Article Index Find a Drug Lawyer

How to Get Arrested When You Have Drugs in the Car You're being pulled over and you have illegal drugs in the car!  What do you do now?  Don't run from the cops. As soon as you are requested by the police to stop your car, immediately pull over to the side of the road.  If you are on the highway and there is a grassy area or shoulder, pull over immediately. If there is no safe area on the highway: Slow your car to a speed that is below the speed limit; Put on your emergency flasher to let the police officer know that you are going to pull over; At night, turn on the interior dome light so the police officer can see that you are not trying to hide anything or reach for a gun; Pull over as soon as you come to a safe area or at the next exit; and Keep your hands on the top of the steering wheel or out the window; Listen carefully to what the police officer tells you to do and follow the instructions exactly; If the police officer asks for permission to search your car, just politely say NO; Do not answer questions or give explanations, except to identify who you are; If arrested, request to speak with a lawyer immediately and before you say anything else. If you run from the police, you have now committed another crime and will probably commit several more.  If the police did not have probable cause to search your car when they tried to stop you, they do now.  You will have certainly given the police probable cause to search the interior of your car, you will be arrested and your car will be impounded, searched again and inventoried.  Any drugs found will likely be admissible evidence against you.  It is extremely unlikely that you will get away.  The probable result is that someone will be hurt.  Of course, you could be shot and possibly killed by the police.  A police officer may be injured or killed in a car accident, shot by you, accidentally shot by another police officer or a civilian could be injured or killed and you will be looking at substantially more time in prison. Even if you stole the car, have drugs for personal use, or you're a drug dealer with a large quantity of drugs in the car, you're far better off pulling over.  A drug lawyer may even be able to get the charges dismissed if it can be proved that the police officer did not have probable cause to make the stop or search your car. Many times, police officers will not have probable cause to search your car even if they had probable cause to make the stop.  After stopping you, the police officer may then ask you questions and use your answers to obtain probable cause to search your car.  The police officer may even ask you for permission to search the car. Do not give the police officer permission to search your car or your trunk.  You are not required to give permission and contrary to what the police officer tells you, your situation cannot get worse because you do not give permission.  If you do not give permission to search your trunk and the police officer did not have probable cause to make the search, anything that was found will be excluded as evidence against you.  If you do give permission, anything found can be used as evidence against you. Even if you don't think you have drugs in the car, do not give permission to search your car or trunk.  One of your moronic friends may have left their stash in your car and you'll get arrested even though it's not yours! The police officer may go ahead and search your car or trunk anyway.  That's ok.  It is possible that the police officer did not have probable cause either to pull you over or to search your car.  If there was no probable cause, your criminal drug lawyer will succeed in getting the evidence excluded from trial and the charges can be dismissed, even with 100 kilos of cocaine in the trunk! Do not talk to any of the police officers, except to provide your name.  Do not give any explanations in an attempt to avoid arrest.  To your surprise and your lawyer's dismay, your explanation will likely give the police officer probable cause to search your car and find evidence to arrest you. At the time you are being arrested, you will be read your Miranda rights.  The Miranda warning tells you that you do not have to say anything without a lawyer being present.  There is a good reason the police have to tell you this.  Don't say anything except "I don't want to say anything without a lawyer".  If you can say that in front of the police car's video camera or witnesses, even better.  Don't say anything else except to your drug lawyer. Drug Lawyers  © Philip L. Franckel, Esq. Read "How to Get Arrested While Driving"