Knoxville is the largest city in the East Tennessee Grand Division. The crime rate here was about 799.35 per 100,000 in 2018. Drug crimes in Knoxville, Tennessee, are a federal offense. They can include drug possession, drug manufacturing, and drug trafficking.
When you get accused of a federal drug crime charge, it is crucial to understand your legal rights and defense options. You have a right to legal representation. Your first and immediate step must be to hire a Knoxville criminal defense lawyer. An efficient attorney can help you in presenting a solid defense.
Your options if charged with a federal drug crime in Knoxville include:
Argue Illegal Search and Seizure
Federal agents need to follow the laws of the state as well. They cannot stop you and your vehicle for a search without any probable cause for doing so. During such instances, you can argue that an illegal search violated your constitutional rights.
This argument is one of the most common defenses for federal drug crime charges. It may allow you to suppress the evidence gathered after the performance of this illegal action.
Illegal Wiretapping
The Knoxville Police Department registered around 1,604 cases of drug violations in 2019. Federal authorities tend to take a significant time for building drug crime cases. The evidence that they use against the accused includes recorded phone calls.
Wiretapping is regulated strictly. However, any misstep by the federal agents can help your case. You can argue that wiretapping was illegal. It may lead to a suppression of this otherwise crucial evidence.
Challenge the Credibility of the Witness
In most cases, federal prosecutors are dependent on witnesses who are drug addicts and drug dealers. Their histories can be questionable, and memories may be unreliable. Sometimes, the witnesses could also be Jailhouse informants.
You can challenge their credibility. The most common argument is that the Jailhouse informants receive something valuable in return for this testimony. It could be reduced penalty or immunity. An efficient Knoxville criminal defense lawyer knows how to draw attention to such credibility issues.
Fighting Statutory Elements
The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation sent almost 34,000 drug cases to the crime labs across the state. When you face a federal drug crime, the prosecutor must prove the crime charge’s elements. It may be difficult to prove the intent of the accused.
Generally, prosecutors rely upon circumstantial evidence for this. Your attorney can review the prosecution’s case and identify any prosecutorial weaknesses. A professional criminal defense lawyer will attack them based on these loopholes.
Negotiation Resolution
About 80 percent of crimes in Tennessee are somehow related to drugs. Efficient criminal defense lawyers can aggressively defend your case at the trial. However, at times it is not in your best interest to go on a trial. The evidence against you may be insurmountable.
Your attorney can negotiate a better deal for you that minimizes your penalties. Make sure to discuss it thoroughly with your attorney to determine the best possible deals for you.
A federal drug crime charge is serious. The consequences if acquitted can be extreme. You may be fined a significant amount along with imprisonment. It is essential to hire a criminal defense lawyer in Knoxville to present your defense options efficiently.
