Charged with Possession of Marijuana in Manasquan
Whether you were smoking in the back of your rental or in a car, an arrest for possession of marijuana in Manasquan has the potential to derail many of your plans. A six month license suspension is but one consequence that will come from a conviction in Manasquan Municipal Court for possessing marijuana. You will also have a record, have to pay significant fines and assessments, and can be placed on probation or even jailed. Many of these consequences also apply if you are convicted of possession of drug paraphernalia.
At The Law Offices of Jonathan F. Marshall, we have been appearing in Manasquan for well over 20 years on a wide range of drug offenses including drug paraphernalia. During this time, we have learned how the Judge, Prosecutor and Police like to work and those approaches that are most effective in consistently achieving the best results in the Borough of Municipal Court. It also helps that many of our attorneys are former prosecutors who are highly knowledgeable in New Jersey search and seizure law. Call us to speak to a lawyer on our defense team free of charge.
Marijuana Possession Offense in Manasquan Municipal Court
N.J.S.A. 2C:35-10 renders it illegal to use or possess marijuana anywhere in Manasquan. A violation of this law results in a disorderly persons offense that will remain on your record and show up on a criminal background check until it is expunged. The process of expungement cannot even be undertaken for at least 5 years from completion of probation and payment of all fines. This negative circumstances is in addition to all of the other consequences that you face, including a mandatory driver’s license suspension, if you plead or are found guilty. It is therefore clearly in your best interests to retain an experienced marijuana possession defense attorney like those at our firm.
The largest percentage of Manasquan marijuana possession charges arises out of motor vehicle searches. What you need to know, however, is that police lack the ability to undertake a search of your car at their free will. There must be a reasonable basis for infringing upon your constitutional right to remain free from search and seizure. Our attorneys will scrutinize the facts surrounding your stop and make sure that any violation of your rights that took place on the road is brought to the attention of the court so that the search is invalidated. The same is true if you are among those whose rentals or homes have been entered by police without a warrant. Authority to investigate does not include entry in your dwelling or any other part of the property where you have a reasonable expectation of privacy. You can be sure that our lawyers will fight diligently on your behalf if the Manasquan police violated this right in order to discover use or possession of marijuana.
Possession of Marijuana Defense Attorney in Manasquan
You may have been among those who mistakenly believe that the marijuana laws no longer exist or have been lightened in New Jersey. This plainly is not the case as you will be subject to various punishment if the Municipal Court judge finds you guilty of marijuana possession or distribution of marijuana. We can help you avoid this result and are available now to discuss exactly how we would go about accomplishing this goal. Initial consultations are free of charge so give us a call.
