Drug charges are prosecuted seriously in North Carolina; however, that doesn’t mean that everyone who is accused is automatically guilty. Two men are facing drug charges after unrelated arrests were recently conducted in Pender County, North Carolina. The first arrest involved a Wilmington man.
Police made a traffic stop and allegedly confiscated 10 pounds of marijuana found inside his vehicle. He was taken into custody and is currently being held in a local jail facing drug charges, specifically of suspicion of trafficking marijuana. His bail has been set at $200,000.
The other arrest came when police allegedly found fewer than 10 marijuana plants inside a man’s home. Authorities also discovered two handguns, which had been reported as stolen. The 40-year-old man was taken into custody. He is now facing charges of manufacturing marijuana and also possession of stolen firearms. His bail has been set at $50,000.
Both men will likely need to mount a relevant and valid defense in their respective cases because a conviction on drug charges can bring a lengthy jail sentence and other harsh penalties.
When people are up against drug charges, it is often in their best interests to ensure they are aware of their legal rights as they pertain to these charges. In a news story about these two cases, the parameters of the searches, or why officers ended up searching the first man’s vehicle and the second man’s home, are not highlighted. Whether these searches were conducted within the law is very important. When a defendant’s constitutional rights have been violated, it is often possible to have certain pieces of evidence removed from the case or to have the charges adjusted.
Source: Star News Online, “Two jailed in separate pot arrests in Pender,” F. T. Norton, Sept. 6, 2012
