On Aug. 17, a woman was taken into custody in Minnesota after she was accused of being in possession of methamphetamine. The 21-year-old Wisconsin woman was ultimately charged with a felony.
Authorities in Woodbury were called to a location on Commerce Drive at about 12 p.m. after they were notified of suspected shoplifters. When an officer arrived at the scene, three individuals were found arguing with each other in the parking lot. It appeared that all three were under the influence of an unknown substance. The officer described them as being irritable, having dry mouths and exhibiting erratic body language.
The accused woman consented to a body search for any shoplifted items. During this search, the officer recovered about 16.4 grams of a substances that tested positive for methamphetamine. The drugs were in three sandwich bags in the accused woman’s front right coat pocket. The woman reportedly said that one of the bags had a fake substance inside, which she intended to sell. If she is convicted, she faces a maximum prison sentence of 20 years and a fine of up to $250,000.
In Minnesota, the consequences of felony drug charges can be severe. Even if a person is caught with a small amount of drugs, a conviction can make it difficult to gain employment or go back to school. A criminal law attorney could mount a defense against the charges or negotiate with the prosecution to reduce the charges. An attorney may even request that the charges be dismissed altogether if authorities did not follow proper procedures when collecting evidence or when the person was taken into custody.
Source: Woodbury Patch, “‘Irritable’ Woman Had 16 Grams Of Meth: Woodbury Police”, William Bornhoft, Aug. 30, 2017