Drugs in your vehicle? That doesn’t make them yours
If you enjoy driving others around or use your vehicle for a ride-sharing service, something you have to keep in mind is that you don’t necessarily know what another person has in their possession. If they have a baggie of drugs or bring prescription medications with them into your vehicle, then you need to be cautious that they take them with them, too.
If medications or drugs are left in your vehicle, there is a risk that you could be accused of being in possession of drugs, even if you didn’t know they were there. For example, if you’re stopped for another traffic violation, such as if you ran a red light, and an officer notices a baggie on the passenger seat, then they may search your vehicle and accuse you of drug possession (at the very least).
Even if drugs are in your vehicle, that doesn’t mean that they’re yours. It’s your right to defend against the drug possession accusations and to take steps to avoid unfair penalties.
What should you do if drugs are found in your vehicle?
If drugs are found in your vehicle, you will likely be arrested. Make sure you stay silent and ask for your attorney at that point, so that you can quickly put together a defense. The last thing you want to do is to cause a conflict or to say too much in your own defense. Why? What you say, as well as your actions, could hurt your case. It’s better to stay quiet than to say too much, and it’s better to be cooperative than combative.
In a frustrating situation, get to know your legal options
It is always frustrating to be accused of crimes that you did not commit. You may not have known about the drugs in your vehicle, and that in itself could be a good defense for you. You shouldn’t be held responsible for other peoples’ actions. Get to know your legal options before you decide how you want to defend yourself. There are opportunities to mitigate an arrest and fight against a conviction. You deserve an opportunity to do so and to prevent unfair penalties from being assessed.