Sly Stone, front man for the '60's band Sly and the Family Stone, was set to appear in court Friday on drug possession charges. The charges arise from an April 1st traffic stop, during which police located freebase cocaine in the camper vehicle that Stone was driving. Stone claims the vehicle belongs to someone else and that he the cocaine was not his. Stone's court appearance was continued to next week because he was hospitalized for a heart condition. Sly and the Family Stone was one of the first racially integrated, gender diverse bands. The band performed at Woodstock and is known for hits such as "Everyday People," "I Want to Take You Higher," and "Dance to the Music."
Every day in Las Vegas, people like Stone are arrested and charged with drug possession simply because they are in a vehicle or other place in which drugs are found. However, the law does not support a drug possession charge if a person was "merely present" near drugs and was not in possession of the drug(s). It is NOT a crime simply to be present when someone else has or uses drugs. Similarly, it is not a crime to simply drive a car in which drugs are found. A person cannot be properly charged with drug possession unless they, at a minimum, knew or should have known the drugs were present and exercised control over the drugs.
Nevada has extremely harsh laws for State Court drug offenses, as well as federal drug offenses. If you or someone you know has been charged with drug possession in State or Federal Court simply because they were present in a vehicle or other place where drugs were found, it is important to contact a Las Vegas Drug Crimes Lawyer right away. The Las Vegas Drug Crimes Lawyer can help by analyzing the facts of your case and determining whether a possession charge can be supported in the facts. The Las Vegas Drug Crimes Attorney can also determine if a motion to suppress evidence or a motion to dismiss is appropriate in your case, and provide you with the most aggressive defense strategy possible to protect your legal rights.