Involvement in the possession or trafficking of illegal drugs can cause serious consequences if one is accused by law enforcement authorities. This could include heavy punishments such as significant time behind bars if convicted of drug charges. Law enforcement officials are constantly altering the way in which they combat illegal drugs with new initiatives. The Ohio Highway Patrol launched an initiative last week aimed at stopping drug crimes as well as drunk driving.
The initiative is called “All Out Days” and started in mid-November, already resulting in over 100 arrests related to drugs. There were also more than 200 arrested under suspicion of drunk driving as a part of the initiative. The effort was aimed at reducing overall crime as well as reducing traffic accidents by increasing visibility of law enforcement authorities on the road. Authorities arrested 119 people for drug-related offenses during the concerted statewide effort.
Within one hour, the initiative made two large drug arrests. The first arrest involved approximately 36 pounds of hydroponic marijuana, which is valued at about $230,000. During the second arrest, the authorities confiscated 1,430 Oxycodone pills, 60 Levetiracetampills pills and 182 Alprazolam pills. In total, the prescription pills have an estimated street value of $31,000. The state authorities plan to have another similar crackdown effort before the beginning of next year.
Although there may seem to be significant evidence against those arrested during this initiative in Ohio, anyone who is charged with a crime is considered innocent until proven guilty. This means that every accused person has the right to defend themselves against drug charges or any other crimes in a court of law. In many cases, there are a variety of options available in formulating a strong legal defense. However, this will typically require the careful scrutiny of the evidence against defendants.
Source: ChillicotheGazette.com, “Patrol statewide effort nets hundreds of arrests,” Nov. 14, 2012
