Need Local Lawyer in Sea Bright for a Drug Charge
The Borough of Sea Bright has quietly become one of the more desirable locations for those seeking to visit the Jersey Shore. With bars like Donovans Reef, the Tiki Bar, Tommy’s Tavern, Rum Runner, Woody’s and various beach clubs popping up, Sea Bright sees a tremendous amount of tourist each and every summer. Unfortunately, when tourism begins to spike, crime tends to increase as well and the Borough of Sea Bright has seen its fair share of an increase in crime. One of the more frequent types of crimes that we see popping up in the Borough of Sea Bright are drug charges. That includes lower misdemeanor level drug possession charges like the possession of marijuana under 50 grams, the possession of drug paraphernalia and the possession of THC Pens as well as more serious felony level drug crimes like the possession of cocaine and the possession of MDMA. As one would imagine, these types of offenses are not something to take lightly. The Sea Bright Police Department has been aggressively investigating and in turn, arresting those alleged to have been involved in drug offenses. If you have unfortunately found yourself in this type of situation, we strongly recommend that you speak to an experienced Sea Bright drug charge defense lawyer about your options. A conviction for a drug offense, even lower level offenses can carry with them crippling consequences, including but not limited to jail time, probation, high fines, criminal record and loss of license. If you would like to set up a free initial consultation today with one of our Monmouth County criminal defense lawyers, please contact our office at 732.858.6959. One of our lawyers would be glad to go over the specifics surrounding your charges and formulate a game plan that works best to suit your needs. Now here is some key information on drug charges in Sea Bright.
How Serious are Drug Charge in Sea Bright? Do I Need a Lawyer?
In New Jersey, drug possession charges are either considered a disorderly persons offense, a fourth degree indictable offense or a third degree indictable offense. The specific drug in question and in certain circumstances, the quantity of the drug will dictate what degree of a charge the individual is facing. Here are some example: anyone caught possessing under 50 grams of marijuana, possessing drug paraphernalia or possessing THC vape pens will be charged with a disorderly persons offense, which is New Jersey’s version of misdemeanor. Anyone accused of possessing more than 50 grams of marijuana will be charged with a fourth degree indictable offense, which is considered a felony offense in New Jersey. Lastly, anyone caught possessing MDMA, cocaine, heroin, Xanax, Molly or Oxycontin will be charged with a third degree indictable offense. The degree of the charge will not only dictate what court has jurisdiction over the case but the potential penalties one faces as well. Here is a quick breakdown of the potential penalties one faces if convicted.
- 3 – 5 Years in Prison
- $35,000 Fine
- Felony Criminal Record
- Fees & Assessments nearing $1500
- Loss of license
4th Degree Felony:
- 18 Months in Prison
- $15,000 Fine
- Felony Criminal Record
- Fees & Assessments nearing $1,250
- Loss of license
- 6 Months in Jail
- $1,000 Fine
- Felony Criminal Record
- Fees & Assessments nearing $800
- Loss of license
Do I Have to go to Court for a Drug Charge in Sea Bright?
In New Jersey we have two different courts that will retain original jurisdiction over specific drug charges. All disorderly persons and petty disorderly persons offenses will be sent to the local municipal court in the municipality where the incident happened for disposition. So, for example, if an individual is arrested outside of Donavon’s Reef and charged with possession of a THC vape pen, their charges will be sent to the Sea Bright Municipal Court, which is actually located in Shrewsbury for disposition. On the other hand, all indictable offenses, regardless of the degree, will be transferred from the local municipality to the Superior Court in the County where the incident happened. So, in the example above, if the individual was charged with the possession of cocaine as well as the THC vape pen, all of the charges will be transferred from the Sea Bright Municipal Court to the Monmouth County Superior Court, Criminal Division, which is located in Freehold.
Need to Speak to Local Lawyer in Sea Bright for Marijuana Charge
Keith Oliver Criminal Law has been defending those accused of serious drug offenses in towns throughout Monmouth County, including in the Borough of Sea Bright. Our attorneys fully comprehend the stress and anxiety that most are under when they find themselves being summonsed to appear in court to answer for a drug charge. As such, we are dedicated to aggressively defending these types of charges in order to secure our clients the best possible outcome. If you would like to setup a free initial consultation today, please call 732.858.6959. We serve all of Monmouth County, including Sea Bright, Holmdel, Tinton Falls, Sandy Hook, Belmar, Marlboro, Tinton Falls, Hazlet and Colts Neck.