Aggressive Defense Representation for Drug Paraphernalia Charges in New Jersey

Regardless of whether you are in possession of illegal drugs, if the police find you in possession of drug paraphernalia, they can arrest you and charge you with an offense. Possession of drug paraphernalia is a disorderly persons offense in New Jersey (comparable to a misdemeanor in other states), which means it carries the potential for up to six months of jail time and a $1,000 fine.

Whether you are solely being charged with possession of drug paraphernalia or you are also facing charges for drug possession, manufacturing or distribution, you need to be proactive about your defense. If you do nothing, you will almost certainly be convicted, and then you will be at the mercy of a judge who will decide whether to sentence you to jail. Even if you manage to avoid jail time, having a drug-related conviction on your record will still negatively impact all aspects of your life.

However, even if you had paraphernalia in your possession when you were arrested, you could still have defenses available. As a criminal defendant in New Jersey, there are important laws that protect you. An experienced criminal defense attorney will be able to use these laws to your advantage, and help you avoid unnecessary consequences resulting from your arrest.

New Jersey Drug Crime Lawyer Handling Charges for Possession of Drug Paraphernalia

Scott Gorman is a highly-experienced New Jersey drug crime lawyer who has represented hundreds of clients in state and federal court. In addition to handling cases involving drug manufacturing, drug trafficking and other serious indictable offenses, he also represents individuals charged with possession of drug paraphernalia. New Jersey’s drug paraphernalia statute is extremely broad, and in many cases avoiding conviction is a matter of challenging the prosecution’s evidence that you intended to use, grow, manufacture or package illegal drugs:

“As used in this act, ‘drug paraphernalia’ means all equipment, products and materials of any kind which are used or intended for use in planting, propagating, cultivating, growing, harvesting, manufacturing, compounding, converting, producing, processing, preparing, testing, analyzing, packaging, repackaging, storing, containing, concealing, ingesting, inhaling, or otherwise introducing into the human body a controlled dangerous substance . . . .”

Possession of Drug Paraphernalia: Proof of Intent is Required

As with many other types of drug charges, in order to obtain a conviction for possession of drug paraphernalia, the prosecution must prove that you intended to use the paraphernalia for illegal purposes. Typically, the prosecution will try to infer this intent from other circumstances surrounding your arrest. However, as the prosecution has the burden of proving a defendant’s guilt beyond a reasonable doubt, Scott will often be able to challenge charges of possession of drug paraphernalia by raising questions about the prosecution’s evidence of intent (or lack thereof).

Were You Arrested for Possession of Drug Paraphernalia in New Jersey?

If you have been arrested and charged with possession of drug paraphernalia in New Jersey, it is important that you speak with an attorney as soon as possible. To discuss your case with defense attorney Scott Gorman in confidence, call (201) 489-9199 or contact us online for a free consultation.