As some people in the Wilmington area know, drug charges can arise out of many different circumstances. Often they come when a person is least expecting them, such as in a traffic stop. Recently, an elementary school teacher in Pender County, North Carolina, submitted her resignation because of a prior arrest for drug charges.
The teacher and a 44-year-old man were arrested and eventually brought up on drug charges in Wilmington, following a presumably routine traffic stop in November of last year. The criminal charges the pair now faces include possession and trafficking of a schedule II narcotic. The 43-year-old teacher was suspended from her position without pay in December.
According to Pender County school officials, the former teacher had no disciplinary injunctions during the course of her employment. Prior to filing her official resignation last week, she had been employed by the school system for nearly 16 years. Court records have confirmed the woman has only been “in trouble” once, for writing bad checks.
News reports did not provide details highlighting the extent of the woman’s involvement in the incident. What is important to understand about matters like this one, is that any time police search a person’s property — whether it be a home or a car — they must have probable cause or a search warrant. If it can be proved that police improperly searched a person’s property, evidence that was collected during that search may become inadmissible in court. Drug charges can lead to harsh legal penalties. In cases like this, an in-depth knowledge of the law can go a long way to protect one’s freedom.
Source: WECT, “Teacher resigns after being charged for drug related crimes,” Feb. 29, 2012
