Drug Crime Lawyers in New Jersey

Being convicted of a drug crime in New Jersey can ruin a person’s life, reputation, and future. Whether you have been charged with possession, distribution, manufacturing, drug trafficking, or being under the influence of an illegal drug, you need to know your rights. The decisions you make now and the criminal defense attorneys to represent you can make all the difference in your drug crime case.

Why Choose Our New Jersey Drug Crime Lawyer Firm?

Jonathan F. Marshall and his team are experienced drug defense lawyers. At the Law Offices of Jonathan F. Marshall, our hardworking New Jersey criminal defense attorneys have earned a reputation. It is for providing strategic criminal defense solutions based on our years of experience as prosecutors.

New Jersey Drug Crime Lawyer

Why New Jersey Residents Trust Our Law Firm for Drug Charge Defense?

  • Our firm has selectively built one of the biggest and most experienced criminal defense teams in the state, with seven skilled criminal defense lawyers and a large staff of legal professionals.
  • Our team is made up of former prosecutors and public defenders with real-life experience in courtrooms in dozens of municipalities and counties across New Jersey.
  • Our criminal defense lawyers have decades of courtroom experience. Over the years, we have stood strong for the rights of thousands of clients, presenting strong and persuasive cases to judges and juries throughout the state.
  • Our success in building a strong criminal defense firm that serves all of New Jersey has allowed us to maintain statewide connections and extensive resources. This means we are able to devote the time, energy, and level of detailed planning needed to fight serious drug charges.
  • Our drug crime lawyer can get started immediately building a defense in your drug case. We often consult with clients and their families at night and on weekends. We understand the importance of taking action as soon as possible in drug crime cases.
  • With nine law offices across the state, our team is poised to meet with you anywhere that is convenient for you. We also offer free initial consultations so you can discuss the charges against you and learn what strategies we may take in your defense.

Whether you are facing what seems like a minor drug charge or a complex set of charges, it is important that you understand what you’re up against and know how your decisions now could affect you down the line. Call or fill out our online form today to talk to one of our experienced New Jersey drug defense lawyers about your drug case for free.

How Our Drug Crime Attorneys Can Help You

2 male lawyers having a conversationIn most drug cases, there are many opportunities for our attorneys to intervene on your behalf and fight to protect your rights. The earlier we can get involved in your case, the better chance you have for fighting the drug charges against you. For example, consider:

  • Our quick-acting N.J. drug defense lawyer will immediately begin negotiating for your release at the lowest bail amount (or on your own recognizance).
  • Our team will launch an independent investigation into the charges against you, going over any evidence the prosecution has and arguing for disputable evidence to be thrown out.
  • Our lawyers leave no stone unturned in identifying and pointing out problems with the prosecution’s case. As former prosecutors ourselves, we recognize a weak case when we see one.
  • We will take all your options into consideration, including arranging for admission to treatment programs, supervision, or conditional discharge.
  • Our experienced drug crime attorneys may be able to negotiate to have the charges dismissed or reduced as part of a plea bargain.
  • With decades of trial experience, our team will prepare a strong and persuasive case to present to a jury if a trial is necessary.
  • In cases where conviction on some sort of drug charge is inevitable, our team will argue for a minimum sentence and request alternatives to jail time.

Schedule a free consultation with our N.J. drug defense attorneys today to learn how we can put our skills to work for you. Remember, an arrest is the beginning, not the end. There is hope if you have an experienced and dedicated criminal defense attorney on your side.

Key Defenses to Drug Charges

 police is holding a handcuffed manProsecutors and police may act like you are facing an open-and-shut case, but that is rarely the truth. In fact, there are many reasons cases get thrown out, charges get reduced, and defendants are found not guilty.

Some of the common questions we explore when building a defense in drug crimes cases include:

  • Were you subject to an illegal search and seizure to get the evidence that is being used against you?
  • Was there probable cause for a search or traffic stop?
  • Did the law enforcement officer read your Miranda rights as soon as you were arrested or whenever you did not feel like you were free to leave?
  • Were the drugs really in your “possession”?
  • If you are facing a charge of possession with intent to distribute, is the charge based on possession of drug paraphernalia, a large sum of cash, or a household scale? Should the charge of intent to distribute be reduced to simple possession?
  • Did a police officer find drugs on you while patting you down for a weapon?
  • Was any evidence obtained in an illegal manner, or were any procedural mistakes made in your case?
  • Were you placed in a flawed lineup, or could you have been identified in another misleading way?
  • If test results are being used against you, is there any evidence of problems with the lab equipment used to obtain those results?

