Drug Charges After Giving Somebody a Ride

I live in Texas, the good old boy state so if anyone is familiar with my situation or has good advise, I'm listening.

A couple of weeks back I was visiting my fiance. It was late, around midnight when a woman knocked at the door. Looking like she just climbed out of bed she came in and wanted to talk to my fiance. They had met once, and only once before. After an hour or so of talking with my fiance the stranger asked her if she could give her a ride. My fiance has three kids so I volunteered to take where she needed to go. I didn't like the idea of her staying around and I needed to leave soon anyway.

It was getting later and I left with the stranger. She first needed to go to a corner store to purchase something and it was 15 minutes after we arrived that she returned. As she directed me to where she was going, the first house was dark and no one answers the door. So she directs me to a second location.

I'm unfamiliar with the area and her directions, turn heres, were made only a split second before intersections and sometimes without a blinker. In a matter of minutes a cop began tailing me and eventually pulled me over.

During his questioning I laid my wallet in the center of my truck seat after presenting my license. My passenger and the cop apparently knew each other from previous run ins as they exchanged questions and remarks. A few minutes later I was arressted for an outstanding traffic ticket. I was told not to move, keep my hands where they were as the cop opened my truck door and I was removed and cuffed. He then removed my perscription glass from my face, my cell phone from my waist, searched me and led me to the rear seat of his vehicle. I immediately asked about my wallet and money was told not to worry.

A second cop arrived a couple of moments laters and my passenger was escorted from the vehicle as well. During the search of my vehicle I see my passenger leaving in a hurry. Moments later I was informed they found meth in my wallet. I was read my rights and off the jail I go. My truck and its contents were not inventoried in my presence and a wrecker driver arrives as I'm being driven off.

Spend three days in jail awaiting the judge, I'm released on bail and now I've learned the cops have seized my truck and equipment and are filling for forfeiture. I'm self employed so this is a major blow to my contracting business. Yesterday I learned that my passenger is a known meth and crack user and has a long history with the law.

The small amount of cash, $57, from my wallet never showed up in my property and the cops, (Belton PD, Belton TX), refuse to release any of my property including my perscription glasses, my cell phone, business papers I kept in the truck or any of tools and equipment.

I've talked to my attorney and his first priority is the charge agaist me but the absense of my truck and equipment as well as attorney fees and bail will bankrupt me soon.

I'm not a meth user but I've had numerous run-ins with the law in my 46 years. Obviously this complicates matters.

I've speculated that my passenger got rid of her stash and my cash but can't prove anything. The entire event was supposedly video taped and recorded so it should demonstrate she was sitting alone, without observence, in my truck for several minutes before any search began. Now to make matters more complicated...the record of the unpaid traffic ticket was incorrect but the judge refuses to drop the charges indicating that probable cause existed because I was in a high drug activity area with a known user at 1:15 in the morning.

So, what advise does anyone out there have or similar experience.

Seriously bangin my head against the wall,:wallbang:
Dennis

Consider getting a hair test to document that you're not using drugs. It's probably too late to get a blood or urine test, given the amount of time it takes for methamphetamine to clear out of your system. And consider getting a lawyer.

Dennis,
You and I should talk..the same thing happened tp my brother. Take a look at my posting and please keep posting on how your case is going as it progresses