Rhode Island police build cocaine possession cases through several evidence categories: physical seizure of the substance (the drug itself), lab analysis confirming the substance is cocaine, statements from the defendant about ownership, presence of paraphernalia (scales, baggies, pipes), and circumstantial evidence about possession (was it in your pocket, your car, your apartment). Defense work attacks each evidence category: was the search lawful, was the chain of custody preserved, was the lab analysis reliable, were statements voluntary, does the circumstantial evidence actually prove possession? The Fourth Amendment is the most common defense angle in cocaine cases.
