If the police stop you and find something illegal in your car, they will probably assume it is yours. After all, why would you risk getting arrested for something that is not yours?
There are, of course, many reasons you might have something illegal belonging to someone else in your vehicle. For instance, you were doing them a favor, they forced you to transport it, or you did not know it was there. They could have stashed it without your knowledge or accidentally dropped it.
If the owner is in the car when the police stop you, the smart thing is to tell the police to ask them. Yet, what if it is just you? Will saying it’s not yours be enough to escape charges?
You could still be charged
If you knew about the illegal item in your car, then you have no real excuse. You should not have been carrying it. You might, however, be able to persuade a judge to lessen your sentence if you can show someone forced you to carry it.
Otherwise, your best option may be to argue that you knew nothing about it. The police might not believe you, but it does mean it is not true. Besides, it is the court you need to convince, not the police.
Legal help will be crucial, whether you are arrested for drugs, illegal weapons or something else the police found when they stopped you. Determining if the stop and search was legal is one of many defense options to consider.