There are various reasons the authorities might be called to the home of an individual. If there is reason or enough probable cause, police officers might enter his or her home. Such steps could result in criminal charges against the homeowner.
Unfortunately for one Louisiana man, what started out as a tumultuous lovers’ quarrel has developed into something potentially even more serious. A 41-year-old man and his live-in girlfriend were having an argument involving a knife when the police arrived on the scene. The alleged discoveries of the police following investigation of the domestic altercation has led to drug charges against the male resident of the Louisiana home.
The police allegedly noticed an odor of marijuana from inside the man’s home, which they noted on their affidavit of probable cause. Upon entering the home, the police discovered medication bottles containing Tylenol with codeine, psychostimulants, tranquilizers and crystal meth. These bottles were supposedly unmarked. They also found a box containing a white powder alleged to be an opioid.
Upon entering a storage room in the home, police observed indoor grow lights, planting pots, water pumps and other equipment that they believed amounted to a grow laboratory for marijuana. They also allegedly found literature that supplied information on marijuana cultivation. The lab was not actively being used at the time police observed it.
Police charged the man with multiple counts of drug possession, including one count of creation of a clandestine lab in a school zone, due to the location of the home.
When individuals are accused of such crimes, it might be a good idea to pursue an aggressive criminal defense to protect his or her rights. It is imperative that a defendant ensure that police follow proper procedure before entering a person’s home, seizing property or making an arrest. A criminal defense attorney may be able to discuss these procedures and a person’s legal rights.
Source: theadvocate.com, “Police respond to knife fight, discover drugs and marijuana grow lab, Baker police report“, Oct. 16, 2015