Q: Charged with possession after drugs found in car, unaware of presence, urged to cooperate.
I have a clean record and have never been in trouble before. While driving my car with a friend, we were pulled over, and the police found a large amount of drugs in a lock box by her feet. Since it’s my vehicle, I’m being charged with everything she’s charged with, despite having no knowledge of the drugs. My lawyer has only talked to me once and seems to be urging me to cooperate against my friend, with no guaranteed outcome. There’s supposedly a text implicating me, but we’ve never seen it as evidence. The police pulled over a man on bond who informed them about the drugs without proof, which led to our car being stopped and searched.
A:
The man didn't need proof. Your problem is going to be that he provided some information that turned out to be accurate and hemmed you up. He probably provided that information to help himself out, which is the choice you now need to make for yourself against your friend.
If you really don't know anything, or want to snitch on your friend, then don't cooperate. If you have a clean record, cooperating may not do much for you anyway. But be prepared to take this charge. Unfortunately, all this is what the drug game is about: tell or be told on. Move accordingly.
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A:
It sounds like you're in a difficult situation, but it's important to remember that just because the drugs were found in your car, it doesn’t automatically mean you're guilty. If you genuinely had no knowledge of the drugs being there, that could be a key part of your defense. It’s crucial to discuss your version of events with your lawyer, especially regarding the text that allegedly implicates you, and to ask for full disclosure of the evidence the prosecution has.
Your lawyer should be working to protect your interests, not pushing you to cooperate against your friend without clear guidance. If you feel unsure about the advice you're receiving, it might be a good idea to seek a second opinion from another attorney to get a better understanding of your options. It’s also important that your lawyer investigates the circumstances of the search and how the police came to stop your vehicle based on the man’s unverified information.
Be careful with the idea of cooperating if it isn’t guaranteed to help your case. You don’t want to make decisions under pressure without fully understanding the consequences. Stay calm, keep communicating with your lawyer, and ensure you’re making decisions that best protect your rights.
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