Did you recently get busted for possession of an illicit substance? If so, you are likely feeling anxious about what might lie ahead. Drug offense law varies by state, and your punishment will of course also vary based on if you just possessed the drug or if you were actively selling it to someone else. Regardless, if you are looking to pull yourself up off the mat and tackle this problem, here are a few tips that might help.

Hire an Attorney Immediately

Ideally, you don't want to talk to the police about the drugs at all without an attorney present. For this case, you are definitely going to want a lawyer who specializes in drug offense law services. The right lawyer will be able to help you protect your rights and will be able to notice if the police made any mistakes surrounding your arrest.

Use Your Right to Remain Silent

Again, this can't be stressed enough, don't talk to the police without an attorney present. If the police try to grill you with questions about the drugs, you need to realize you absolutely do not have to answer anything. You do have the right to remain silent until legal counsel can step in and you should absolutely take full advantage of that right. If the police are pressuring you and you can't hire a drug offense lawyer right away, at least ask for a public defender before you answer anything.

Police Generally Need Search Warrants to Go Hunting Through Your Things

What the police are and are not allowed to search may vary a bit depending on how you were caught with the drugs, but in general, you should ask to see a search warrant before allowing the police to do a full search of your vehicle or home. For example, if police find drugs on your person and after looking at your license tell you they want to go to your house and search there as well, you have the right to say no. If the police are persistent and search your property anyway, it's possible that anything they find might be thrown out of court because of an illegal search.

If you are about to be charged with a drug offense, hire an attorney as soon as possible. While you are waiting for your attorney to arrive and take over, keep your mouth shut as much as possible and know that you are not legally required to answer questions in an interrogation or consent to a search without a search warrant present. For more information, click here.