Rapper 2 Chainz admitted possession of marijuana and drug paraphernalia after he was stopped by police on the evening of Feb. 14. Consequenty, he faces drug charges with a possible penalty of up to 365 days in jail and a $1,000 fine.
The rapper was in Maryland to perform at a local college. He was detained near Easton by law enforcement personnel, who saw him speeding, according to a spokesman for the Maryland State Police. A strong smell of marijuana allegedly emitted from the van, and a search yielded paraphernalia and a minuscule amount of marijuana. The suspect was arrested, cited and released.
Representatives for the agent, including the agent’s manager, made no comments regarding the arrest. His website tweeted a picture of the rapper with the police, although Maryland State Police did not verify that the photo is real. One tweet noted that the police wanted pictures after arresting him. Another tweet indicated that the “show must go on,” referring to the rappers next scheduled performance in the state.
After an arrest and accusations of drug charges, the suspect might be able to benefit from the legal services of a criminal defense attorney, who might be able to negotiate a reduction or even a dismissal of the charges. In some cases, the courts are bound by mandatory sentencing laws that determine penalties. However, if the defendant is convicted of the offense, a sentence of community service hours might be an appropriate consequence so that the defendant can repay the community for his crime. In this case, an attorney might challenge the search and seizure itself if proper procedures were not observed or negotiate for a lessened penalty considering the trace amount of drugs found.
Source: Huffington Post, “2 Chainz Jailed In Maryland On Drug Charge,” Feb. 15, 2013