If you are facing a drug charge, it doesn’t mean that your case will go to trial. This is true because you may accept a plea deal, or a California judge finds that there wasn’t probable cause to charge you with a crime.
Evidence may be suppressed or otherwise thrown out
Evidence in a drug case may be thrown out if it was discovered during an illegal search. A police report or testimony may be called into question if there is reason to believe that an officer was acting in a corrupt manner. In the past, police corruption has been cited as a reason to retry individuals who were convicted of drug possession or other crimes that they didn’t actually commit.
Cooperation may result in a charge being dismissed
A prosecutor may be willing to drop a drug charge in exchange for any information that you may have about other persons of interest. This information may be related to others who were taken into custody at the same time you were or about a person who is indirectly related to your case.
Prosecutors may overlook smaller offenses
If you were taken into custody for a misdemeanor drug offense along with a felony offense, the prosecutor in your case will likely pursue the felony charge. However, there is still a chance that the more serious charge is dropped in a plea deal or for other reasons.
Being convicted of drug charges may result in a jail sentence, probation or other potential penalties. An attorney may help you get such a charge reduced or thrown out entirely. This may be done by questioning evidence used to take you into custody or the credibility of the officer who did so.