Marijuana busts on I-35 are happening more often. Interstate 35 runs through Oklahoma, a state bordered by nearby states of varying drug laws. Oklahoma state troopers and local law enforcement are known for camping out at particular areas along I-35, looking to make a bust. Officers are alert to anything dubious about the car or driver. Usually, they use speeding as pretense to pull drivers over and search their motor vehicles, sometimes particularly focusing on drivers with out-of-state license plates. Particularly, those with license plates from states that have legalized or decriminalized marijuana, like California and Colorado fall victim the most.
Marijuana busts on I-35 occur most of time because law enforcement look for about anything to justify either additional interrogation, a request to search a motor vehicle or summon a drug-sniffing dog. What makes things more challenging is the law that the mere odor of marijuana gives an officer probable cause to search a vehicle. Officers in Oklahoma often deceive and use the excuse of marijuana odor to conduct an unlawful search, and it is very hard to prove the contrary.
Marijuana Busts on I-35 Penalties
Marijuana busts on I-35 usually result in marijuana charges. The penalties of marijuana crimes differ greatly from the various charges that could be contributed to your particular case. A first offense marijuana possession charge of less than an ounce is not the same as selling to a minor. Upper-level possession charges are more serious, with more than 1 pound recognized as a felony, with a possible fine of $20,000 and 2 years or more in jail. Any sale of marijuana is considered a felony, carrying a mandatory sentence of 2 years in prison and a maximum sentence of life imprisonment and a $500,000 fine maximum depending on the amount of marijuana you are caught with. (See: http://norml.org/states/item/oklahoma-penalties-2?category_id=880)
Marijuana Busts on I-35 Defense
Marijuana busts on I-35 may be abundant with police misconduct. Misconduct and unlawfulness occur all too often on the side of law enforcement; so much so that Oklahoma attorneys know obviously what actions to take to show that the police did not follow proper search and seizure laws, and even that they did not have possible cause to stop the driver in the first place. If some of your constitutional rights were breached, it is possible to successfully argue to have the evidence presented against you suppressed and have the charges reduced or dismissed.
Marijuana Busts on I-35 Lawyer in Oklahoma
Finding the best knowledgeable Oklahoma drug lawyer can greatly help you with your marijuana case or charges. Lawyers equipped with the right knowledge can find loopholes with the cases filed against you and will be able to help you win your marijuana drug case in Oklahoma. Often times, lawyers will investigate the lawfulness of the arrest and the accuracy of the charges filed against you.
