If a Wisconsin police officer arrests someone and he or she winds up facing criminal charges, it does not necessarily mean a conviction will be handed down if the case goes to trial. People often make the mistake of discussing such matters as though merely being formally accused of drug crimes or other illegal activities means that anything and everything reported about the incident is fact. To the contrary, not only are investigators capable of error, any number of issues, such as lack of evidence or proof of personal rights violations, may result in avoidance of conviction or even a case dismissal.
Several men were recently traveling together when they were pulled over in a traffic stop. Police later said that a 32-year-old in the vehicle had a warrant out for his arrest. Officers also claim they witnessed that same man swallowing a pill during the traffic stop, which they believed was Oxycodone.
The man and his two companions were all arrested. Police say they seized heroin and crack cocaine that the men were allegedly hiding. Each of them is now facing drug charges in connection with the incident, and the first man is also charged with jumping bail and obstructing an officer of the law.
There is a difference between a Wisconsin police officer thinking a pill is a controlled substance and prosecutors being able to prove the allegation through laboratory testing. In other words, if police turn in baggies or other containers, claiming substances therein are illegal drugs, prosecutors must produce evidence in court to prove the substance is what they claim it to be. If a white powder, for instance, is run through laboratory testing and turns out to be powdered sugar, it certainly does not constitute evidence of guilt in a criminal trial for drug crimes. An experienced criminal defense attorney can protect a defendant’s rights regarding these and all matters related to charges for drug crimes in court.