Law enforcement officials took a 29-year-old man into custody after they allegedly discovered a significant quantity of marijuana in his vehicle. According to the Ohio State Highway Patrol, the discovery was made during an Oct. 17 traffic stop on Interstate 71. The 29-year-old man, a Cincinnati resident, is facing felony charges of drug trafficking and drug possession.
According to a police report, troopers observed the man’s vehicle traveling on the interstate at a high rate of speed near the Dana Avenue exit. Troopers purportedly detected the odor of marijuana when they approached the vehicle. The troopers then conducted a search of the vehicle, which reportedly led to the discovery of two sizable bags containing marijuana on the back seat of the vehicle.
According to officials, the drugs recovered by troopers weigh in excess of one pound altogether and possess a street value of approximately $2,000. Law enforcement officials booked the man into a Hamilton County detention facility.
Individuals convicted on felony drug charges may face severe penalties. However, prosecutors must prove their case beyond a reasonable doubt in order to secure a conviction. While the discovery of sizable amounts of illegal drugs may appear to provide prosecutors with incriminating evidence, the admissibility of this evidence could be disputed by a criminal defense attorney for numerous reasons. For instance, a criminal defense attorney might challenge evidence such as the marijuana collected in the Oct. 17 case if police officers violated the accused individual’s rights under the Fourth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, which protects against unreasonable search and seizure. A defense attorney may also question the presence of probable cause with regard to the initial traffic stop.
Source: Cincinnati.com, “$2K worth of weed seized in traffic stop,” Ally Marotti, Oct. 22, 2014
Source: WCPO, “Troopers seize $2,000 in marijuana during I-71 traffic stop in Hamilton County“, October 22, 2014