A county sheriff in Minnesota went on the record claiming that there is a clear correlation between violent acts and marijuana. He backs up his statement by arguing that 54% of those individuals books into his jail are under the influence of marijuana. He states that around 40,000 people a year are booked into his jail and more than half…
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Drug Crimes
Odor of Marijuana Negates Need for Warrant in Utah
Is there really any privacy in a vehicle these days? Does the constitutional prohibition to unreasonable searches and seizures even apply to cars driven in Utah. One can answer these questions with an emphatic “NO!” because of Utah’s laws regarding vehicle searches and the odor of marijuana. Basically, if you get pulled over and a law enforcement officer smells marijuana,…
Anything is Drug Paraphernalia
Just a quick tip for today: anything can be considered drug paraphernalia. More and more of our clients are reporting that the most basic of items such as straws, tinfoil, plastic bags, apples, and even paper cups are being considered paraphernalia. Be careful out there. Cops are charging people with misdemeanor possession of paraphernalia when they see anything they think…
Salt Lake Drug Court Seizing Phones At Court
The Salt Lake County Drug Court has been seizing participants’ phones upon arriving at drug court to conduct searches of the phones to determine whether someone is involved with dealing heroin as the drug court. Apparently there have been reports that some drug court participants have been dealing drugs at the courthouse in the bathroom. In order to stave off…
Drug Distribution Defense in Salt Lake City
I-80 is a Drug Trafficking Corridor? One of the most frustrating things about law enforcement in Salt Lake City is how they treat the entire I-80 freeway as a “drug trafficking corridor.” Highway patrol, sheriff deputies, and city police all look for cars with out of state license plates or rental cars being driven by a single young male. They…
Marijuana Grow Busted Near Bryce Canyon
Every year during the summer, we see law enforcement busting marijuana grow operations in remote areas of the state typically in Southern Utah. This summer, in the past week, officers discovered a marijuana field of more than 2,800 plants about 15 miles north of Bryce Canyon National Park. The plants, had they been allowed to grow and mature fully, would…
Federal Drug Cases and Forfeiture of Assets
What Assets Can Be Seized? One of the most serious consequences that accompanies a federal drug charge is the broad discretion law enforcement has to seize the assets of someone who is arrested for a federal drug crime. The following assets are subject to seizure by the federal government if they can reasonably be linked to a suspect’s involvement with…
West Valley Officers Now Accused of Stealing Drugs and Money
Following an internal audit of the West Valley Utah Police Department’s Narcotics Unit, certain officers have been found to allegedly stolen drugs and money from individuals they had arrested or investigated. An investigation by the FBI into the West Valley Police Department is pending. Additionally, Salt Lake County opened up their own investigation into the cases following dismissal of several…
Salt Lake City Marijuana Defense Lawyer | Utah Pot Laws
Marijuana charges are extremely common in Utah. Unlike some of the sister states here in the west like Colorado, Oregon, and California, Utah Pot Laws are extremely harsh. If you have been charged with a weed related offense in Utah, you really need to retain the services of a Salt Lake City Marijuana Defense Lawyer to help ensure you do…
U.S. Supreme Court Gives Carte Blanche to Drug Sniffing Dogs
Search Results in Nothing After Drug Sniffing Dog Hits In Florida v. Harris, the United States Supreme Court addressed the issue of whether a drug sniffing dog’s alert or hit on a vehicle constitutes probably cause for purposes of searching a vehicle. In that case the defendant was pulled over for an expired license plate. The officer asked for consent…