Can you be blamed for someone else’s drug use?

On Behalf of | Sep 14, 2022 | Drug Crimes

You and your friends spend a lot of time together. You ride in each other’s vehicles, share jackets and even swap clothing once in a while. You were carrying a bag for your friend at a local event when a police officer approached your group with their K-9. The dog, a drug-sniffing dog, had picked you out from the crowd.

You don’t use drugs, so you weren’t sure what was going on. Since the bag was your friend’s, you didn’t even think that it was a big deal. Unfortunately, when drugs were found inside, it was you who ended up getting arrested.

What can you do if you’re arrested for drugs that weren’t yours?

You need to understand your rights if you’re arrested for possessing drugs that were not yours. Your priority in this case is to show that the item you were carrying wasn’t yours and that you didn’t know the contents.

Police often hear people say that the drugs they’ve been caught with aren’t theirs, but you need to realize that as the person in possession, you’re the primary suspect. Unless you can prove that someone else was using the bag or that it doesn’t belong to you, you may have a hard time defending yourself.

Fortunately, in this case, you may be able to show that the contents of the bag aren’t yours. How?

  • Can you show that the bag belongs to someone else based on the monograms? Maybe your friend’s name has been stitched into the bag, making it easier to show that you were just borrowing it.
  • Sharpie tags. Inside the bag, look for your friend’s name. Did they write it on a tag? If so, you may be able to show that you were just carrying it for them.
  • The contents. Of course, the drugs themselves are of interest, but so are other contents. Is your friend’s school uniform inside? Maybe their medications are inside. Anything that can show that the bag is shared can help your defense.

These are a few things to consider if you’re accused of drug possession. You may have an opportunity to defend yourself if you can show the bag is not yours.