Illinois football fans may be interested to learn that 28-year-old Greg Hardy, an NFL free agent, was indicted on a felony charge for cocaine possession on Nov. 7. Reports stated that he was taken into custody on Sept. 26 in Texas.
The former Carolina Panther and Dallas Cowboy was pulled over in a Dallas suburb though the reason for the traffic stop was not reported. The authorities searched the man’s vehicle and found what was thought to be a bag of cocaine. The free agent stated at the time that he was unaware that cocaine was in the vehicle. After analysis, it was found that the bag contained 0.7 grams of cocaine. If he is convicted on the felony charge, under Texas law he could potentially face up to two years in prison and a major fine.
This is not the first time Hardy has been in legal trouble. In 2015, he was suspended for four games after he was accused of a domestic violence incident involving his girlfriend. These charges were later dropped after the girlfriend refused to cooperate with the prosecutor.
People who have been handed drug possession charges face significant consequences if a conviction is obtained. Depending upon the amount of the drug, incarceration in prison or jail is a possibility as well as a large fine. As a result, it might behoove people who are in this position to obtain the assistance of a criminal defense attorney as soon as possible. One possible way to combat such an allegation would be to challenge the search that led to the seizure of the drugs as not being made with probable cause.
Source: CBS Sports, “Ex-Cowboy Greg Hardy indicted on felony count of cocaine possession“, John Breech, Nov. 7, 2016