When Pennsylvania police make a traffic stop, everyone in the vehicle is detained, not just the driver. If the police did not have just cause for stopping the driver, then neither did they have cause to detain the passengers. During a recent traffic stop, police arrested a passenger in the vehicle for suspected drug crimes.
The stop occurred in Tioga County. It was just after 6 p.m. on a Monday when state troopers stopped a vehicle with out-of-state tags. The car had been heading northbound on Route 15. Police claim that a 54-year-old man who was a passenger in the vehicle was in possession of large quantities of drugs and drug paraphernalia. It was not reported how law enforcement discovered the drugs and whether there was a reasonable basis for any search of the passenger.
Claiming and proving alleged drug crimes are two separate issues
Being charged by Pennsylvania police with drug crimes does not necessarily mean there will be a conviction, or even that the case will proceed to trial. Issues such as lack of probable could stop a case in its tracks before it ever gets to court.
Whether a Pennsylvania trooper had a justifiable reason for stopping a vehicle is something an experienced criminal defense attorney can help determine. If any violations took place leading up to, during or following an arrest, a defense attorney can file a motion to dismiss the case. It is also helpful to have an attorney on hand if a crime case goes to trial, especially when trying to determine which defense strategy will be most effective in court.