Flawed drug tests lead to incrimination of innocent people

 Posted on October 29, 2016 in Drug Charges

In 2007, drummer Don Bolles was driving in his van in Newport Beach, California when he was pulled over by police officers. The police officers arrested Bolles for his alleged possession of GHB, which is a date rape drug. The police officers had pulled over Bolles for a broken taillight, searched his van, and allegedly found the banned drug. However, a lab test ultimately revealed that the "GHB" found in the drummer's van was simply an all-natural cleanser. As a result, all charges against Bolles were dropped.

Without warning, police officers can approach you and accuse you of possessing drugs. As the incident described above reveals, you can be arrested if police officers claim you were in possession of an illegal drug. Even worse, if you find yourself in a similar scenario, the lab test results will often be the determining factor in whether you are convicted. Unfortunately, in a significant number of cases, flawed drug tests often lead to the conviction of innocent individuals.

A threat to the innocent

Each year, police officers accuse and arrest hundreds of thousands of individuals for drug possession. These individuals are informed that a police officer found drugs in their vehicle or home and are told that they should try for a lenient sentence by accepting a plea deal. While the idea of accepting a plea deal for a lenient sentence may seem reasonable, it is important to keep in mind that some people charged with drug possession weren't actually in possession of an illegal substance.

Flawed drug test results lead to many false accusations and arrests for drug possession. Human errors, exposure to air, contamination, testing limitations, and nonspecific tests can all lead to false positives for a drug test. However, the possibility of false positives is usually not taken into account when it comes to the interpretation of the results of these tests.

Many are aware that serious limitations and issues exist when it comes to preliminary field-testing. However, preliminary field-testing is still widely used to arrest and charge individuals with possession of an illegal substance in this country. Before there is a chance to conduct more accurate lab tests, some individuals will try to get a lenient sentence by accepting a plea deal. According to experts, thousands of people are incarcerated wrongfully due to inaccurate drug tests.

A police officer accusing you of a crime does not automatically mean you're guilty. If you or a loved one was recently arrested or charged with drug possession, it is important to ensure that your rights are protected. An experienced criminal defense attorney can work on your behalf to obtain the best possible outcome for you.