New Jersey Heroin Lawyers Will Work to Clear Your Charges
Due to more and more heroin finding its way into New Jersey, the state is mobilizing its resources in an effort to impede the influx. With law enforcement's focus on heroin, more users and providers are being placed behind bars.
The current heroin epidemic in NJ is not restricted to the cities, but has extended into more residential locations throughout the state. Located at a major artery of the heroin import industry, New Jersey is innundated with some of the most pure and cheapest heroin in the country, which tremendously affects the widespread usage throughout the state.
With the increase in heroin crimes, heroin possession arrests have also jumped. Despite this escalating predicament, an arrest does not automatically result in a conviction. Drug users and distributors must be given the chance to defend themselves with the support of drug lawyers serving places like Pine Beach, New Jersey.
If you or a relative has been charged with heroin possession or distribution in Pine Beach, NJ, get in touch with the law practice of Villani & DeLuca for skilled heroin lawyers to guide you through the legal process and to safeguard your rights.
Heroin Charges Under New Jersey Law (N.J.S.A 2C:35-10)
Heroin possession is a third degree felony in NJ and comes with a five-year jail term and a substantial fine of up to $35,000.
Have you developed an addiction to heroin in NJ? Heroin is a health crisis, particularly among young people. If you were charged with drug possession, get legal support from NJ drug defense lawyers.
NJ Drug Possession Lawyers with Extensive Experience
Villani & DeLuca has been standing up for people arraigned with drug crimes like possession and distribution of heroin since 1996. A lawyer like Partner Carmine Villani, Esq. can leverage previous experiences defending people charged with drug crimes like heroin distribution to build a better defense for you.
Protect Yourself from These Serious Heroin Charges
Convictions for heroin have severe sentences, both legally and in terms of job prospects. Your criminal history can greatly affect your consequences, from probation, with no impact on your criminal record, to as much as 20 years in prison, with hundreds of thousands of dollars in fines.
Your sentence hinges on the quantity of heroin in your possession, but also on other variables, such as if you are in or near a school zone or whether police decide that you are distributing. A knowledgeable criminal defense attorney might be able to argue for a better outcome for you.
Simple Heroin Possession in New Jersey
Possession of heroin is not an automatic prison sentence in New Jersey. Pretrial Intervention (PTI) and conditional discharge are two options that may be available to someone who has been arrested for a first offense. Your heroin defense lawyer can also fight charges on the grounds that the circumstances surrounding your arrest were unlawful and against code.
Even a relatively small amount of heroin can constitute the intent to distribute. Your potential fines and jail sentences are much greater if you have been charged with selling (or the intent to distribute.
Heroin Distribution and Intent to Distribute Laws in New Jersey
Heroin distribution comes with more extreme penalties than simple possession. If you are in possession of 0.5 or more ounces of heroin when arrested, law enforcement may charge you with intent to sell. Intention of selling is legally identical to actually distributing in regard to penalties. You could get up to a five-year sentence and be served a $75,000 fine for the intent to distribute just 0.5 ounces of heroin. If arrested for attempting to distribute more than 5 ounces of heroin, you will be charged with a first degree crime. If convicted, you will be sentenced to 10-20 years and be forced to pay a fine that can be as much as $500,000.
Heroin Distribution and Possession in or Near a School Zone
The stakes of a drug arrest in a school zone are much more severe. A school zone does not only include the immediate territory around school building. If you arrested for heroin distribution within 1,000 feet of a school bus, for example, the school zone laws of NJ will be in effect.
Don't Allow Heroin Charges to Ruin Your Life
Many options are accessible to you with the assistance of an attorney who has defended cases similar to yours in the past. A qualified New Jersey heroin lawyer may be able to have your case dismissed, have the charges downgraded or kept off your criminal record.
Without probable cause, an officer is constricted in what he may search. A heroin lawyer will provide direction based on your specific circumstances.
Conditional discharge is a possible solution for many first-time offenders of heroin possession. Discharge will permit probation instead, and your record will stay clean.
Pretrial Intervention is a big help to many heroin users and can be an alternative to jail. It is used to prevent recidivism instead of a jail term. The PTI program can be very advantageous if you are struggling with addiction.
Villani & DeLuca Heroin Possession Lawyers are Available 24/7 in Pine Beach
Need an attorney? Villani & DeLuca lawyers will advise you on what they think the best course of action is. Contact Villani & DeLuca by calling (732) 709-7757. Our attorneys will ?aggressively defend? charges you are facing in Pine Beach, NJ today.