Following a 2005 feud with a fellow rapper that included gunshots and a negotiated truce, Houston, Texas, rapper Lil’ Flip dropped out of the public spotlight. That ended recently with his arrest on drug possession and weapons charges.
The rapper’s recent troubles began when he was stopped for speeding. Police arrested him after they claim to have found an assault rifle and marijuana in the car he was driving. His passenger was also arrested and charged with possession of a weapon by a convicted felon. The charges filed against the rapper were third-offense possession of marijuana, speeding and possession of a firearm in the presence of a controlled dangerous substance.
The penalties imposed on a person convicted of marijuana charges and weapons violations can include a lengthy prison sentence, fines or probation. When the accused has a record of prior convictions for drug possession charges, as in this case, the penalties a court may impose increase in severity. Weakening the prosecutor’s case by attacking the evidence might lead to plea negotiations and the offer of a reduction in the charges or the sentence.
Prosecutions for drug offenses may include evidence obtained in a search and seizure of the accused or his property by law enforcement. A criminal defense attorney might be able to help by focusing the defense strategy on the manner in which police obtained the evidence against the accused.
A routine traffic stop for a speeding violation might not provide a police officer with the authority to search a person’s vehicle. A criminal defense attorney might investigate the circumstances surrounding the stop to determine if police followed procedures that do not violate a suspect’s Fourth Amendment rights under the U.S. Constitution concerning unlawful searches and seizures.
Source: The Inquisitr, “Lil’ Flip arrested on gun and drug possession charges,” Tayla Holman, Dec. 27, 2012