Building a Defense in DC Drug Distribution Cases

In any criminal case, if the police intend to use evidence they gathered from the person’s belongings or residence, they must justify the method and manner in which they found and seized that evidence. This comes up all the time in drug cases. In pursuing charges against a person, the government must prove that drugs are involved.

That almost always comes about through police interaction with someone that results in a search of the person or their belongings, vehicle, or residence. When the police do not have a warrant before doing a search, they must justify the probable cause for searching and finding the drugs. That is a constitutional issue.

With every drug case, one of the most critical factors is whether the police had the lawful justification to stop, detain, and search the person, their belongings, and their property. That is examined in every single drug case as a critical component of the defense. To build a defense in a DC drug distribution case, an individual should retain the services of an experienced attorney as soon as possible.

Burden of Proof

With a drug distribution case, as opposed to possession with intent to distribute drugs, beyond proving that the person possessed drugs, the government must prove that the person actually distributed the drugs. Very often that involves an undercover police officer performing a drug transaction with the person, or the police observing an actual drug transaction.

Because of their years of surveillance and interaction with the community, police are aware of the areas that tend to involve drug trafficking in DC. Often, police patrol those areas on the specific look out for drug distribution and drug deals. They engage undercover officers to determine where drug trafficking happens, the people involved, and the possibility of setting up a drug buy with the intent to arrest and prosecute the individuals involved.

In cases with drug distribution charges, the government must present evidence that a drug transaction actually took place. They must have witness testimony about the actual transaction as opposed to simply proving that the individual had the intent to distribute a drug.  An attorney can examine how this evidence was gathered and use it to properly build a defense in a DC drug distribution cases.

Elements of a Defense

At a trial for drug distribution, the defense attacks any evidence the government tries to present about a drug transaction actually taking place to effectively build a defense in a DC drug distribution case. The defense attorney questions whether their client was the one involved and whether there was something of value exchanged for drugs. That differs to some degree from a case involving the possession of drugs with the intent to distribute.

In that type of case, much of the focus is on the person’s intent. Even if the government can prove the person possessed drugs, their attempt to prove that the intent was to distribute the drugs is attacked. In an actual drug distribution case, a criminal lawyer wants to attack anything presented that says their client was specifically involved and anything the government tries to present that the client actually distributed drugs.

Contacting an Attorney

As in any criminal case, someone being investigated and/or prosecuted for a specific type of crime should seek the assistance of an attorney who has extensive experience with that type of crime in that particular jurisdiction. That person wants to make sure they hire an attorney with extensive experience defending drug distribution cases in DC when they are charged with drug distribution.

The attorney should have the experience and knowledge handling that kind of case. The attorney should know the laws of that jurisdiction, the prosecutors, the court, the judges, and the process so there are no surprises. On day one, the attorney with those qualifications can put forth maximum effort to get the best possible results, and execute a properly crafted defense for a DC drug distribution case.