Experienced Criminal Defense Lawyers Fight Your Heroin Charges in Union County, New Jersey
New Jersey is tough on drug crimes, and this is especially true when the drug in question is heroin. Heroin is an extremely dangerous substance and one which, unfortunately, is becoming much more widely used throughout NJ. Heroin use and distribution is not limited to inner cities and poor rural areas. Heroin use is on the rise in wealthy, suburban neighborhoods all over New Jersey.
If you have been charged with heroin possession or distribution, it is imperative that you contact a skilled criminal defense attorney immediately. There is no substitute for experience when hiring a seasoned criminal defense lawyer to defend heroin charges. An attorney with significant experience in this specific area may be able to get your charges reduced, or even dismissed. If that is not possible, you may qualify for an alternative sentencing option, such as the Pre-Trial Intervention program (PTI). However, if you hire inexperienced legal representation, you may increase your risk of spending years in prison, paying thousands of dollars in fines and severely damaging your ability to find housing or employment in the future.
NJ Attorneys Defend You Against Heroin Charges in Newark, Bloomfield, Montclair, Orange, and Across New Jersey
At the law offices of Bramnick, Rodriguez, Grabas, Arnold & Mangan, LLC, we examine every detail of your case to identify weaknesses in the prosecution’s case. We move quickly with a skillful approach to every phase of the criminal justice process. Several of our attorneys are former prosecutors. This experience gives us an inside look into the prosecution’s tactics, and we use this knowledge to get you the best possible outcome for your situation. We serve clients in Scotch Plains, Westfield, Union, Elizabeth and all over New Jersey.
Heroin possession is a crime of the third degree. If you are charged with possession, you may face up to five years in prison and fines of up to $35,000. However, the length of time in prison and amount in fines can increase based on quantity, intent and your location at the time of the arrest. Some examples are listed below:
Heroin possession – Third degree crime, fines of up to $35,000, 3 to 5 years in prison
Possession with intent to distribute (less than ½ ounce) – Third degree crime, fines of up to $75,000, 3 to 5 years in prison
Possession with intent to distribute (less than 5 oz/more than ½ oz) – Second degree crime, 5-10 years in prison
Possession with intent to distribute (5 or more oz) – First degree crime, fines of up to $500,000, 10-20 years in prison
Things get much more serious if the crime took place in a school zone. Even if the offender was unaware that he or she was in a school zone, or if school was not in session (over the weekend or evening), the school zone charge still applies. Make sure you hire an aggressive, experienced criminal defense attorney if you are facing any heroin-related charge. Skilled legal representation could be the difference between years in prison and a rehabilitation program.
You May Qualify for Pre-Trial Intervention That Will Keep You Out of Jail in New Jersey
Heroin is extremely addictive. For that reason, we believe it is often better to place an offender in rehabilitation rather than in prison. Punishment will not help the underlying addiction, but a rehabilitation program, such as Pre-Trial Intervention (PTI) can. Therefore, the attorneys at Bramnick, Rodriguez, Grabas, Arnold & Mangan, LLC focus on getting clients accepted into the PTI program when a dismissal of charges is not an option. If you qualify for the program, it can help you overcome your addiction, and it will keep you out of jail.
Contact an Experienced Newark NJ Drug Crime Defense Lawyer to Fight Your Heroin Charges Today
The experienced and successful criminal defense lawyers at Bramnick, Rodriguez, Grabas, Arnold & Mangan, LLC will fight aggressively to defend you against heroin charges. Contact our legal team for a free consultation about your case in Bridgewater, Somerville, Bedminster, Hillsborough, Bernards Township and throughout New Jersey.
