Princeton Township is one of the more affluent and sought after municipalities in all of New Jersey, let alone Mercer County. It is home to one of the Country’s most prestige and recognizable universities, Princeton University. If that wasn’t desirable enough, it also has an extremely bustling downtown, which attracts people from all over the area. In order to help keep Princeton such a desirable location to not only live but to visit, law enforcement rigorously patrols the township. As a result, what starts out as a routine traffic stop can and tends to, lead to an increase in drug possession arrests. Some of the most common drug charges that we tend to see issued in and around the Princeton area include but are not limited to cocaine possession, MDMA possession, marijuana possession and possession of prescription drugs like Xanax, Adderral and Oxycontin. These are all extremely serious charges and as you will see below, the potential sentence if convicted for one of these offenses can have a crippling affect on your life.
Being charged with a drug possession offense is not something to take lightly. If you or a loved one has unfortunately found yourself in this type of situation and would like to speak to one of the criminal defense attorneys at Keith Oliver Criminal Law, then please contact us at 609-789-0779. Princeton Township takes these types of allegations very seriously, and in an effort to keep their town safe and desirable, they tend to prosecute these types of cases very aggressively. Our attorneys are dedicated to aggressively defending these types of charges. If you have any questions whatsoever, please do not hesitate to contact us.
Charged with Drug Possession in Princeton Township
When it comes to drug possession charges in New Jersey, the type of drug possessed will typically dictate what degree of a charge the individual will be facing. Unless it is alleged the individual possessed less than 50 grams of marijuana, they will almost certainly be facing some level of an indictable offense, which is New Jersey’s version of a felony. Most indictable level drug possession charges, which include: cocaine, heroin, MDMA, Crystal Meth, Xanax and Oxycontin are considered third degree indictable offenses. If convicted of one of these offenses an individual will be facing up to five years in prison, up to a $35,000 fine, fees and assessments nearing $1300, community service, probation, court mandated treatment and a six month loss of license.
If the drug in question is marijuana and the individual possessed less than 50 grams, they will be facing a disorderly persons offense, which is New Jersey’s version of a misdemeanor. Some other common drug possession charges that are considered disorderly persons offenses include possession of drug paraphernalia, failure to turn over a controlled dangerous substance and loitering for the purpose to obtain a controlled dangerous substance. Anyone convicted of a disorderly persons offense drug charge will be subject to the following penalties: up to six months in the county jail, a fine up to $1000, fees and assessments nearing $800, community service, probation, court mandated treatment and a six month loss of license.
For more information on drug possession charges in Mercer County, including potential defenses and sentences, please click here.
Where do I go to Court for a Drug Charge in Princeton Township?
The degree of the drug possession charge, which as stated earlier is typically dictated by the type of drug in question, will determine what court the individual will be summonsed into to defend the charges. All indictable offense drug charges will need to be transferred from the Princeton Municipal Court to the Mercer County Superior Court, which is located in the City of Trenton for disposition. Conversely, all disorderly persons offense level drug charges will be litigated in the Princeton Municipal Court, which is located at 400 Witherspoon Street. However, if the individual charged is considered a juvenile (under the age of 18) then the charges will need to be transferred to the Mercer County Superior Court, Chancery Division, Family Part for disposition. This is regardless of the degree of the charge.
It is important to note here that if the individual is charged with both an indictable and disorderly persons drug possession offense than all charges must be transferred from the Princeton Municipal Court to the Mercer County Superior Court for litigation. For example, if the individual is pulled over for speeding in Princeton Township, and it is discovered that they were not only driving while intoxicated but in possession of a THC vape pen and cocaine, all charges, including the THC vape pen and DWI must be transferred from the Princeton Township Municipal Court to the Mercer County Superior Court for disposition.
Need to Speak to a Lawyer about Drug Charge in Princeton
As you can see from reading above, drug possession charges are extremely serious and as such they should not be taken lightly. Even if the individual is able to avoid incarceration, the collateral consequences of having a criminal conviction for a drug charge can be crippling. Our office has been defending those accused of drug possession offenses in Princeton Township, including those that originate from Princeton University, for the better part of the last decade. If you would like to set up a free initial consultation today with one of our attorneys, please feel free to contact our office at 609-789-0779. One of our Princeton drug charge lawyers will be glad to sit down and go over the specifics of your case and formulate a game plan that works best to suit your needs.