Can a cop force me to become an informer?
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Can a cop force me to become an informer?
I was pulled over for swerving into another lane. The cop asked to search my car; I gave him the OK. He found a marijuana grinder and pipe, plus a straw that had a white substance in it looking like cocaine in the backseat. He then said this could all go away if I help bust people and told me if that if I don’t call him tomorrow, he’s going to take me to jail for all that he found. He never field tested the straw for cocaine which I know it won’t test possitive. What can I do?
Asked on April 6, 2012 under Criminal Law, Florida
Answers:
Kevin Bessant / Law Office of Kevin Bessant & Associates
Answered 12 years ago | Contributor
The police will likely hold the confiscated evidence along with the threat of an arrest and criminal charges over your head in exchange for your help as an informant. The problem is that there is never a guarantee that the police will fulfill there end of the bargain by not filing criminal charges if you assist them. Ultimately the choice is yours to make, but with the items the cop found you could be charaged with possession of drug paraphernalia.
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