In the post-9/11 world, Americans have come to expect heightened security in many different places. For example, security at airports, ports and train stations have increased dramatically, and police are often more visible at large events and rallies where groups of people may be targeted. However, increases in security must be balanced against individuals’ rights to privacy and arbitrary investigation by law enforcement officials.
Recently, an Arkansas man was searched after he got off of a train in Missouri. The man allegedly had a pair of size 18 athletic shoes in his baggage, and this fact raised the concerns of Drug Enforcement Agency officers and well as other law enforcement officials because the man’s feet were not that big. As a result of their search, the agents and officers said they found three pounds of heroin in the large shoes as well as five pounds of other drugs under the man’s control.
The man has since been arrested on federal drug charges related to intent to distribute the illegal drugs. He will face an involved federal court battle as he poses his defenses and strategies to the serious claims that have been made against them.
This criminal defense legal blog has in the past discussed individuals’ rights to security in their persons and their freedoms to be protected from police misuses of power. As this man mounts his defense and looks over his options for protecting his future, he and his counsel may assess the appropriateness of the search he was subjected to and the actions of the agents and officers who were involved in his out-of-state arrest.
No matter what criminal defense action one takes, it is important to be well informed of the situation and what options are available. By looking at the evidence and poking holes in the prosecution case, defendants could help dismiss some or all of the charges against them.
