Deputy faces drug charges in Louisiana

A sheriff’s deputy in Louisiana is now in jail. He was recently arrested after he was found in possession of crack cocaine and marijuana. The officer facing drug charges has been indefinitely suspended as a result of his arrest.

Police stopped the deputy, 23, shortly before 1:20 a.m. on a Wednesday. The police stop occurred because one of the man’s vehicle headlights was not working. At that time, police reportedly found cocaine and marijuana along with a Glock pistol.

Besides facing charges related to drugs, the deputy was also taken into custody for possessing a gun while drugs are present and driving with no headlights. He was being held at a correctional facility under a bond of $25,000. The man had worked for the sheriff’s office for under a year.

Prosecutors in the state of Louisiana must prove the defendant’s drug charges beyond a reasonable doubt before a conviction can be secured. This standard is in place in an effort to prevent innocent people from being found guilty of crimes and sentenced for these crimes. A close look at the evidence that the prosecution intends to furnish to support its accusations certainly might be a chief area of concentration for defense counsel. Instead of going to trial, the defendant may opt to pursue negotiations for a plea deal with prosecutors, which may lead to reduced charges and/or a lighter sentence for the accused. In either case, defense counsel will push for the outcome that is in the client’s best interest considering the circumstances surrounding the case.

Source: dailyjournal.net, “A St. John the Baptist Parish deputy sheriff has been suspended indefinitely after he was arrested on a charge of possession of marijuana and crack cocaine”, May 25, 2016