Wisconsin police often patrol in or near community parks. Most parks post signs listing rules, such as when a park is open to the public or closed, what people may or may not bring into it and other regulations. If police suspect that a person has disobeyed park rules or has committed a criminal offense, such as drug crimes in or near a park that children frequent, they may further investigate to determine if they have probable cause to make an arrest.
That appears to be what happened recently when a man was reportedly taking a nap in a vehicle at a local park. It was nearly 3 a.m. when patrol officers noticed the man and claimed to have smelled marijuana coming from his vehicle when they approached. The officers searched the man’s car.
Situations like this often lead to police seizing one or more items from a person’s vehicle, if they believe said items are illegal to possess or were used or are intended to use to commit a crime. In this man’s case, police say they found black seeds that they believed were marijuana seeds. They also took custody of other items, allegedly including a bag of methamphetamine and materials they claim are commonly used to manufacture the drug.
The man was arrested and placed behind bars in a Wisconsin county jail. He is currently held there without bond. He supposedly told the police who arrested him that the seeds (which purportedly tested positive as marijuana) and meth belonged to him, but he denied being the owner of the other items. Whether it is a good idea to admit owning anything police may have confiscated is debatable; most people would agree that it is best to first seek consultation with an experienced criminal defense attorney before answering any investigative questions regarding allegations of drug crimes.
