Possession of Prescription Pills Bergen County NJ
Illegal Prescription Drug Possession in Palisades Interstate Park Court, NJ
Despite the overall national move towards decriminalization or legalization of recreational marijuana, New Jersey continues to prohibit the possession of the plant or any of its derivatives. Possession of under 50 grams of marijuana (just 1.76 ounces) subjects a person to a disorderly persons offense that is punishable by up to 6 months in county jail, fines of up to $1,000, and a driver’s license suspension of 6 months up to 2 years. Penalties for those found to be in possession of prescription pills without a prescription face even harsher penalties, depending on the degree of crime they are facing. Possession of even 1 prescription pill such as Xanax, Ritalin, Adderall, or any number of opiate painkillers can be punishable by up to 5 years in a New Jersey State Prison, fines of up to $15,000, and suspension of driving privileges just as with a marijuana charge.
In light of the serious penalties involved for possession of even a tiny amount of marijuana or pills, the most important thing a person can do when charged with these offenses is get a great criminal defense lawyer on their side as soon as possible.
The Tormey Law Firm recently represented a client charged with possession of marijuana under 50 grams, a disorderly persons offense, and possession of prescription pills, a third degree crime. If convicted of these offenses, our client was potentially facing up to 5 years in a New Jersey State Prison.
Our client had been a passenger in a vehicle that was stopped for a traffic violation and subsequently lawfully searched for the presence of drugs. While our client did not have any marijuana on his person, there was a small amount of the plant found in the car. Since police could not determine which of the 4 occupants of the vehicle the marijuana belonged to, all 4 occupants were charged. Additionally, during a search of our client’s belongings, 2 ½ prescription pills were found in his wallet, resulting in the 3rd degree charge.
Early in the case, attorney Christopher Perry was able to successfully convince the prosecutor’s office to downgrade the 3rd degree charge to a disorderly persons offense, allowing the case to be resolved in the local municipal court rather than at the county superior court. Once at the municipal court, Mr. Perry was able to obtain certain paperwork as well as audio recordings of court proceedings from months earlier where one of the co-defendants took responsibility of the marijuana found in the vehicle. Armed with these documents and the recordings of the earlier court proceedings, Mr. Perry was able to successfully petition the prosecutor and the court for dismissal of all charges against our client. Those charges were dismissed without the need for our client to use the New Jersey Conditional Discharge Program or plead guilty to any offense.
Drug Crime Lawyers Near Me in Bergen County Help – The Tormey Law Firm
Clearly, this was the best possible outcome for our client and yet another remarkable outcome for The Tormey Law Firm. For more information, contact our Hackensack offices for a free initial consultation at (201)-330-4979.
