We have seen it happen here in Edinburg far too many times: a traffic stop is the genesis of a series of legal problems for the driver. We read recently of an example of a traffic stop that became much more for a man northeast of us in Houston County, Texas.
A sheriff’s deputy pulled the 38-year-old man over on a recent evening after apparently receiving a report that the vehicle was “suspicious.” A deputy followed the vehicle and ran its plates. The officers learned that the vehicle’s registration expired nearly seven years ago; information that resulted in the driver being arrested on felony drug charges and for several traffic violations.
After the deputy learned of the vehicle’s expired registration, he pulled the vehicle over. The deputy wrote in an arrest report that the vehicle was missing its rear license plate.
After the vehicle was pulled over, the deputy said he noticed that the registration sticker on the windshield had been altered and that the sticker apparently was from another vehicle. The Grapeland man then admitted to the deputy that he was driving without a license.
A deputy then asked the man if he was carrying any illegal drugs, to which the man replied “no.” Later, when the man was at the Houston County jail, a jailer found on him a bag containing Xanax tablets.
Deputies also learned that the man’s driver’s license expired nearly a year ago and that he had recently been found guilty of driving with an invalid license.
The laundry list of charges he faces now includes: third-degree felony having a prohibited substance in a jail or correctional facility, as well as Class A misdemeanor possession of a controlled substance (less than 28 grams). He was also charged with Class B misdemeanor having an altered insignia and misdemeanor driving with an invalid license.
For those in similar circumstances, a conversation with a criminal defense attorney experienced in drug possession defense can help you begin the process of protecting both your rights and your freedom.