A 33-year-old Pennsylvania man is facing drunk driving and drug possession and distribution charges stemming from a routine traffic stop in Northampton County on the afternoon of July 5. Pennsylvania State Police troopers say that the Easton resident’s car was pulled over in Williams Township for an expired registration. Reports indicate that the man’s bail has been set at $100,000 and he is being held at the Northampton County Prison.
Troopers say that they asked the man to submit to a series of field sobriety exercises after detecting the odor of alcohol on his breath. The man is said to have responded to the request by admitting that he was driving while under the influence of alcohol. Troopers say a breath test confirmed that the man was impaired.
Troopers claim to have noticed the man making furtive movements after pulling his vehicle over on Autumn Drive, and they also say that they noticed the smell of marijuana emanating from his vehicle. A search warrant was subsequently obtained, which is said to have led to the discovery of a black plastic lunch box containing 38.2 grams of a substance thought to be marijuana and 16.2 grams of a white powder thought to be cocaine. Drug packaging materials and a set of scales were also recovered according to reports.
Experienced criminal defense attorneys may advise those facing drunk driving charges to make no admissions or statements before speaking with legal counsel no matter how dire their situations may seem. Prosecutors must establish proof of guilt beyond a reasonable doubt to prevail, and having a confession in hand could make this far less of a challenge for them.
Source: Lehigh Valley Live, “Drunk driver had lunchbox full of drugs, troopers say”, Sarah Cassi, Aug. 1, 2018
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