Daughter brings drugs to school, dad taken into custody

A New York man was taken into custody on March 9 after his 4-year-old daughter allegedly took cocaine to her school. Authorities stated that, when the man’s Geneva home was searched, firearms, drugs and cash were discovered.

A search warrant was executed on the home, located in the 200 block of Pulteney Street, at approximately 1:45 p.m. Authorities reported that cocaine and more than 4 pounds of marijuana were seized. Additionally, authorities also discovered 20 firearms, including a stun gun and five handguns, and more than $10,000 during the search. He was charged with multiple felony offenses but was released on a court order.

When someone is charged with a felony, it is very likely that they may face jail time and other associated punishments, including parole, community service requirements and expensive fines. In some cases, a criminal law attorney may potentially negotiate a sentence that includes a drug treatment program in lieu of a jail sentence; however, not everyone is eligible for this option. Depending on the circumstances of the case, however, there are certain other defense strategies that an attorney may utilize.

Often, a defense involves explaining a set of evidence. If, for example, drugs are recovered from a person’s home, an attorney may argue that the home did not belong to the accused person or that the drugs belonged to another resident at the home. Otherwise, the attorney may look for testimony or arguments from the prosecution that do not match the evidence that was collected. If issues with the case are found, the attorney may potentially argue for the case to be dismissed or have certain evidence, such as drugs, become inadmissible in court.

Source: FindLaw, “Criminal Defense Strategies,” accessed on March 13, 2015