How a False Drug Test Got Our Client Out of Prison!
A Pittsburgh resident, who was approved for parole and was ready to return to his life, had his freedom snatched away! That’s exactly the kind of case we handled a few weeks ago. A simple, yet devastating, false positive drug test sent our client to serve an extended sentence.
This error in justice highlights a critical issue within the legal system. Presumptive field tests often produce erroneous results, which can radically change the direction of a case. It took the dedicated advocacy of our skilled Pittsburgh criminal lawyers to challenge this flawed evidence and release our client from prison.
So, how did the chain of events turn out? Let’s explore the blog till the end and find out.
What Really Happened Out There?
Our client, Mr. Green, was serving a state prison sentence for a DUI case. He had applied for a parole and was granted the same. His release date was set, and he was taking all the required steps accordingly.
However, just before his release, he was subjected to a mandatory drug screening procedure. This presumptive test returned a positive result for opiates. Mr. Green strongly denied the drug use, but the initial test result was taken as definitive proof of a parole violation.
As a result, the prison administration immediately revoked Mr. Green’s parole. And this single, unconfirmed test led to a disciplinary hearing. Mr. Green was found guilty and sentenced to three more months in solitary confinement. Besides that, he also received a loss of ‘good time,’ which further extended his time behind the bars. His release date was postponed, and his world was turned upside down.
Since this severe punishment was based solely on an initial, unreliable test, Mr. Green’s spouse contacted our Pittsburgh criminal lawyers from the Logue Law Group and asked for help.
What Did Our Lawyers Do?
After we received the call from Mrs. Green, we immediately knew that this was sheer injustice. The lack of confirmatory testing violated Mr. Green’s due process rights. Our experienced Pittsburgh criminal lawyers, therefore, immediately rose to action and challenged the conviction.
First of all, we filed an administrative appeal with the prison to reverse the disciplinary decision. Our argument was simple- the initial field test was unreliable.
The prison system initially upheld the guilty finding. And this is where our tenacity kicked in. We didn’t stop with the administrative appeal. We filed a petition for a Writ of Habeas Corpus with the Court of Common Pleas. Our dedicated Pittsburgh criminal lawyers knew that this powerful step was about challenging the legality of a person’s detention.
We presented strong evidence showing that the initial drug test had no scientific validity. We also successfully proved that the presumptive test was highly susceptible to false positives. The Commonwealth eventually conceded bout the insufficiency of evidence to sustain the misconduct charge.
The Judge finally granted our petition, and Mr. Green’s record was cleared! His conviction was vacated, and his release was finally processed. Such victories are glaring instances of what our skilled Pittsburgh criminal lawyers can do to help fetch justice for our clients. So, if you, or a friend or relative of yours, are facing similar consequences, don’t forget to call us at 844.PITT.DUI and schedule a free consultation with our expert lawyers!