A Mississippi man was caught texting while driving his vehicle through Alabama, which by itself is already a serious matter. But what the officers found was the man “double texting”, that is, sending messages with a phone in each hand while his knees were on the steering wheel. To make matters worse, there were two women and a 3 year old in the backseat of his vehicle. It also did not help the man’s case that he had $4500 in cash and prescription drugs in his car. The Mississippi man was subsequently charged with illegal possession of Xanax and possession of a controlled substance, NBC News reports.
It is unclear what had prompted the authorities to search the man’s vehicle, which led to the discovery of large amount of cash and drugs. In general, a search warrant is needed to conduct a search of one’s person or property. However, during a traffic stop, the police only need probable cause to legally search your vehicle. In California, an officer has probable cause if the facts known to him would lead a person of ordinary care and prudence to believe and conscientiously entertain an honest and strong suspicion that you are guilty of a crime. For instance, probable cause may include the sight or smell of narcotics or contraband in plain view or plain smell, or incriminating statements made by you, which would lead an officer to perform a search and make an arrest.
Are you facing criminal charges involving possession of narcotics or controlled substance? If you are, contact Gabriel Cho, San Jose drug possession lawyer, who is highly skilled to handle your case involving a drug crime. Whether you are found with marijuana, heroin, cocaine, ecstasy or any illegally procured prescription drug, you can trust that Attorney Cho will everything he can to protect your rights.