On July 31, authorities conducting a traffic stop recovered methamphetamine from a Texas woman who had outstanding warrants. The woman reportedly first told the authorities that she did not have any illegal substances on her person. As she was being booked, however, she removed a baggie containing meth from her genital area.
The 35-year-old woman was pulled over after she was observed failing to drive in a single lane and failing to use her turn signal during a lane change. She was taken into custody after the officer learned that she had outstanding warrants for DWI and for bail jumping. During a search of her vehicle, drug paraphernalia was found in the trunk.
The methamphetamine was discovered during a strip search that took place at the jail due to the drug paraphernalia that was found in her possession. It appeared that the woman attempted to destroy the drugs, but a correctional officer was able to recover them before the meth was destroyed. As a result, the woman was charged with multiple offenses, including felony possession of a controlled substance, possession of prohibited substances in a correctional facility and felony tampering with evidence.
In Texas, drug crimes are prosecuted aggressively. In some cases, officers and prosecutors have been known to violate citizens’ rights when searching for evidence or attempting to obtain a conviction. A criminal law attorney could mount a strong defense against the charges if there is evidence that drugs did not belong to the accused person. Otherwise, the attorney may work to get a dismissal of the charges if it was determined that authorities violated the accused person’s rights during a search or while the person was being detained.
Source: The Houston Chronicle, “Sheriff: Texas woman removes meth from private parts during arrest“, Julie Takahashi, Aug. 1, 2017
