Long story short, I was caught with a little over a quarter and its my first offense. I have court on Monday and I plan on applying for conditional discharge. Living in NJ sucks -__- anybody from NJ go through the same thing? What are the chances of pre-plea CD without an attorney?
lived in nj 25 years, 13 of which i was a smoker never had a problem with law enforcement over pot sucks tho man, get a lawyer or get fucked by the system
Well, I live with my parents right now so I want to be as discreet about it as possible. I've read about people talking to the prosecutor themselves and getting CD so I just want to know how they went about it. The only charge I received was possession so I figured that they wouldn't be too harsh on me
I would get an attorney. It's in your best interest. Also, are you white or black? I'm not trying to be funny, that makes a huge difference in potential outcomes.
I identify as hispanic, but I'm Chilean and Jamaican. The cops even joked that it should be legal for me to have weed since I'm Jamaican
By not getting a lawyer, you're guaranteeing that this will be a conviction. A lawyer is the only thing you should care about right now.
Its not that I don't want to get a lawyer, but I've seen other people on here say that they spoke to the prosecutor themselves and were able to get CD without one. I just don't want to pay an extra $600-700 if I can talk to them myself about it, ya know? I was going to talk to the prosecutor before court about the conditional discharge since its my first offense and if they give me hard time about it, then I'd plea not guilty and come back with a lawyer
The thing is a decent lawyer knows the prosecutors, they know the judges, they know your options. You could try to work things out without a lawyer but it's a huge gamble since you have no idea what you're dealing with. At least talk to different lawyers and see what they can get you. Some offer free consultations.
One lawyer I spoke with said that even if I don't take a lawyer, the public defender could also help me out since they know the prosecutor and judge and could work it out for me.
I almost got an attorney behind my parents back when I was living with my parents. It wasn't that hard to do as long as you have a little bit of cash. Workout a payment plan or something.
How come you almost did? And how much did it end up costing you? The only thing I'm really looking to do is get the conditional discharge. They charged my friend $600 on top of the $800 fine he got for possession and paraphernalia charge
5 different users telling you to get an attorney, if I were you I would listen. But by all means do whatever you feel like.
Wow, NJ fucking blows (probably not, but thats an insane fine for a lil over a q). I got a 50$ fine last time I got pinched with a bag. No lawyer fees either, but I knew what I was in for and already have a record so I didn't mind going it alone. But like people are saying get a lawyer man. Smartest thing you can do in this situation.
I don't know about NJ but I was arrested when I was 18 for possession charge. Didn't get a lawyer, plead no contest, got 1 year probation(would've been 6 months but I pissed dirty) 16 hours community service and a knock off drug course. Got all my shit done and paid for and got off papers, no convictions on my record and the arrest hasn't hindered my life in any big way. The charge was actually expunged after I finished everything. Honestly don't think there's a need for a lawyer unless you plan on fighting it. The only good use a lawyer would have besides that is just to delay the court date prolonging your sentencing. Wraaaap the night around me, blanket of black on my back, I feel safe in the darkness...
That's what I've been reading from a few different forums. Even the lawyer I spoke to said that the judge will most likely offer conditional discharge since its my first offense (first legal trouble aside from a speeding ticket), but that I'd need to lawyer up if I want to fight the charge. I don't mind the 6 months probation because I'm planning on moving to Washington later this year so I would try and finish the probation there. I just don't want my license suspended so I just want to talk to the prosecutor to make sure I can get a pre-plea offer
I wouldn't pay for a lawyer unless it's a felony. I've never been to NJ but most places your first offense is a slap on the wrist. You'll get a plea deal on the first day you go to court to take some drug class and pay a fine. possibly probation.