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Marijuana possession is one of the most common charges in New Jersey. Thousands of people (mostly motorists) are charged with marijuana possession. I don’t have the statistic but it feels like 90% of all marijuana possession cases that we handle stem from a traffic stop.
We represent clients all over Northern New Jersey & it doesn’t matter whether our clients are from Bergen, Essex, Hudson, or Passaic County. When our clients meet with us, they share the same experience. They get stopped for a traffic violation & after the police officer smells marijuana, they get charged.
If they arrest you for a small, personal use quantity, you will be facing a disoderly persons offense. These cases are resolved in the nearby Municipal court where you got arrested. We will discuss the penalties you face, legal defenses, and probation options.
Let’s get into it.
If you are convicted of an indictable offense with a mandatory minimum sentence, the judge has no choice in how he/she sentences you.
Your sentence will start at the “mandatory minimum” and go up from there.
For example, if you are charged with distributing 5 lbs of marijuana or more, your sentence will start at 10 years.
The judge cannot sentence you to less time.
You will not be eligible for parole during the “mandatory minimum” period of incarceration.
Paraphernalia includes items used in growing, harvesting, processing, selling, storing, or using marijuana.
If you are in possession of a grinder, bong, pipe, or baggie (used to carry marijuana) you will be charged with paraphernalia.
Paraphernalia Possession is a disorderly persons offense.
You face a fine of up to $1,000, six months in jail, or both.
Manufacturing or selling paraphernalia is a fourth-degree felony in New Jersey.
You face a $10,000 fine and up to 18 months in prison.
Now that we shared the law, let’s discuss how it works in the real world. As criminal lawyers, we can tell you that anything can be considered or treated as paraphernalia. You can always expect to get these charges when you are facing marijuana possession charges. For example, if the marijuana is a gutted cigar blunt, then the cigar will be the basis for the paraphernalia charge. If the marijuana is in a pipe or bong, you will also get charged with paraphernalia. Our clients in Hackensack, Jersey City, Newark, and Paterson can tell you that this is how it is. Paraphernalia is also a disorderly persons offense & these charges will be resolved in Municipal court.
We devoted an entire blog to this subject Operating a Motor Vehicle with CDS but will discuss it briefly here. New Jersey has a traffic violation that we refer to as CDS in a motor vehicle. CDS stands for Controlled Dangerous Substance and yes, marijuana is considered CDS. However, it is not a criminal offense. It is a traffic violation.
This is a serious charge because if you are convicted of cds in a motor vehicle, you will lose your license for two years.
Your other marijuana possession charge is separate and apart. If you are convicted or marijuana possession you may lose your driving privileges for a period of six months to two years.
If you’re facing misdemeanor marijuana possession charges and want to keep your record clean & avoid jail, then you would need admission into NJ’s conditional discharge program. Once you successfully complete the program, your charges will get dismissed. However, the program is not easy & there will be drug testing. Also, not everyone is eligible.
If you are charged with felony marijuana possession charges, you may be eligible for NJ’s Pretrial Intervention program. Again, the program is not easy & you will be subject to many conditions. However, if you successfully complete the program, your criminal charges will get dismissed.
Marijuana possession charges can get dismissed without using a diversionary program. All drug charges have to be challenged on Constitutional grounds. This means that you have to challenge the legality of the search. How did the police find the drugs? Did they find the drugs pursuant to a valid search warrant? Did the police violate your 4th Amendment rights in obtaining the evidence?
All of these questions are answered in two helpful articles: Dismissing Criminal Charges & How To Dismiss Drug Charges.
If you’re facing marijuana possession charges, meet with us and tell us all about it. How did you get arrested? Where did you get arrested? Did the police search you, your car, or your home? This stuff fascinates us so schedule a free consultation. We want to hear your story.
More often than not, if you have marijuana possession charges, you probably have other charges too. Don’t just take the first plea offer that comes your way. And don’t just use PTI or the conditional discharge program because you want the whole experience to be done & over with. Let’s fight first! We want to study the facts of your case & see if we can help you avoid going on probation. Remember, probation is long & you will be drug tested. It is also expensive & often involves community service. Don’t you want to see if your rights were violated? If they were, we might be able to get your entire case dismissed. We’ve helped a lot of clients & they’re happy that they chose us.
Meet with us to discuss your case. We love what we do & we love helping people. Let us help you!
You or a loved one have been arrested. Understandably, you are terrified & have a lot of questions. You’ve heard about plea bargains & probation, but the process is overwhelming. You want a local attorney near you to represent you.
Mr. Peyrouton is from Ridgewood & handles all types of criminal matters in New Jersey The New Jersey Law Journal recently published one of his articles on the subject of criminal law.
Regardless of the criminal charges you are facing, we are here to defend & protect you. Whether you are facing a restraining order, drug charge, theft charge, or aggravated assault charge, we are here to help you. Even a DWI case can really complicate your life.
If we can’t get your charges dismissed, we can either get them downgraded or place you in a diversionary program. The point is, our criminal defense lawyers will fight tirelessly to get you the best result possible. Take advantage of our free consultation to see how we can help.
Our Hackensack criminal lawyers represent clients in Bergen County & nearby counties & cities.
Meet with us today!
There are plenty of excellent Hackensack criminal lawyers in our area. Most, if not all of them, offer free, 20-minute, consultations. However, our free consultations do not have a time limit. You will never feel rushed.
The best way for us to help you is to patiently listen to your side of the story. Your version of events will serve as the basis for your legal defense. It is during these initial meetings that your memory of the event is fresh in your mind. Why we would rush you during such an important aspect of your case.
We understand that your choice of attorney could mean the difference between your freedom and spending years behind bars.
When you hire an attorney, you are entering a long-term relationship. For this reason, it is important that you feel comfortable with the team of Hackensack criminal lawyers that will represent you.
Our criminal defense law firm handles criminal matters throughout Northern New Jersey — including, but not limited to, clients in the following localities:
BERGEN COUNTY, including Hackensack, Elmwood Park, Teaneck, Fort Lee, Rochelle Park, Fair Lawn, Garfield, Englewood, Bergenfield, Paramus, Mahwah, Cliffside Park, Ridgewood, Lodi, Lyndhurst, and Palisades Park,
PASSAIC COUNTY, including Paterson, Clifton, Passaic, Wayne, and West Milford;
HUDSON COUNTY, including Jersey City, Union City, Bayonne, North Bergen, Hoboken, West New York, Kearny, and Secaucus;
ESSEX COUNTY, including Newark, East Orange, Irvington, West Orange, Montclair, Belleville, Livingston, Nutley, Maplewood, and Millburn.
HACKENSACK OFFICE
200 Passaic St, Hackensack, NJ 07601
Phone: (201) 686-9538
alan@peyroutonlaw.com
No aspect of this advertisement has been approved by the Supreme Court of New Jersey. Before making your choice of an attorney, you should give this matter careful thought. If this advertisement is inaccurate or misleading, you may report same to the Committee on Attorney Advertising at Hughes Justice Complex, P.O. Box 037, Trenton, NJ 08625
