A drug crime conviction can wreak havoc on your life. It can threaten you with jail or prison time, and the mark that it’ll leave on your record can impact everything from your ability to secure a job and housing to the time that you get to spend with your children.
With so much on the line, you need to know how to aggressively defend yourself. One option that may be available to you is evidence suppression.
What is evidence suppression?
Evidence suppression occurs when you successfully block the prosecution from using incriminating evidence against you at trial because of something that the state has done wrong. If you can suppress evidence, then you increase your chances of having your charges dismissed or obtaining an acquittal at trial.
When can evidence be suppressed?
There are many circumstances that may warrant a motion to suppress evidence. This includes:
- When evidence is collected after an illegal traffic stop.
- When the police obtain a confession without advising you of your right to remain silent and your right to have an attorney present.
- When the police mishandle evidence in a way that jeopardizes its viability and reliability.
- When the police misuse an exception to the warrant requirement.
- When the search warrant utilized by the police was based on erroneous or downright false information.
There may be other situations that justify suppression, so be sure to talk through the facts of your case with your attorney.
Leave no stone unturned in your criminal defense
There’s too much on the line in your drug case to forego consideration of every defense strategy available to you. So, before engaging with prosecutors and heading to trial, be sure to fully assess your criminal defense options so that you protect your interests as fully as possible.