Caught holding someone else’s prescription drugs?
It may not be illegal at all to possess someone else’s prescription. It all depends on the facts and circumstances. Facts and circumstances are shaped in the courtroom by an experienced drug defense attorney. We at The McShane Firm fight the government and their false narrative of automatically guilty for almost 20 years.
Under § 780-113(a)(37) of Pennsylvania’s health and safety law, it is illegal for any person other than the prescription holder to possess more than 30 doses of another’s prescription.
Someone else’s prescription is simply that. It’s not yours. There are lots of innocent reasons for someone to possess another person’s drugs.
So what then, does it mean to possess?
Possession, defined by the law, breaks down into two types:
- Actual possession. For example, physically having something in your hand, holding it.
- Constructive possession. When it isn’t on you or you are not physically holding it. Constructive possession requires the government to prove three parts beyond a reasonable doubt:
A. you are aware of the nature of the object, and
B. you have the intent to control the object, and
C. you have the power to control the object
Can I carry medicine for someone else?
The answer is most likely yes. Under ordinary circumstances, so long as you do not have the intent to control this medicine, you are most likely not violating the law. So, if you are taking your significant other’s prescription to their workplace because they forgot it at home, you are likely in the clear. This is because you did not intend to control the medicine for your own use.
The problem with this is that it is difficult to prove your intent. The police will assume guilt. The law says otherwise. Jurors are required to presume you innocent.
Your choice of lawyer is totally within your control. The outcome of your case is based on facts and is all about how it is framed before a court.
In conclusion
Is it illegal to have someone else’s prescription? Probably not. It depends on the facts of the case. If you intended to control it and the government can prove beyond a reasonable doubt that you did, then yes, it is. Otherwise, it’s a not guilty.
Recommended additional reading:
- In Pennsylvania, do I have to keep all of my prescription drugs in their original containers or have the prescription with me?
- Pennsylvania Prescription Drug Laws
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