Last Updated on: 19th March 2023, 09:05 am

Spodek Law Group – Your Go-To Firm for Fighting Drug Charges in New Jersey

Why You Need an Experienced Criminal Defense Attorney in Drug Crime Cases

A drug conviction in New Jersey can have far-reaching consequences on a person’s life, reputation, and future. If you have been charged with possession, distribution, manufacturing, drug trafficking, or being under the influence of an illegal drug, you need to know your rights and understand the implications of the decisions you make now. The criminal defense attorney you choose to represent you can make all the difference in the outcome of your drug crime case.

At Spodek Law Group, we have selectively built one of the biggest and most experienced criminal defense teams in the state, with seven skilled criminal defense lawyers and a large staff of legal professionals. Our team is made up of former prosecutors and public defenders with real-life experience in courtrooms in dozens of municipalities and counties across New Jersey. We have decades of courtroom experience and have stood strong for the rights of thousands of clients, presenting strong and persuasive cases to judges and juries throughout the state.

How Our Attorneys Can Help You Fight Drug Charges

In most drug cases, there are many opportunities for our attorneys to intervene on your behalf and fight to protect your rights. We can negotiate for your release at the lowest bail amount, launch an independent investigation into the charges against you, and argue for disputable evidence to be thrown out. Our experienced drug defense attorneys may be able to negotiate to have the charges dismissed or reduced as part of a plea bargain. With decades of trial experience, our team will prepare a strong and persuasive case to present to a jury if a trial is necessary.

Our team leaves no stone unturned in identifying and pointing out problems with the prosecution’s case. We will ask all the tough questions to poke as many holes in the prosecution’s case as possible. We believe that the burden is always on the prosecution to prove their case, and we intend to make their job extremely difficult.

Common Defenses to Drug Charges

Prosecutors and police may act like you are facing an open-and-shut case, but that is rarely the truth. We will explore common defenses when building a defense in drug crime cases, such as:

• Illegal search and seizure
• Lack of probable cause for a search or traffic stop
• Failure to read Miranda rights
• Flawed lineup identification
• Obtaining evidence in an illegal manner or procedural mistakes made in your case
• Drug possession is not proven
• Problems with the lab equipment used to obtain test results
• As your criminal defense attorney, our team will ask all the tough questions to poke as many holes in the prosecution’s case as possible. We believe that the burden is always on the prosecution to prove their case, and we intend to make their job extremely difficult.

Understanding New Jersey Drug Laws – Spodek Law Group

Common Types of Drug Crime Cases Our Law Firm Handles

Spodek Law Group has handled a wide range of drug cases, including drug possession, distribution, use, paraphernalia, and federal drug crimes. We also handle cases of possessing, distributing, or selling drugs in a school zone, booby trapping and fortifying premises used to sell drugs, failure to make lawful disposition of drugs, and needle or syringe possession. No matter what type of drug charges you are facing, you should speak with our knowledgeable New Jersey drug crime attorney as soon as possible to start discussing your options for building a strong defense.

Penalties for Drug Charges in N.J.

Penalties for drug crimes can be extremely harsh in New Jersey, and they vary depending on what degree of the crime you are charged with. For example:

• A person convicted of a crime of the first degree may face 10 to 20 years in federal prison and be ordered to pay a fine of up to $200,000.
• A person convicted of a crime of the second degree may face 5 to 10 years in prison and be ordered to pay a fine of up to $150,000.
• A person convicted of a crime of the third degree may face 3 to 5 years in prison and be ordered to pay a fine of up to $15,000.
• A person convicted of a crime of the fourth degree may face up to 18 months in prison and be ordered to pay a fine of up to $10,000.
• A person convicted of a disorderly person offense may be ordered to pay a fine of up to $1,000.
• A person convicted of a petty disorderly person offense may be ordered to pay a fine of up to $500.
• As you can see, the punishments for a first-degree crime versus a petty disorderly person’s offense vary greatly. So it is important that you have a seasoned N.J. drug crimes attorney on your side who understands what is at stake and will fight for the best possible outcome in your case.

Understanding How N.J. Classifies Controlled Dangerous Substances
New Jersey law classifies certain drugs as “controlled dangerous substances,” or CDS, when they have the potential for abuse. These drugs are highly regulated by the state, and penalties for illegal possession or distribution can be severe. For your understanding, here is a general description of the schedules of drugs:

Schedule I Controlled Dangerous Substances have:

A high potential for abuse
No accepted medical use in treatment in the United States
Examples of Schedule I drugs under N.J. law include marijuana and synthetic marijuana, hash, heroin, LSD or acid, MDMA, psilocybin mushrooms, etc.

Schedule II Controlled Dangerous Substances have:

A high potential for abuse
Currently accepted medical use in treatment in the United States or currently accepted medical use with severe restrictions
The potential for abuse to lead to severe psychic or physical dependence
Examples of Schedule II drugs under N.J. law include methadone, oxycodone, hydrocodone, fentanyl, morphine, codeine, Adderall, Ritalin, cocaine, methamphetamine, etc.

Schedule III Controlled Dangerous Substances have:

Potential for abuse less than the substances listed in Schedules I and II
Currently accepted medical use in treatment in the United States
The potential for abuse to lead to moderate or low physical dependence or high psychological dependence
Examples of Schedule III drugs under N.J. law include anabolic steroids, ketamine, Tylenol with Codeine, testosterone, etc.

Schedule IV Controlled Dangerous Substances have:

Low potential for abuse relative to the substances listed in Schedule III
Currently accepted medical use in treatment in the United States
The potential to lead to limited physical dependence or psychological dependence relative to the substances listed in Schedule III
Examples of Schedule IV drugs under N.J. law include alprazolam (Xanax), clonazepam (Klonopin), diazepam (Valium), Darvocet (propoxyphene and acetaminophen), zolpidem (Ambien), etc.

Schedule V Controlled Dangerous Substances have:

Low potential for abuse relative to the substances listed in Schedule IV
Currently accepted medical use in treatment in the United States