When a driver is accused of driving while under the influence of prescribed or over-the-counter medication, he or she may be searching for a means to resolve the issue. When narcotics such as heroin form part of the accusations, the potential consequences can be even more severe. This is what is suspected in a case in which a Michigan woman was recently arrested on drug charges.
The Troy Police Department reported that it was alerted to an erratic driver on Interstate 75 shortly before midday on a recent Wednesday. The driver was located and stopped. Field sobriety tests and a breath test were administered. Though the breath test recorded a .000 reading, indicating no presence of alcohol in the woman's system, her performance on the field sobriety tests apparently made officers suspicious about her level of impairment.
Officers reported that the driver claimed that a muscle relaxant and prescribed Xanax were the reason for her poor driving. Her purse was searched, and police say they found four plastic bags containing heroin, nine needles and a burnt spoon. She was arrested on charges of suspicion of heroin possession and narcotic paraphernalia, along with driving under the influence of narcotics.
Following this 30-year-old Michigan woman's arrest, prosecutors will decide whether formal drug charges will be filed. An experienced criminal defense attorney can fight to safeguard her right to fair and impartial treatment. A lawyer can scrutinize the procedures used by officers during the traffic stop, including the validity of the tests conducted and the search procedures utilized. Any factual or legal issues identified may be raised before the court. Fighting these kind of charges is not easy, but it's also not impossible.
Source: Troy, Mi. Patch, "'Bad Driver' Blames Xanax, Muscle Relaxants: Troy Police", Beth Dalbey, Dec. 28, 2015