Prince George’s County Drug Investigations
In order to search a vehicle during a routine traffic stop, the officer has to have the independent probable cause that there is evidence of criminal activity or drugs inside the vehicle. An officer cannot just pull somebody over for speeding and decide because, for example, they do not like the way the person is looking at them that they can search the vehicle.
They can always ask to do a search but an individual does not have to consent to it. If the officer has probable cause for a search, an individual does not have to consent, but doing so may have consequences and lead to a further investigation.
If you are being investigated for drugs, contact an experienced drug lawyer so that a defense can be made on your behalf. Prince George’s County drug investigations may be complicated and it is important to have a skilled attorney by your side to protect your rights.
Defining Probable Cause
As it stands, and the law may change soon, an odor of marijuana alone is sufficient to allow an officer to search someone’s vehicle on suspicion of a drug offense. Additionally, if, during the course of the stop, an officer is issuing a citation and a canine unit shows up, even though the average person could not smell something if the canine gives a positive alert to the presence of narcotics, that also gives probable cause to search.
However, a police officer cannot detain somebody to allow a canine to get there because that equals a second detention and without cause for a second detention, that is an illegal seizure. They also have to expeditiously effectuate the purpose of the stop, meaning, they can not drag their feet and spend four to five minutes writing an individual a speeding ticket to give time for the canine to get there.
If the canine arrives four or five minutes after the stop, that is acceptable and not going to be considered a second detention. If there is a traffic citation happening and the officer gives the ticket back to the driver that the driver has just signed for speeding and the canine pulls up and gets out of the car, the driver can leave and they do not have to stay. The traffic stop is over. To stay any longer would be a second detention. That is why they say an individual should leave, they do not have to stick around once the citation is in their hand.
Other Agencies
The primary law enforcement leading investigations of drug offenses in Prince George’s County is the is the local Prince George’s County Police. There is also the DEA, Drug Enforcement Administration. They often investigate, but they typically do not investigate smaller offenses such as college kids found with weed in a dorm room. They are looking for the higher targeted individuals.
There is also the federal government that may investigate. The federal government oftentimes gets involved in investigations dealing with traffic across state lines or larger quantities.
It is not always the case for cocaine or other drugs to be produced and distributed only in Prince George’s County. Often, it crosses county lines. Counties will typically work together in situations where a person may live in one county and travel to another to distribute or sell. These transactions very frequently have multiple counties involved.
Visitors From Other States
It is a little trickier to assume the process of an investigation process of a Prince George’s County drug charge when dealing with people from other states. People from other cities do not typically pose much of a difference but people from other states can be problematic. When dealing with substance abuse, one of the key things is to make sure the person receives the help they need. That may be accomplished by putting them on supervised probation.
The best way to accomplishing this and successfully getting the necessary help is through supervision, meeting with an agent on a regular basis who can conduct drug testing and ensure the individual is receiving counseling. Regardless of whether you live in Prince George County or Western Maryland or the Eastern Shore, probation could be transferred to the county in which you reside, but you cannot be supervised if you live out-of-state.
Although in some instances, probation could be transferred to other states, it is difficult and not all states want to accept that. How do you monitor somebody who is not being supervised when they may have a drug problem? That is kind of the tricky part. Without the necessary supervision as part of the treatment plan, a person is more likely to relapse. Without being in a position to offer supervision, sometimes a harsher punishment becomes necessary.
Hiring a Local Attorney
Every county in the state of Maryland is different, every judge is different and every prosecutor is different. Truth be told, it shouldn’t matter. An individual should have an equal and fair day in court regardless of which judge, which county, which prosecutor he or she has but that’s just not the case.
The truth is an individual has to know which judges are sympathetic to certain causes and somewhat certain relations. For example, some may be a veteran from the military and they feel a certain affinity towards veterans. Or, a judge may have lost a family member to a drunk driver and is, therefore, more likely to handle DUI cases much more harshly.
It is important to know the different judges. You can’t present the same argument and expect the same result in front of every judge. You will need to contact a Prince George’s drug lawyer, you’re not going to know what the person in front of you is possibly going to think, say or do and that’s hard when you’re not from around the area or not an attorney in the area.