Due to more heroin being brought into New Jersey, the state is paying closer attention in an effort to reduce the influx. With law enforcement’s attention on heroin, more drug users and providers are getting arrested.
Heroin is omnipresent and not restricted to one ethnicity or socio-economic subset or place. New Jersey’s import/export infrastructure has made it one of the prime sites for importation of illicit substances like heroin in the United States.
As governments at all levels focus more and more on the escalating heroin trafficking and drug ring problem, the number of heroin-related arrests and police raids substantially increase. Despite this developing predicament, a charge is still not a guilty verdict. You have rights that must be guarded with the assistance of an attorney serving Beachwood, NJ and the neighboring towns.
If you or a family member is facing heroin possession or intent to distribute in Beachwood, NJ, get in touch with the law firm of Villani & DeLuca for knowledgeable drug lawyers to assist you through the arraignment process and to safeguard your rights.
Being sentenced for heroin possession can lead to large fines and 5 years prison time.
Have you become addicted to heroin in NJ? Heroin is destroying the well-being of many teenagers and young adults in New Jersey annually. If you are a heroin addict and picked up for a drug crime, contact a NJ heroin attorney for help.
Since Villani & DeLuca opened in 1996, partner and founding member Carmine Villani, Esq. has defended individuals arrested for drug offenses in NJ. As a former criminal prosecutor, Mr. Villani has legal experience on both sides of criminal cases, which can make a big difference in your defense.
Your future may depend heavily on the end result of your arrest. The consequences for a conviction can be as significant as decades in prison for a repeat offender of heroin-related violations.
Your charges and potential penalties have a lot to do with the variables of your arrest. The quantity of heroin found on you during your arrest will help determine if you should be charged with possession or distribution. Conditions like school zones also play a major role.
Possession of heroin is not an automatic prison sentence in New Jersey. Pretrial Intervention (PTI) and conditional discharge are a couple of options for first-time offenders. Your drug lawyer can also fight charges on the grounds that the circumstances surrounding your arrest were illegal and against police regulations.
You do not need to be in possession of a very large amount of heroin for a charge to be upgraded to intent to distribute. If you are convicted of possession with the intent to sell, you can face five years in prison with a maximum fine of $75,000 and a revoked driver’s license.
Possession is not typically treated as harshly as distribution. Possession of in excess of .5 ounces of heroin may cause law enforcement to charge you with intent to sell. The intent to sell is legally identical to actually distributing in regard to penalties. Possession with the intent to distribute 0.5 ounces of heroin or less is a third degree crime, resulting in up to five years jail time with a maximum fine of $75,000. If you are convicted of attempting to distribute more than five ounces of heroin, you will be faced with a 1st degree crime. There is a fixed prison term of 10 to 20 years, and a fine of up to $500,000 upon conviction.
Arrests in school zones are considered much more severe than otherwise. If you are arrested in a designated school zone, there is a mandatory prison sentence with fines of up to $150,000 if convicted. Contracting a knowledgeable drug crimes lawyer is essential for heroin-related arrests within school zones.
Despite being arraigned with heroin offenses in New Jersey, you have choices. Talk to a skilled heroin lawyer in NJ. With a smart defense, your drug attorney can help achieve the best possible outcome.
Did the state follow police procedure when arresting you? If not, you may have mitigating circumstances. The criminal defense lawyer you go with will help you identify any improper procedures that led to your arrest.
If this is your first arrest, conditional discharge is often a smart option for you to pursue. Discharge will permit probation instead, and your record will not be touched.
Pretrial Intervention is a big help to many drug users and can be an alternative to prison. PTI is a rehabilitation approach that can be sentenced in place of serving jail time. This option is designed to help people living in NJ get off of drugs and avoid prison.
Need an attorney? Contact Villani & DeLuca today to learn about how to minimize your heroin charges in New Jersey. Call (732) 965-3350 today for a free session. Our lawyers will ?aggressively defend? charges you are facing in Beachwood, NJ today.
