A Baton Rouge man may be thrown behind bars pending his upcoming trial. The man’s second indictment for additional unrelated drug charges has prosecutors pushing to revoke his previously issued bond.
The 27-year-old man was already facing drug charges when he, along with two others, was indicted recently by a grand jury for possession with intent to distribute heroin. Previous charges against him include unrelated 2013 charges for the theft of cocaine and guns from the evidence vault at the 19th Judicial District Courthouse. The man is currently free on bond, but in light of the new charges prosecutors are requesting that a judge revoke the bond.
For an individual facing drug charges, the potential consequences may be very severe and long-lasting. There are defenses available, however, to prevent the unjust punishment of an innocent individual. Some of the defenses include entrapment by law enforcement officials or the simple claim that the drugs belong to someone else. Additionally, evidence may be excluded from court if the search and seizure performed by police officers is found to have violated the defendant’s constitutional rights. Finally, a defense team may be able to argue that the prosecution did not fully prove its case if the prosecutors did not introduce evidence of a crime lab analysis verifying the drug’s makeup or produce the actual drugs during a trial.
Drug offenses often result in hefty fines or jail sentences. An experienced defense attorney may be the difference between successfully defending against the charges and spending years behind bars unjustly.
Source: The Advocate, “Heroin charge added to other charges facing Baton Rouge man,” Joe Gyan Jr., December 12, 2014