NJ Heroin Lawyers Will Work to Clear Your Charges
Heroin has become increasingly common in New Jersey, and because of the availability of the drug, New Jersey has enacted stronger legislation in order to combat it. Heroin possession and distribution are both severe infractions with significant punishments.
With substantial volumes of heroin flowing into the NJ supply, heroin has become cheaper and more toxic. Heroin in New Jersey even tends to be purer than normal heroin product across the US. These two factors lead to a dangerous combo that is increasing heroin addiction.
As the state and municipal governments focus ever more on the escalating heroin trafficking and drug ring problem, the number of heroin-related arrests and police raids dramatically rise. But, even when someone is arrested for a heroin charge it does not automatically mean it will result in a conviction. People accused of possession and distribution must be given the chance to defend themselves with the support of drug lawyers serving places like Mantoloking, New Jersey.
Speak with Villani & DeLuca drug defense attorneys to get legal assistance if you are arrested in Mantoloking, NJ for heroin possession or intent to distribute heroin.
Heroin Arrests Under New Jersey Law (N.J.S.A 2C:35-10)
Heroin is a Schedule 1 Controlled Dangerous Substance in NJ and possession is legally considered a third degree crime. If convicted of heroin possession, you may face up to five years imprisonment and a top fine of $35,000.
NJ has witnessed heroin usage swell very quickly. A report from the Task Force on Heroin and Other Opiate Use by New Jersey Youths and Young Adults named heroin “the number one health care crisis” in New Jersey. If you are battling heroin addiction and have been charged with possession of heroin, you should retain a qualified NJ heroin defense lawyer, capable of handling heroin charges.
NJ Heroin Possession Attorneys with Extensive Experience
Partner Carmine Villani, Esq. has been defending clients for drug possession and distribution crimes since Villani & DeLuca opened in 1996. As a past criminal prosecutor, Mr. Villani has worked on both sides of the court (defense and prosecution), which can be a huge advantage for his clients.
Protect Yourself from These Serious Heroin Charges
You can't gamble with facing heroin charges and the resulting sentence without support from an experienced attorney. A conviction can also impede your professional opportunities in the long term. Jail time and fines can be very destructive to the outlook of your life.
Your sentence hinges on the weight of heroin you are caught holding, but additionally on other factors, such as if you are in or near a school zone or whether police determine that you are have intention to distribute. A qualified criminal defense attorney might be able to argue for a more favorable outcome for you.
Simple Heroin Possession in NJ
If you have been picked up for possession of heroin, prison is not inevitable. Your criminal defense attorney can push for conditional discharge or a Pretrial Intervention (PTI), if it is your first offense. A drug defense attorney may also be able to fight charges based on a violation of your rights.
However, possession of any quantity of heroin – even less than a half ounce – that is found to warrant the intent to sell, has much stricter penalties. Heroin possession with the intent to distribute can result in five years of incarceration and a fine of up to $75,000, with a loss of driver's license for a period of six months to one year, if convicted.
Heroin Distribution and Intent to Distribute Laws in New Jersey
Heroin distribution is no different than intent to distribute in the eyes of NJ drug laws. 3rd degree heroin distribution involves less than 0.5 ounces of heroin, while quantities more than five ounces be a crime in the first degree. If you are convicted of heroin distribution in the first degree, you may be sentenced to prison for10 to 20 years with a fine that reaches half a millions dollars.
Heroin Distribution and Possession in or Near a School Zone
An arrest for heroin possession in a school zone can lead to penalties that are stricter than under normal circumstances. Whether you are aware of it or not, the designation of a school zone does not just include buildings. If you are caught distributing heroin within 1,000 feet of a school bus, for instance, the school zone laws of NJ will apply to your charges.
Safeguard Your Future from a Heroin Arrest
Regardless of being arraigned with heroin offenses in New Jersey, you have many options available to pursue with an experienced NJ drug crimes law firm. A skillful NJ drug lawyer may be able to get your case thrown out, have the charges significantly reduced or avoid impacting your criminal record.
Without probable cause, a policeman is constricted in what he may search. A criminal defense attorney will counsel you based on what occurred prior to and during your arrest.
If you do not have any prior arrests, conditional discharge could be a good route for you to pursue. Discharge will allow you to go on probation instead, and your record will stay clean.
If you are a first-time offender, prison time is improbable if your lawyer and the state agree to a Pretrial Intervention (PTI). PTI places heroin users in a rehabilitation center rather than jail.
Villani & DeLuca Heroin Defense Lawyers are Available 24/7 in Mantoloking
Speak with the legal professionals at Villani & DeLuca in a free consultation in order to discuss your heroin charges. Our NJ Heroin defense lawyers are available 24 hours a day, every day of the year. Start preparing your defense in Mantoloking with a phone call to (732) 709-7757.