If you or your child is charged with any drug possession offense, whether it be for marijuana, heroin, cocaine, Oxycontin, steroids or Molly, they will be required to appear in the Family Division of the Morris County Superior Courthouse to answer the charges. The Family Division of the Morris County superior court is located at 56 Washington Street in Morristown New Jersey. Therefore, if your child has gotten arrested for possessing marijuana in towns like Madison, Parsippany, Dover, Denville, Chatham, Mendham, East Hanover, Randolph or Butler, their matter will still be heard in Morristown. Although the overall goal of the juvenile criminal justice system is to rehabilitate rather then to punish like the adult criminal justice system, your child is still facing serious consequences if convicted. Depending on the drug in question and the quantity, if convicted, a juvenile might be facing mandatory drug treatment, incarceration in Jamesburg, high fines, community service and even a license loss.
The Law Office of Jonathan F. Marshall has eight criminal defense lawyers on staff, making our office one of the largest in the State let alone Morris County. We fully understand what a criminal conviction could due to your child’s life. If you would like to sit down with any one of our attorneys and discuss your options, please contact our office immediately at 973.309.7050. We are available 24/7 to help assist any way possible. Now here is some key information on juvenile drug possession charges, including the different penalties one faces for the different types of drugs.
Marijuana Possession Charges: 2C:35-10a(4)
N.J.S.A. 2C:35-10a states that:
a. It is unlawful for any person, knowingly or purposely, to obtain, or to possess, actually or constructively, a controlled dangerous substance or controlled substance analog, unless the substance was obtained directly, or pursuant to a valid prescription or order form from a practitioner, while acting in the course of his professional practice, or except as otherwise authorized by P.L.1970, c.226 (C.24:21-1 et seq.). Any person who violates this section with respect to:
With respect to marijuana, if a juvenile is caught possessing less than 50 grams of marijuana, they will be charged with a disorderly persons offense (misdemeanor). However, if they are caught possessing more then 50 grams of marijuana they will be charged with a fourth degree felony. In addition, if they are caught possessing more than 50 grams, they will most likely be charged with possessing marijuana with the intent to distribute as well.
If convicted of possessing more than 50 grams of marijuana, the juvenile faces up to six (6) months in a juvenile detention center, up to a two year loss of their driver’s license, up to a $1,000 fine, approximately $1,000 in fees and assessments potentially mandatory drug treatment. If convicted of possessing more than 50 grams of marijuana the juvenile faces up to one (1) year in a Jamesburg, up to a two year loss of their driver’s license, up to a $1,000 fine, approximately $1,000 in fees and assessments and potentially mandatory drug treatment.
Heroin, Cocaine & Molly Drug Possession Charges: 2C:35-10a(1)
Under New Jersey law, Heroin, Cocaine, Molly and Prescription drugs all fall under what is known as schedule I, II, III or IV drugs. Which means, that irrespective of the drug in question, they will be facing a third degree felony. As mentioned above, N.J.S.A. 2C:35-10a states that:
a. It is unlawful for any person, knowingly or purposely, to obtain, or to possess, actually or constructively, a controlled dangerous substance or controlled substance analog, unless the substance was obtained directly, or pursuant to a valid prescription or order form from a practitioner, while acting in the course of his professional practice, or except as otherwise authorized by P.L.1970, c.226 (C.24:21-1 et seq.). Any person who violates this section with respect to:
Provided that the Heroin, Molly, and/or Cocaine possessed is under 1/2 ounce the juvenile will be facing a third degree felony drug possession charge. If convicted of a third degree felony as a juvenile, they would be subject too two (2) years in Jamesburg, up to a two year loss of their driver’s license, up to a $35,000 fine, approximately $1,500 in fees and assessments and potentially mandatory drug treatment.
Juvenile Drug Possession Attorneys in Morristown NJ
As touched upon briefly above, the overall goal of the juvenile criminal justice system is to rehabilitate rather then punish the juvenile. However, with that being said, depending on the circumstances surrounding your case, the prosecution might look to make an example out of you. It is imperative that you speak to an experienced Morris County juvenile criminal defense lawyer immediately about your options. If you or your child has been charged with aggravated assault, simple assault, drug distribution, shoplifting or criminal mischief in Morris County, we can help. Please contact our Morristown office at 973.309.7050 today to set up a free consultation.