There are many people in Philadelphia who use drugs. Many times drugs can be essential for people suffering from ailments or injuries. They can take away pain or help in the healing process. As long as the person taking the drug has a prescription they are not doing anything illegal. However, if the person is in possession of drugs without a prescription or taking drugs that are never prescribed, he or she is doing so illegally and may face serious consequences if caught.
However, the consequences are even more severe if the person is allegedly selling the drugs. There are a number of factors that police will look at when determining if the person has the intent to distribute a drug. These include, but are not limited to, the type of drugs, the weight of the drugs, the type of packaging the drug is in, if the person has a large amount of cash in their possession, the lack of drug paraphernalia and others.
A person who is charged with possession with the intent to deliver is not automatically guilty though. Every criminal is innocent until proven guilty and the burden is on the prosecution to prove one had the intent to deliver. There may be defenses available to the person charged. Often times these defenses begin with whether the police lawfully stopped and searched the person charged. If the stop or the search was illegal, the evidence of the drugs may be suppressed. Convictions for drug possession without evidence of the drug are very unlikely.
Many people are charged with drug possession in Philadelphia. That person is not automatically guilty though and defenses may be available depending on the facts. Our firm takes these charges seriously and analyzes the facts of each case in depth to determine the best defense. For more information on how we handle drug possession charges please visit our drug charges page on our website.
