When you are facing drug charges, your entire future is suddenly uncertain. If the prosecution handling your case chooses to push for harsh sentencing, and you do not have a strong defense, you may face harsh fines, loss of privileges and significant jail time. Regardless of the circumstances surrounding your arrest and charges, to protect your future opportunities and rights in Virginia, you must begin building a strong defense as soon as possible.

Many defendants feel overwhelmed by the circumstances of their arrest and do not understand that they probably have multiple defense options. By examining the evidence against you and scrutinizing the actions of the police and prosecution, you and your attorney can formulate a defense strategy that provides a much better chance of reducing your charges or beating them altogether. However, the longer you wait, the fewer opportunities you have, so it is crucial to focus on your defense immediately after your arrest.

Scrutinizing the evidence may reveal weaknesses

One of the primary reasons that it is wise to begin building your defense as soon as you are charged is to increase the amount of time you have to review the evidence against you. There are plenty of legal ways for the police and prosecution to make building your defense difficult, so you want to give yourself as much time as possible to evaluate their case and prepare your defense.

A common way to scrutinize the evidence against you is to submit it for laboratory testing, which forces law enforcement officers to find the evidence in storage and deliver it. If they misplaced evidence, you may catch a lucky break in your defense. If they do submit it for testing, you may still have ways to challenge the results.

Scrutinizing your interactions with the police

Your defense may also benefit from looking closely at the behavior of the police officer(s) involved in your arrest. Public attention toward police brutality is higher than it has been in recent years, and many police departments do not want to push for a conviction at the expense of bad publicity.

If an officer violated your rights while placing you under arrest, you can make this a part of your defense, and potentially have the charges against you dropped.
You must be careful as you examine the evidence against you and other aspects of your case, to make sure that your defense uses proper tactics. High-quality legal resources and guidance can help you keep your rights secure and avoid unfair sentencing, but only if you make your defense your top priority.