It is unfortunate yet true that all too often a routine traffic stop quickly turns into a much more serious charge. When a police officer pulls an individual over for a traffic violation, the police officer must have probable cause to arrest the person for a more serious offense. This more severe charge often manifests as a drinking violation or drug possession. This is exactly what happened recently to a New York man whom police pulled over for a routine traffic violation; the man ended up facing drug charges.

Law enforcement officials pulled over the man a little after 5:00 in the evening after they witnessed his vehicle failing to stop for a pedestrian. Upon pulling the man over, the authorities allegedly noticed residue resembling marijuana inside the car on the driver's side.

At that point the man was asked to step out of the vehicle so the police could execute a search. Upon searching the car they found four packages of what police believe to be heroin and a small medicine bottle with a white powdery substance inside.

Police then arrested the man, and prosecutors charged him with seventh degree criminal possession of a controlled substance, among other charges.

When one is convicted of a drug crime, the penalties can be more severe than jail time and monetary fines. The convicted may also face penalties such as loss of educational opportunities, loss of a job or difficulty obtaining future employment, restricted driving privileges and much more.

For these very reasons, it is important for the accused to have a rigorous, dedicated and zealous defense attorney on their side. An attorney will take on the task of analyzing the circumstances surrounding the stop, the arrest, the charges, the questioning and much more. Often times, a defense attorney is able to mitigate the punitive impact of the outcome on the defendant's life.

Source: Bedford.patch.com, "Driver Charged With Criminal Drug Possession," Lisa Buchman, Dec. 12, 2012