Drug Charges at Immigration Checkpoints

Have you been charged with a drug crime after being stopped at an immigration checkpoint?

Throughout Arizona, law enforcement officers stop cars, especially on particular highways and interstates, in an attempt to catch illegal aliens entering the country or people trafficking drugs. Although these roads are often used for such crimes, many other people are stopped and charged with lesser crimes because they were caught while the police officer was checking their car for other crimes. One tactic that police use to do this is to have a drug dog run around or near the car in order to detect drugs; if the dog gives the signal, then they have probable cause to check your car. Whenever a drug dog is used, it is imperative that your Scottsdale criminal defense attorney is experienced with these types of crimes and knows what to investigate in order to ensure that your rights were protected and that your charge or arrest was legal.

Other times, an officer will merely look for signs that you are nervous, intoxicated, or trying to cover up the smell of a drug. They may even ask you if they can search your car. Remember, you do not have to consent to this search by law! Many people have been charged with crimes unnecessarily because they allowed police to search their vehicle when they did not have to. In addition, if anyone else in the car is in possession of an illegal substance, you will be charged as well!

At the Law Offices of Randall J. Craig, we have years of experience defending clients in Arizona for all types of charges. Furthermore, Attorney Craig also worked as a prosecutor, so he is able to use his insight into the ways in which the prosecution works and thinks in order to get your case dismissed, acquitted, or reduced. Attorney Craig is also admitted to practice in Arizona federal courts, so if you have been charged with drug trafficking or any other federal crime, he is able to defend your case.

Contact a Scottsdale Criminal Defense Attorney at the Law Offices of Randall J. Craig for more information about legal representation, your rights, and our defense services.