A man in Fayetteville remains in custody following his arrest on suspicion of drug possession. Arkansas police arrested the 24-year-old man following a traffic stop and have now charged him with drug crimes. He is being held in a detention center in Washington County ahead of a court date, which has not yet been announced.
Police say they stopped the man after they observed his car driving in a designated bike lane. After pulling him over and allegedly smelling what they believed to be marijuana in the vehicle, they obtained his permission to search the car, though he denied that he had any of the substance. According to police, the man’s nervous demeanor prompted them to also initiate a strip search.
Police said the man later admitted to having marijuana in his pocket. They recovered roughly five grams of what they believe to be the drug, as well as a small bag of white powder which they say later tested positive for cocaine. If he is convicted, the man could face fines or even jail time for possession of this amount of drugs.
However, as with all drug crimes cases in Arkansas and elsewhere, the burden of proof rests with prosecutors to prove that the substances found on the man’s person are indeed drugs. They must also prove that both the search of the vehicle and of the man’s person were constitutionally acceptable in the situation. The man’s defense representation will likely carefully review his arrest record to determine whether a case can be made for an unlawful search. This could, in turn, directly influence the charges filed against him.
Source: nwahomepage.com, “Man Arrested on Drug Charges”, March 9, 2018