Louisiana residents are likely aware that the nation is facing a drug epidemic of historic magnitude. The cases of addiction and death from drug overdoses continue to rise. Law enforcement is trying to combat the crisis by making more arrests to get drug dealers out of the community. More arrests leads to a growing need for criminal defense.
While these are certainly noble efforts, some people struggling with substance abuse are so affected that they may not even be in touch with reality, but they are prosecuted like any other drug user. Severe addiction can cause a person to do things he or she may normally never consider doing. Recently, a man was so far into his addiction that he called for help after he thought he had been stabbed in the head.
Police responded immediately, and to everyone’s relief, the man had not been stabbed. But when he spoke to officers, he told them that ghosts had brought him drugs, and he claimed they had jumped out the window to avoid the officers. Police spotted what they believed to be drug residue and paraphernalia, and the man was charged with drug crimes even though he was experiencing behavior similar to mental illness.
When a person accused of drug crimes needs to present a criminal defense, he or she may want to contact an attorney. An astute defense lawyer can analyze all areas of the case and try to help the defendant by challenging every aspect of the initial search and seizure and subsequent arrest. Too often, many addicts are simply unaware of their actions because of their drug use, and although this is typically not a good defense, a lawyer can still try to play on the sympathies of the court to have a client’s drug charges reduced.