very year, thousands of Canadians are being charged for drug related offences. These could be ranging from street transactions, to weapons related offences, to buying prescription medication illegally. All of these can carry different sentences and affect you in different ways. However, if you’ve been arrested and charged, do not despair. There are some things that you can do to make sure that you get fair sentencing, or get your case dismissed if there was foul play. Here’s what you should do if you were arrested on a drug offence.
Get a Lawyer
Whether you’ve been charged or being investigated, working with a qualified drug lawyer in your jurisdiction is very important. If you’re living in the greater Toronto area, a drug lawyer Toronto will be able to help you navigate through the system. A good drug lawyer will be able to give you valuable advice and make sure that you don’t make the situation worse. A lawyer with extensive experience with these types of cases will also be aware of what defense works the best, and can use similar ones for similar cases.
Do not Speak to Anyone Besides Your Lawyer
When they say that everything you say can and will be used against you, this is not just a TV line, it’s actually true. Anything that you say to the police during your arrestation can be used against you during trial. While there are some things that you will be required to give like your name, address and date of birth, you are under absolutely no obligation to divulge any other type of information.
Do not get coerced into giving false confessions either. Police are in their right to lie in order to get you to confess and will do so if given the chance. Make sure that you only speak with your lawyer and with a lawyer present.
What You Should and Should Not Say During Interrogation
If officers ask you anything during an interrogation and there is no lawyer present, the best response is simply to say “lawyer”. If that’s not enough for them, you could simply lay down on the interrogation table and rest.
But, in any case, make sure that you never lie about anything or say something like “I was not involved” or “I know nothing about that”. If they eventually find out you were lying, you could get charged with providing false evidence.
Defend Your Charter Rights
Know that your rights under the rights and freedoms charter may have been violated during your arrest and investigation. If that was the case, any kind of evidence that was gathered through a breach of your rights could be thrown out or qualified as inadmissible.
So, it’s essential that you work with a lawyer with significant experience in making charter applications. They also have to be aware of the current procedures and make sure that these applications are made in the proper format to increase chances of success.
You Could Get Some of Your Possessions Back
In many drug related cases, the courts will seize the accused assets. However, know that a qualified lawyer could help you get some of those things back. Unless you had a prescription for them, drugs will usually never be returned. But you could get access to other property such as your car(s), real estate property, or cash in some cases.
Conclusion
If you’re facing drug charges, know that there is still hope. Work with a qualified defense attorney that will be able to understand your case and take the proper course of action.
