Presumptive field tests for illegal substances were initially developed as a preliminary testing tool. Unfortunately, they have become the “de-facto” choice for law enforcement agencies. Despite being notoriously imprecise and known for producing false positives, they tend to be used as determinants of guilt in thousands of cases nationwide.

According to a report from the Quattrone Center for the Fair Administration of Justice at the University of Pennsylvania, 773,000 people in 2023 alone were arrested because of these field drug tests. In fact, nearly 30,000 arrests made each year that are based on positive field tests involve individuals who do not have any illegal substance on their person.

If you or someone you love is charged with a drug crime after being tested with one of these tests, you must reach out to a competent criminal defense team as soon as possible. Call LLF Law Firm today at 888-535-3686 or schedule a consultation online.

Consequences of Faulty Field Drug Tests

When an individual is convicted of a drug crime in Pennsylvania, there are many different ways they can be punished. For instance, if an individual is convicted of possession of a controlled substance, they can be imprisoned for up to a year and fined up to $5,000. But if they are convicted of unlawfully manufacturing a controlled substance, it could cost them up to 15 years in prison and up to $250,000 in fines.

However, if the initial drug crime charges are based on a positive field drug test that was not corroborated with more in-depth testing, there is a chance the initial finding was false. In the UPenn report linked above, the researchers discovered that the false positive rate of the field tests was between 15-38% in some cases. It also states that, based on a 100,000-person population, Black Americans are arrested three times more than White Americans because of these erroneous field drug test results.

Given that the total number of known exonerations in 2021 was only 24, and none of them occurred in Pennsylvania, this means that thousands of people are being convicted of drug crimes because their field tests showed a false positive for illegal substances, and nothing is being done to exonerate them. Thus, being accused of a drug crime after being given a field drug test requires a robust and concise defense to prevent defendants from suffering seriously harsh consequences.

How LLF Law Firm Can Help

If you are accused of a drug crime because of a field drug test, it is crucial you reach out to a skilled criminal defense attorney immediately. Many field drug tests bear false positive results that can become the deciding evidence in a drug crime case. To prevent a prison sentence and the harsh consequences that come with it, you need a strong defense.

The LLF Law Firm Criminal Defense Team has spent years helping individuals around Pennsylvania defend themselves from criminal accusations. As such, they will work tirelessly to gather evidence and relevant witness testimony that supports your defense. Call 888-535-3686 today for help, or schedule your appointment online.