You may wonder what you can and should do if you have recently been caught with drugs in your car or on your person and have been charged with drug possession or you are worried about this happening to you at some point in the future. There are many steps you can and should take when faced with this scenario. Get to know some of these steps and then you will be better prepared to handle the situation if it ever impacts you. 

Exercise Your Right to Remain Silent

If you are arrested and taken to the police station or jail for the drug possession charges, do not speak up and start denying the charges or claiming the drugs are not yours. In fact, do not say anything at all. Remember that everything you say can be used in court against you and you might say something that is accidentally incriminating. 

While the drugs were found on you or in your vehicle, you may still be able to fight the charges based on a variety of factors. But if you inadvertently confess to having the drugs or to knowing they were there or anything of that nature, you may destroy your case. So, be sure to exercise your right to remain silent if and when these charges are ever brought against you. 

You do not know what your best defense will be in a court case this early on in the process. So, saying nothing is better than saying one thing and then changing your story later on. 

Hire a Drug Possession Attorney

While you may not think drug possession charges are a big deal, they are, in fact, a big deal. If you get charged and convicted with possession more than once, for example, the potential penalties increase quite a bit. The more criminal charges you have, the less likely you will be to be able to avoid significant jail time. 

Because of this, it is important, even if this is your first offense, to hire a drug possession attorney to help you out with your case. They will work with you to come up with a defense. Perhaps you could argue for illegal search and seizure, for example, or entrapment or a variety of other defense options. 

The lawyer, if they cannot develop a case for any of those defenses, could also negotiate a plea deal for you that may reduce the charges and help you to avoid jail time. You need an attorney to help you navigate the ins and outs of criminal drug laws so that you can be sure you get a fair shake when your day in court arrives. 

Now that you know a few of the steps you should take if you are caught with drugs and charged with possession, you can be sure you do not incriminate yourself and get a good lawyer if you ever face these charges. For more information, speak with a drug possession attorney.