Keith G. Oliver from The Law Offices of Jonathan F. Marshall just finished representing a client that was charged in Morris County with possessing more then a pound of marijuana with the intent to distribute. On top of that the Defendant was also charged with possession of mushrooms and possession of drug paraphernalia. The charges stem from an alleged motor vehicle violation in East Hanover, New Jersey. Following the alleged traffic violation the officers removed the Defendant from his vehicle based on what they claimed was an overwhelming smell of marijuana. Based on their observations and questioning of both the Defendant and his passenger a search of the vehicle was conducted. Located in the trunk of the vehicle was a pound of marijuana, under a half ounce of mushrooms, several pipes and scales. Both Defendants were found to be in possession of more than $6,000 in cash.
Based on their findings the Defendants were arrested and charged with various drug offenses. The most serious charge levied against the Defendants was the possession of marijuana with the intent to distribute. Since they were caught with a pound of marijuana they were charged with a third degree felony. A third degree drug distribution felony in New Jersey is punishable by up to five (5) years in a State prison, a fine up to $35,000, a felony criminal record and a potential six month loss of driving privileges.
With that being said, based on some of the inconsistencies in the reports and the Defendant’s prior criminal history a decision was made to apply him to the Pretrial Intervention Program (PTI). PTI is a diversionary program in New Jersey whereby if the Defendant is accepted and successfully completes the probationary period without violating any of the conditions imposed the otherwise life changing charges will be outright dismissed. Therefore, the Defendant will be afforded the opportunity to walk away from these otherwise life changing charges with not only never serving a day behind bars but also without a criminal record as well. The Defendant was eventually accepted into the PTI program for a term of one year. If all goes well the Defendant will be able to walk away from these charges without a criminal record. For more information on the PTI program please click here.
If you or a loved one has been charged with a drug offense like possession of heroin with the intent to distribute, possession of cocaine, possession of marijuana or any other offense for that matter, the Law Office of The Law Offices of Jonathan F. Marshall can help. Our office serves all of Morris County, including towns like Hanover, Mount Olive, Parsippany, Dover, Denville, Madison, Morristown and Roxbury. If you would like to schedule a free initial consultation today please contact us directly at 973-309-7050. We are available 24/7 to help assist in any way possible.