An item about serious drug charges against two Los Angeles men caught the eyes of our Redlands drug possession attorneys. The San Gabriel Valley Tribune reported Dec. 11 on the arrests of Rafael Flores, 29, and Ramon Munoz, 33, on multiple counts related to suspected drug sales. Flores and Munoz originally came to the police's attention when an officer saw Flores following too closely in his SUV on Interstate 10. He fled, triggering a police chase ending in the discovery of 13 pounds of methamphetamine and one kilogram of cocaine. Flores and Munoz are both charged with possession of drugs with intent to sell, transporting drugs and resisting arrest. Flores is also charged with evading the police. They were scheduled to be arraigned Tuesday in West Covina.
The newspaper said Flores was westbound on the freeway near Puente Avenue when a West Covina officer spotted his SUV tailgating other vehicles. The officer tried to pull them over, but they refused and led police on a chase. Flores is accused of driving recklessly, causing a property-damage-only crash with two other cars and running red lights during the chase. Flores and Munoz reportedly fled on foot after their SUV stopped, causing officers to chase them down and, in the case of Munoz, use a Taser. When they searched the SUV, officers found a pound of meth under the passenger seat, with 12 more pounds in individually wrapped packages in the rear. Also in the back of the SUV was a kilogram of cocaine. The street value of the drugs was estimated at more than $200,000.
On drug possession charges, our Aliso Viejo drug possession lawyers prefer to argue for a drug diversion program that keeps a conviction off the client's record. But in a possession for sale case, that's not possible because possession for sale is considered a felony. In this case, prosecutors may also be able to argue that fleeing an officer and resisting arrest are violent crimes making the defendants ineligible for Drug Court. However, a charge of possession for sale is still very defensible. Often, police assume defendants possessed the drugs for sale just because they had a large amount of the drug. That's certainly not always the case, and when it's not, we can use other evidence to show that the police are trying to convict our clients based on an unfounded assumption. We can also argue that our clients didn't "possess" the drugs within the meaning of the law -- for example, when they had no idea the drugs were stashed inside a shared home or vehicle.
If you're charged with drug possession or another narcotics crime in California, don't hesitate to call Howard Law, P.C. for help. Drug charges carry very long prison sentences and often count as "strikes" for the purposes of the three-strikes law, so the stakes are very high. However, drug charges can be legally questionable because some officers simply don't like drugs and "throw the book" at defendants to see what might stick. Our Yorba Linda drug possession attorneys help clients fight inappropriate charges based on assumptions rather than evidence. In cases involving traffic stops, wiretaps or other searches, we will also look carefully for any violations of clients' right to be free of illegal search and seizure. And in possession cases for personal use, we help clients get drug court, probation or other alternative sentences.
If you're charged with any kind of drug crime, you should call Howard Law, P.C. right away to learn more about how we can help. To set up a free, confidential evaluation of your case, contact us through the Internet or call 1-800-872-5925.