As you can see, our experienced N.J. drug defense attorney will ask all the tough questions to poke as many holes in the prosecution’s case as possible. We believe that the burden is always on the prosecution to prove their case, and we intend to make their job extremely difficult.

Contact us today to schedule a free consultation with our team. We understand that for most of our clients, being arrested on drug charges comes as a shock. So we make ourselves available at night and on weekends if that’s when you need us.

Drug Crime Cases Our New Jersey Law Firm Handle

drug paraphernaliaOver the course of our careers as prosecutors, public defenders, and now criminal defense lawyers, we have handled a wide range of drug cases. Some of the common types of cases our law firm takes include:

No matter what type of drug charges you are facing, you should speak with our knowledgeable New Jersey drug crime attorney as soon as possible to start discussing your options for building a strong defense.

Understanding Drug Charge Penalties in New Jersey

Penalties for drug crimes can be extremely harsh in New Jersey, and they vary depending on what degree of the crime you are charged with. For example:

  • A person convicted of a crime of the first degree may face 10 to 20 years in federal prison and be ordered to pay a fine of up to $200,000.
  • A person convicted of a crime of the second degree may face 5 to 10 years in prison and be ordered to pay a fine of up to $150,000.
  • A person convicted of a crime of the second degree may face 3 to 5 years in prison and be ordered to pay a fine of up to $15,000.
  • A person convicted of a crime of the fourth degree may face up to 18 months in prison and be ordered to pay a fine of up to $10,000.
  • A person convicted of a disorderly person offense may be ordered to pay a fine of up to $1,000.
  • A person convicted of a petty disorderly person offense may be ordered to pay a fine of up to $500.

As you can see, the punishments for a first-degree crime versus a petty disorderly person’s offense vary greatly. So it is important that you have a seasoned N.J. drug crime attorney on your side who understands what is at stake and will fight for the best possible outcome in your case.

How New Jersey Classifies Controlled Dangerous Substances

New Jersey law classifies certain drugs as “controlled dangerous substances,” or CDS, when they have the potential for abuse. These drugs are highly regulated by the state, and penalties for illegal possession or distribution can be severe. For your understanding, here is a general description of the schedules of drugs:

Schedule I Controlled Dangerous Substances have:

  • A high potential for abuse
  • No accepted medical use in treatment in the United States

Examples of Schedule I drugs under N.J. law include marijuana and synthetic marijuana, hash, heroin, LSD or acid, MDMA, psilocybin mushrooms, etc.

Schedule II Controlled Dangerous Substances have:

  • A high potential for abuse
  • Currently accepted medical use in treatment in the United States or currently accepted medical use with severe restrictions
  • The potential for abuse to lead to severe psychic or physical dependence

Examples of Schedule II drugs under N.J. law include methadone, oxycodone, hydrocodone, fentanyl, morphine, codeine, Adderall, Ritalin, cocaine, methamphetamine, etc.

Schedule III Controlled Dangerous Substances have:

  • Potential for abuse less than the substances listed in Schedules I and II
  • Currently accepted medical use in treatment in the United States
  • The potential for abuse to lead to moderate or low physical dependence or high psychological dependence

Examples of Schedule III drugs under N.J. law include anabolic steroids, ketamine, Tylenol with Codeine, testosterone, etc.

Schedule IV Controlled Dangerous Substances have:

  • Low potential for abuse relative to the substances listed in Schedule III
  • Currently accepted medical use in treatment in the United States
  • The potential to lead to limited physical dependence or psychological dependence relative to the substances listed in Schedule III

Examples of Schedule IV drugs under N.J. law include alprazolam (Xanax), clonazepam (Klonopin), diazepam (Valium), Darvocet (propoxyphene and acetaminophen), zolpidem (Ambien), etc.

Schedule V Controlled Dangerous Substances have:

  • Low potential for abuse relative to the substances listed in Schedule IV
  • Currently accepted medical use in treatment in the United States
  • Limited physical dependence or psychological dependence liability relative to the substances listed in Schedule IV

Examples of Schedule V drugs under N.J. law include low doses of codeine, dihydrocodeine, ethylmorphine, diphenoxylate, opium, etc.

Consult with Our Leading New Jersey Drug Defense Lawyer Today for Free

Don’t put your future at risk by hiring an inexperienced attorney who doesn’t have the skills or the resources to see your case through to a jury verdict, if that’s what is necessary. Schedule a free consultation with our respected New Jersey drug crime lawyer today to learn how we can make a difference in your case.