Magnolia, TX asked in Criminal Law, Cannabis & Marijuana Law, Civil Rights and Constitutional Law for Texas

Q: What motions and forms do I need to e-file on a 481.121(b)(1) charge in Montgomery county Texas...

I am not guilty, I had no knowledge of the marijuana being in my vehicle, and I denied the police permission to search my vehicle. I want to get my case dismissed.

1 Lawyer Answer

A: Getting a dismissal in a case like this isn't about filing motions and forms. The most likely path to dismissal will require a suppression hearing, the success of which is likely to depend on legal technicalities regarding the stop, the search, the arrest, and the transition from a traffic stop to a drug investigation. Your best chance for a dismissal will require hiring a criminal defense attorney who will carefully review all the evidence, including the DashCam and BodyCam recordings, in search of flaws in the officer's technique. Your attorney will apply the case law about searches to the facts in the light most favorable to the defendant.

Challenging the legality of a search is not a D-I-Y project, in part because there is no black-letter law on exactly what an office must and must not do. Instead, there is a patchwork of appellate court decisions handed down over decades of jurisprudence at the state and federal levels... and it continues to change and evolve as new decisions are handed down. It is not an exaggeration to say that there have been substantial changes in 4th Amendment jurisprudence since I was licensed in 2001.

You should hire a local criminal defense attorney who focuses on defending the types of cases that are often won on suppression of evidence grounds... which basically means an attorney with a focus on drugs or DWI defense.

Justia Ask a Lawyer is a forum for consumers to get answers to basic legal questions. Any information sent through Justia Ask a Lawyer is not secure and is done so on a non-confidential basis only.

The use of this website to ask questions or receive answers does not create an attorney–client relationship between you and Justia, or between you and any attorney who receives your information or responds to your questions, nor is it intended to create such a relationship. Additionally, no responses on this forum constitute legal advice, which must be tailored to the specific circumstances of each case. You should not act upon information provided in Justia Ask a Lawyer without seeking professional counsel from an attorney admitted or authorized to practice in your jurisdiction. Justia assumes no responsibility to any person who relies on information contained on or received through this site and disclaims all liability in respect to such information.

Justia cannot guarantee that the information on this website (including any legal information provided by an attorney through this service) is accurate, complete, or up-to-date. While we intend to make every attempt to keep the information on this site current, the owners of and contributors to this site make no claims, promises or guarantees about the accuracy, completeness or adequacy of the information contained in or linked to from this site.