Johnston County Defense Lawyer Patrick Roberts Earns Dismissal in Drug Trafficking Case

RALEIGH, NC, February 13, 2013 (Press-News.org) Raleigh criminal defense lawyer Patrick Roberts of Roberts Law Group, PLLC, in Raleigh, successfully argued for dismissal of drug charges after a routine traffic stop resulted in an illegal search of the defendant's home. The client was facing up to 84 months in prison on cocaine charges.

An important fact in this case is that the investigation started after a routine traffic stop, but the client eventually facing drug trafficking charges was not in the car at the time of the stop. Law enforcement officers in Johnston County stopped a driver, citing a traffic violation, and searched that driver's car. According to police records, the officers found evidence of cocaine in the car and elected to continue the search at the client's home despite the fact that she was not present at the time of the traffic stop. The police claimed that the driver had left the client's home shortly before the traffic stop.

Based on a search of the client's home, the police alleged that the client was in possession of several ounces of crack cocaine, which led to a charge of drug trafficking.

North Carolina drug trafficking defense lawyer Patrick Roberts prepared the case for trial; he was ready to fight for the rights and future of the client facing the drug charges. While evaluating the merits of the case, Roberts determined that the initial traffic stop was illegal.

Roberts successfully challenged the initial traffic stop that eventually culminated in the drug trafficking charges. He was able to convince the Assistant District Attorney that because the stop was illegal, the subsequent searches of the car and the client's home were invalid. The client was not present at the time of the traffic stop; the subsequent search of his home based on a traffic stop that she was not connected to was just far too remote, Roberts asserted.

Invalidating the stop and the searches meant that the evidence of cocaine could not be used against the client to prove possession or drug trafficking. The cocaine was the "fruit of a poisonous tree," traceable back to the illegal traffic stop. According to court records, the drug charges were dismissed. Originally facing up to seven years in prison, the client walked away from the criminal justice system with no sentence at all.

When experience counts, count on Roberts Law Group, PLLC. The North Carolina criminal defense attorneys of Roberts Law Group, PLLC, fight for the rights of the accused throughout the state. With offices in Raleigh, Wilmington and Charlotte, the experienced defense lawyers of Roberts Law Group, PLLC, offer a free initial consultation to anyone facing criminal charges, including drunk driving, sex offenses, drug crimes, white collar crimes or other felony or misdemeanor crimes in the North Carolina state or federal criminal justice system.

For more information or to contact the firm online to schedule a free consult at the location most convenient for you, please visit the firm's Raleigh criminal defense site, Wilmington criminal defense site or Charlotte criminal defense site. To contact criminal defense lawyer Patrick Roberts, please call 866-630-2389 for a free consultation.

Roberts Law Group, PLLC

Web: www.robertslawteam.com