If drugs were found in a car that I was a passenger in, can I be charged?
Get Legal Help Today
Compare Quotes From Top Companies and Save
Secured with SHA-256 Encryption
If drugs were found in a car that I was a passenger in, can I be charged?
I got a ride from someone. We went to the gas station. While outside of the vehicle, police come up and, after some
discussion, search the car. They found drugs. These are not my drugs nor is it my car. Now I am being charged with
possession and dealing.
Asked on March 29, 2017 under Criminal Law, Indiana
Answers:
SJZ, Member, New York Bar / FreeAdvice Contributing Attorney
Answered 7 years ago | Contributor
Of course you can be charged: there is no law saying that drugs in a vehicle could only belong to--and only result in charges against--the owner of the vehicle. The authorities can charge *anyone* for whom there is reason to believe they may have owned the drugs; and if drugs are in a car, then anyone in the vehicle at the time is a potential owner/possessor of them. The evidence required to actually convict is much higher than the evidence needed to charge--it is proof "beyond a reasonable doubt." So they may not be able to prove these are you your drugs, and the charges may end up being dismissed. But your mere presence with the drugs, if no one admitted that they were their drugs, is enough to initially charge: the police will now investigage, look for fingerprints, drug test, interrogate, and otherwise seek to gather more evidence as to whose drugs those were.
IMPORTANT NOTICE: The Answer(s) provided above are for general information only. The attorney providing the answer was not serving as the attorney for the person submitting the question or in any attorney-client relationship with such person. Laws may vary from state to state, and sometimes change. Tiny variations in the facts, or a fact not set forth in a question, often can change a legal outcome or an attorney's conclusion. Although AttorneyPages.com has verified the attorney was admitted to practice law in at least one jurisdiction, he or she may not be authorized to practice law in the jurisdiction referred to in the question, nor is he or she necessarily experienced in the area of the law involved. Unlike the information in the Answer(s) above, upon which you should NOT rely, for personal advice you can rely upon we suggest you retain an attorney to represent you.