Recently a Massachusetts State Police sergeant pulled over the driver of a Ford Taurus on Interstate 84 in Worcester County for allegedly speeding. What started out as a traffic stop morphed into drug charges for the driver and passenger, ages 33 and 27. The sergeant claims he smelled what he believed to be fresh marijuana from the inside of the vehicle, which prompted a vehicle search, culminating in drug charges.
The trooper reported that he found a black bag behind the seat of the passenger in which was an iron as well as a spray bottle. He turned the spray bottle over and unscrewed it and allegedly found a hidden container holding several individual baggies of oxycodone. He also says he discovered a prescription pill bottle in the name of the driver containing 78 pills.
As a result of the search, police claim that they seized 450 oxycodone pills, which they estimated to be worth about $12,000 on the street. After also searching the trunk of the car, two baggies of marijuana were said to have been found.
Both men, who were reported to be from Philadelphia, were charged with oxycodone possession with the intent to sell and conspiracy to abuse drug laws. Bail for the driver was set at $5,000 bail, while the passenger was released on his own recognizance.
Just because these two men now face drug charges doesn't mean they are guilty or that they are going to be convicted. Indeed, the law presumes that each of them is innocent. As such it is up to the prosecution to prove each of the allegations against each man. If the prosecution fails to meet its substantial burden of proof as to either man, that individual must go free. Nevertheless, anyone facing drug charges in Worcester County or elsewhere in Massachusetts has a battle on their hands and will be best served by preparing and presenting a meaningful defense that both protects their legal rights and seeks an acquittal or other favorable conclusion.
Source: Worcester Telegram & Gazette, "2 Pa. men face drug charges after traffic stop in Sturbridge," June 23, 2012
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