Possession of CDS Attorney in Mercer County

Mercer County NJ Drug Possession Defense Lawyer

Possession of a controlled dangerous (CDS) is one of the most common criminal charges issued in Mercer County, New Jersey. The potential penalties that a Defendant faces for possessing drugs in New Jersey will depend directly on two factors. The type of drug in question and the quantity of the drug. The potential penalties can range anywhere from a nominal fine all the way up to five years in a State Prison. Some of the most common drug possession charges litigated in Mercer County include possession of marijuana under 50 grams, possession of cocaine, possession of heroin, possession of molly and possession of prescription drugs.

Speak to a Lawyer About a Drug Possession Case in East Windsor

If you or a loved one has been charged with possessing a controlled dangerous substance in Mercer County, the Keith Oliver Criminal Law can help. Our office has extensive experience representing clients charged with not only possessing a controlled dangerous substance but possessing a controlled dangerous substance with the intent to distribute, being the leader of a drug trafficking network and operating a drug manufacturing facility. Our office serves all of Mercer County and we routinely appear in the following courts the Hamilton Municipal Court, the Ewing Municipal Court, the Lawrenceville Municipal Court, the West Windsor Municipal Court, the Robbinsville Municipal Court, the Trenton Municipal Court, and the Mercer County Superior Court. Throughout Mr. Oliver’s career he has represented countless Defendants who have been charged with various drugs offenses in towns throughout Mercer County. If you have been charged with the possession of a controlled dangerous substance and would like a free initial consultation, then please contact our office at (609)789-0779. We are available around the clock to help assist in anyway that we can. Here is a list of some of the most common drug possession charges issued in Mercer County.

What to Know About Drug Possession Offenses in NJ

Drug possession offenses in New Jersey are considered hybrid crimes. That means that depending on the specific charge, an individual could be facing either a disorderly persons offense (misdemeanor) or an indictable offense (felony). As indicated above, the specific drug possessed will dictate what degree of a drug offense an individual is charged with. Furthermore, the degree of the drug possession offense will also determine what Court has original jurisdiction over the charges. All felony drug possession cases will be transferred from the local municipal court to the Mercer County Superior Court, Criminal Division, which is located at 400 South Warren Street in Trenton. Conversely, all misdemeanor drug possession charges will remain in the local municipal court of the municipality where the incident happened. Here is some important information on drug possession cases in Mercer County.

Frequent Drug Possession Charges issued in Mercer County

What are the Potential Penalties for Possessing Drugs in NJ

As touched upon above, drug possession charges can be either a disorderly persons offense, fourth degree indictable offense or a third indictable offense. What degree of possession a Defendant is charged with will dictate the potential exposure one is facing. Here is a breakdown.

Disorderly Persons Offense Drug Charges:

  • This offense is more commonly known as a misdemeanor. If convicted, a Defendant could face up to six (6) months in the Mercer Jail, a fine up to $1,000, fees & assessments totaling about $750, a criminal record, community service, a six (6) month driver’s license suspension, mandatory drug treatment and probation.

Fourth Degree Indictable Drug Offense:

  • This offense is more commonly known as a felony. If convicted, a Defendant could face up to eighteen (18) months in a New Jersey State Prison, a fine up to $25,000, fees & assessments totaling about $1,000, a felony criminal record, community service, a six (6) month driver’s license suspension, mandatory drug treatment and probation.

Third Degree Indictable Drug Charges:

  • This offense is more commonly known as a felony. If convicted, a Defendant could face up to five (5) years in a New Jersey State Prison, a fine up to $35,000, fees & assessments totaling about $1,250, a felony criminal record, community service, a six (6) month driver’s license suspension, mandatory drug treatment and probation.

Can I avoid Jail if I am Convicted of a Drug Charge in NJ?

With all that being said, New Jersey has several diversionary programs available to Defendants charged with possessing a controlled dangerous substance. They are the Conditional Discharge Program, the Pretrial Intervention Program and Drug Court. The Conditional Discharge Program and the Pretrial Intervention Program afford the Defendant the opportunity to walk away from their pending drug possession charges without a criminal record let alone serving a day in jail. Drug Court will afford the Defendant the opportunity to walk away from their pending drug charges without potentially serving a day in jail. For more information on these programs please contact our office at (609)789-0779.

Courts we Defend Clients on Drug Charges:

Defending Drug Possession Offenses in New Jersey

The vast majority of drug possession cases in New Jersey originate from some form of a search and seizure. Being able to exploit any issues regarding the underlying search or seizure could lead to a suppression of the key evidence in case and ultimately a possible dismissal of the charges. Although there are countless ways to contest a search in New Jersey, here are some of the key areas to look to explore:

  • Was there Reasonable Articulable Suspicion
  • Was the Drugs in Plain View
  • Was there Probable Cause
  • Was the Search Warrant Valid
  • Was there a Miranda Violation

Consult with a Drug Possession Defense Lawyer in Lawrenceville NJ Today – 609-789-0779

As you can tell from above these charges can be devastating to one’s future. If you have been arrested and charged with a possessing heroin, possessing cocaine, possessing marijuana or possessing crystal meth the Keith Oliver Criminal Law can help. Our office has extensive experience representing clients charged with various drug offenses in towns like Ewing, Robbinsville, Lawrence, Hightstown, Pennington, Hopewell, West Windsor and Princeton. These offense almost always revolve around some form of either a search or seizure. This is where an experienced drug possession defense attorney can make a drastic difference. They can attack the underlying search at suppression hearing. If successful, the charges would most likely be dismissed. If you would like to come into our office to have a face to face consultation with one of our attorneys then please contact us at (609)789-0779.