What if I was arrested for possession but the police found no drugs on my person?
The dangerous thing about possession is that you don’t even have to be found with drugs on your person at the time of arrest. It is sufficient that the drugs be found in your home, car, etc. You can be charged with “constructive possession,” which typically occurs where you are driving and one of the occupants is carrying drugs, either on himself or in a compartment of the vehicle, e.g., the glove box. Even though you were not personally carrying the contraband or did not place it in your vehicle, the law presumes that you had control of the drug so long as you had knowledge of it and the ability to gain access to it.
Call us immediately at (310) 361-3068 for your free consultation.
Contact Our Torrance Drug Possession For Personal Use Lawyers Today
Ernenwein & Mathes, LLP, has knowledgeable Los Angeles criminal defense lawyers with over 60 combined years of experience defending persons accused of drug possession.
Robert Ernenwein is a former Los Angeles deputy district attorney and is certified as a Criminal Law Specialist by the California State Bar Board of Legal Specialization. He has been selected for inclusion in California Super Lawyers for several years and has appeared as a legal analyst on multiple cable news programs, including Fox News.
The experience and capabilities Ernenwein & Mathes, LLP, will bring to your drug possession defense are unmatched.
Have you or someone you know been charged with drug possession or any crime? Contact Ernenwein & Mathes, LLP, Los Angeles and Orange County criminal defense lawyers, today at (310) 361-3068 for a free case review.
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I cannot thank Robert enough for his efforts, knowledge, and execution in my case. He gave me a second chance.- Kevin Q.
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Michelle has had a profound impact on my life. She not only has a firm grasp of legal matters, but also of human emotions. This dynamic duo worked all hours of the day and night on my case. They exerted effort way beyond the amount that I had paid them.- Khadijeh K.
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If you are in need of a great attorney with an abundance of experience as well as a very professional office staff who constantly will keep you updated, call Ernenwein & Mathes!- Jake L.
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They are the gold standard for defense attorneys. A+- Former Client
What can your lawyers do to have these charges reduced or dismissed?
Depending on the facts and circumstances of your case, our Los Angeles criminal defense lawyers may be able to argue that the amount of drugs you are alleged to have possessed was not a “usable amount.” To be convicted of this crime, you must possess more than useless traces or debris of the substance.
If the substance was found in your place of residence but you did not have control over it or have the right to control it, we may successfully argue that you did not technically “possess” it. Even if you knew of its presence, you cannot be convicted if you did not possess it either personally or through another person.
If you are charged with unlawfully possessing prescription narcotics, we may be able to have charges dismissed upon proof of a valid prescription.
We may also be able to obtain a dismissal of your case through a pretrial motion arguing the constitutionality of the search or seizure that led to your arrest and charge for possession. If the police did not have a search warrant to enter your home or to search your car and did not have a valid “exception” to the requirement that they must search you after obtaining a warrant, we may be able to have the evidence against you suppressed. If the evidence is suppressed, the prosecutor may not have enough evidence to go forward with a trial and your case may be dismissed.
If you possessed the drugs only for a momentary or transitory period, to abandon, dispose or destroy the drugs, and you did not intend to prevent police from getting hold of the drugs, we can have your charges dismissed altogether.
Under the “Deferred Entry of Judgment” program under Penal Code 1000, you would agree to enter a guilty plea to the charge of possession. However, upon successful completion of the terms and conditions of PC 1000, the court will dismiss the charges and your guilty plea will be withdrawn, resulting in no conviction on your record.
There are a host of issues that our team can evaluate based on our analysis of the police reports, witness statements and other evidence on file. Based on our findings, we may be able to successfully thwart a criminal prosecution in court or otherwise weaken the case against you.
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