Two men in New York were arrested for drug possession after they were pulled over for a routine traffic stop on Nov. 13. State police pulled a pickup truck over on Evergreen Street in Lancaster for failure to use a turn signal and driving with no license plate lamp. A 30-year-old former substitute teacher was driving, and a 20-year-old man was riding as a passenger. According to police, the driver claimed to be a substitute teacher and wrestling coach at Rush-Henrietta School District.
Records show that the driver worked for the district at least a month before this incident occurred. The district claims that the driver was employed as a junior varsity coach up until the previous year, and then as a substitute teacher on occasion. Following the incident, the district informed local reporters that the man is no longer included on their list of substitutes. Both the driver and passenger were charged with drug possession and intent to sell.
State police claim to have recovered almost 200 bags of heroin that were being kept in a backpack inside the vehicle. The driver’s attorney declined to comment to local reporters after the former teacher’s arraignment the next morning. The defense attorney’s strategy for defending the accused may focus on challenging officers’ probable cause for searching the vehicle.
People facing serious drug charges usually benefit from meeting with a criminal defense lawyer. Legal counsel may be able to investigate the arrest and identify any opportunities for getting the charges reduced or the sentenced lessened due to misconduct or errors committed by the police. If a dismissal seems unlikely, lawyers may begin gathering a preponderance of evidence in an effort to establish enough reasonable doubt to challenge the prosecution’s assertions. At minimum, lawyers can assist the accused with negotiating a plea agreement.
Source: WHAM, “Former substitute teacher facing drug charges”, November 14, 2014