The Madison County Sheriff’s Office arrested a woman on March 6, on suspicion of drug-related activity. The Illinois woman faces at least one drug charge in connection with her arrest. She is currently awaiting trial and bail is set at $15,000.
Police say the woman was initially pulled over for an improper lane change, whereupon officers determined she was the subject of an outstanding warrant for an alcohol-related charge. She was taken into custody on this recognizance, at which time officers say they discovered she was carrying a package of Buprenorphine, a controlled substance for which users must have a valid prescription. The woman is said to have no such prescription.
Police arrested her and took her into custody, where she remains pending a formal review of the facts by the county attorney’s office. She now faces one felony charge of unlawful possession of a controlled substance. It is unknown whether she will stand trial at this time for any of the other charges, including the lane change charge and whatever charge was associated with her outstanding warrant.
In situations where officers discover additional alleged wrongdoing while processing an initial infraction, the lines between due process and “taking initiative” can be blurred. It will be important for the woman’s defense to carefully review the report of the Illinois police responsible for the drug charge to determine whether due process was observed throughout the arrest and subsequent search. If the woman’s rights were not properly respected, the case may be thrown out of court.
Source: thetelegraph.com, Cottage Hills woman arrested on drug charges, No author, Mar. 6, 2014