So I got arrested for weed. How do I get a public defender?

[Roger32]

I have a court date in 3 weeks. Situation was I got caught in my car with like 2 grams of weed and a bowl. The cops left my car on the side of the road, took me to the police HQ, fingerprinted me, etc and gave me the summons to appear in court, and then gave me a ride back to my car. Whole thing lasted an hour tops.

I have no priors and according to the cop who arrested me and my research online, I should be eligible for something called conditional discharge.

http://www.normlnj.org/mb_normlnj/showthread.php?t=64

The Conditional Discharge (CD) is a form of Pre-Trial Intervention, created specifically for simple marijuana offenses in New Jersey.

When you receive a conditional discharge, it means that you have agreed to get placed on probation for up to one year or more, and have agreed to pay harsh fines (greater than $700 typically) -- in return for the State dropping the drug charge at the end of the probation period and, if successfully completed, ultimately having no criminal record.

I just want to ask a few questions to a lawyer so that I feel more comfortable. I want to expedite the process as much as possible because I am going to be graduating college soon and was planning on moving out of state. Want to make sure employers are not gonna have any issues with me, and just a few other general questions.

So, How do I go about finding a public defender? There is pretty much 0 info that I could find on the web

 

[complacent orange]

Not sure how to go about finding a lawyer, just wanted to say that I know a ton of people who've had that conditional discharge thing. It's an pretty good deal, if you have the money. Also a lot of the POs are somewhat lenient, negotiating testing dates and such, especially if you're in college or something like that.

 

[Mariposa]

Call the office of the public defender in the county where you were arrested and tell the receptionist that you received a summons and would like to meet with a public defender in advance of your court date - and do this as soon as you can. When you meet with the PD, tell them that you think you may be eligible for this program and could he or she find out.

You also have the option of a private attorney. www.lawyers.com is a good resource for that - someone with a good amount of experience in defending misdemeanor MJ possession charges would be ideal. It may not be as expensive as you think, and most reputable private attorneys will meet with or speak to you by phone briefly for free as an initial consultation.

Either way, have you thought of fighting your case rather than settling it? I'm not a lawyer but if I were faced with such charges, it's something I would consider at least as an option. Were you advised of your right to an attorney (Miranda rights) at the time of your arrest? It is true in any jurisdiction that you are entitled to be represented before you make any statements, and that you should only make a statement after talking to a lawyer.

Good luck with your case. Please let us know how it goes.

 

[freescale]

So, How do I go about finding a public defender? There is pretty much 0 info that I could find on the web

From my experience, for minor crimes like possession you don't "find" a public defender, you're assigned one at arraignment. You show up in court on the assigned date & sit in the benches until your case is called. If things are slow that day (rarely but I guess it happens) you may have a few minutes to consult with him before the case is called but probably it'll just be a few whispered exchanges between you as the bailiff handles the paperwork. Likely as not this will be your one-&-only appearance before the judge, they'll want to dispose of it as quickly as possible & clear the case from the system.

Whatever you've seen on the crime shows, that's the reality of it. If you want hand-holding & reassurances, you'll have to pay for them.

 

[girlygrrl]

I'd try calling the courthouse, they should have put a phone number on the summons. Mention that you're going to court there in a few weeks and need to talk to a PD and ask them how to go about getting one.

 

[Roger32]

Either way, have you thought of fighting your case rather than settling it? I'm not a lawyer but if I were faced with such charges, it's something I would consider at least as an option. Were you advised of your right to an attorney (Miranda rights) at the time of your arrest? It is true in any jurisdiction that you are entitled to be represented before you make any statements, and that you should only make a statement after talking to a lawyer.

Good luck with your case. Please let us know how it goes.

I have no case. I was caught red handed and co-operated with the police hoping to catch a break. Although that did not really happen. But regardless, consequences are light and I dont mind possible drug tests so I dont think fighting it is worth the money.

I will heed some of the advice in here and report back once the verdict is in.