Help please! I have never been in trouble before.

[tkav1980]

What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? New Jersey

last night i was pulled over leaving work. The officer asked for my licens and registration. when he came back to the car he said he detected alcohol and to please step out of the car. he asked if i had anything to drink. I told him i had about a half a glass of beer at 9 pm, it was now close to 2 AM. He conducted a field sobriety test and determined that i was in fact NOT intoxicated. He made me aware that i had 2 outstanding warrents for traffic violations and explained that i would be arrested. I was handcuffed and placed in the back of a different officers car. on my way to the other car the officer stated that he would park my car in a close by shopping center parking lot. As we were leaving i saw the officer searching my vehicle. After arriving at the station i was told i had to pay the $1000 bail for the traffic violations. The first officer on the scene enters the room and asks if i take any perscription medications. I said Nexium, for acid reflux. The officer then goes and gets a bag with 11 used syringes and an empty bottle of testosterone enanthate, an anabolic steroid. The origional volume of this bottle was 10ML dosed and 300 MG/ML. The officer asked if i wanted to talk about this. i simply did not say anything. I was charged with possesion of the steroids, and the needles, paid my bail on the traffic violations and allowed to leave. I have contacted an attourney but that has yet to settle my nerves. Oh, one more thing, i have never been convicted of anything more than a traffic violation. Not even detained for anything. It's my first experience with anything like this. The bottle of steroids was pretty old and just in the bottom of my closed gym bag. It is nothing i have recently used and i forgot they were in the bottom of one of the compartments. any advice would be greatly appreciated.

 

[dave33]

Well, in my opinion you have handled things good. I think you realize the fact that you haven't used or forgot about the steroids and needles has no legal relevance. I have done no specific research into your state. It looks like the search was good for a couple of reasons mostly because you were already being arrested. Your lawyer may want to look into the initial stop, but have a feeling this maybe an uphill battle. Hopefully your state has it's own form of diversion, because from your brief description that may be a viable option. goodluck.

 

[gmoney51]

unless you gave conscent for the officer to search your car then i think its bs. Once you were put in his cruiser/handcuffed, anything in your car ( weapons ) were no longer in your IMEDIATE control and posed no threat to the officer, he has a right to search for weapons for his safety but you were in the back of a police car and had no way of getting anything in your car/ posed no threat. unless everything was out in the open, he had no justifiable right to go looking around in your vehicle.

 

[Some Random Guy]

on my way to the other car the officer stated that he would park my car in a close by shopping center parking lot.

When impoinding a vehicle, the police can do an inventory search, presumably to ensure that people whose cars get impounded cannot claim later that their $500,000 in cash sitting in the passenger seat is mow missing.

But in your case, the car was not being impounded, just moved off the street. Also, the way you describe it, you did not consent to a search or even to have the car moved. You were merely told that the police were moving it.

Once you get a lawyer, have them get a copy of the police report where the officer will explain the circumstances of the search. From there you can decide whether you have a chance of getting the search results excluded.