found him in possession of 1 kilo of suspected heroin. He is one of the New York men who is now facing drug charges.Reportedly, law enforcement obtained a search warrant for the apartment at which they saw the man earlier. Authorities say investigators seized more heroin of which 11 kilos were found in a closet in a bedroom, and 10 kilos were discovered in a hiding place in a wall behind the medicine cabinet in the [...]

Following his arrest shortly after 10 a.m. on a recent Sunday, a 30-year-old New York man was sent to the jail in Fulton County after his arraignment in City Court. He is facing several drug charges related to unlawful methamphetamine manufacturing and disposal of laboratory material used in methamphetamine manufacturing. The arrest followed a report that police received about the discovery of some equipment used in the production of drugs.In response to the report, police inspected the materials that were recovered and confirmed the suspicions. They allege the man they arrested ran a clandestine methamphetamine drug laboratory. They based their allegations on evidence they collected and interviews that were conducted. It was also revealed that this man faced previous criminal charges involving a forged instrument and unlicensed operation in 2016.Along [...]

Being pulled over in a traffic stop with illegal substances in the car can lead to criminal charges with potentially severe consequences. When motorists in New York face being arrested on drug charges, the best step might be to call a criminal defense attorney to explain their rights, and also to make sure those rights are not violated. It is important to remember that anything a suspect says or does at that time could adversely affect his or her case.A New York resident and two people from a neighboring state were recently arrested after they were stopped for a traffic violation on Interstate 87. Reportedly, law enforcement pulled the driver over at approximately 8:45 p.m. on a recent Thursday. While an officer interviewed the driver, it was determined that there [...]

Facing any criminal charge can adversely affect anyone's life - even before a court appearance. When drug charges are involved, the fact that a person is innocent until proven guilty might not protect his or her job. This seems to be particularly true for employees of school districts in New York where a 38-year-old transition coordinator was recently ordered to take paid leave after he was arrested for possession of cocaine.A police report indicates that the man, whose job it is to help students through their high school to college transitions, was arrested after officers found him unconscious in his car. They say a call came in to report that two teens allegedly saw him passed out in the vehicle with the engine running. They claimed the man was behind [...]