Marjuana possesion help

[Jakemorr]

Jurisdiction

New Hampshire

Long story short, I got caught with a gram of weed and a little pipe. My bail paperwork says I just have drug possesion. Sence it's such a little thing and it's my first charge and I'm just 18 do you think I need a lawyer if I'm broke? And you think Its realistic to get off with a fine or a suspended case I'm going to get a job before court and show I have been going to NA meetings

 

[army judge]

Long story short, I got caught with a gram of weed and a little pipe. My bail paperwork says I just have drug possesion. Sence it's such a little thing and it's my first charge and I'm just 18 do you think I need a lawyer if I'm broke? And you think Its realistic to get off with a fine or a suspended case I'm going to get a job before court and show I have been going to NA meetings

You're facing one of the biggest problems of your life.
But, you're trying to fix it.
Attending NA meetings voluntarily is a step in the right direction, so keep going to those meetings.

Your charge seems small, and it's not murder.
But a drug conviction can help ruin your life.
You'll be alive on this planet 60, maybe 70, even 80 more years.
You need to do EVERYTHING within your power to fix this mess.
It's not small, even though its not murder.
It's a black mark that can cause you to not get good jobs, gamer your ability to rent apartments, and many more things.

Okay, stay with me.

You follow the instructions of your bail bondsman.
You appear in court on time, neat, polite, and prepared to start repairing this stain.
You plead not guilty, and ask the court if you qualify for a court appointed lawyer.
You don't discuss this case with ANYONE but that lawyer.

You keep going to NA.
You STOP using weed, or any illegal drug.
You don't abuse prescription drugs.
You're 18, so don't consume alcoholic beverages.
You get that job.
You keep that job.
You start saving money, spending money ONLY for necessities.

You keep gong to court.
You're always on time to court, NA meetings, and your job.
You do the hard work recovery requires.
Never give a drug dealer another penny of your hard earned money.
Dope is trouble, even weed, as you've learned.

Fixing this will take time, so stay strong, be patient.
Your lawyer will eventually offer you more instructions and options.
This is all you need for now.

Funny thing, you already knew all of this, didn't you?
Now, keep fixing the mess.

 

[Jakemorr]

You're facing one of the biggest problems of your life.
But, you're trying to fix it.
Attending NA meetings voluntarily is a step in the right direction, so keep going to those meetings.

Your charge seems small, and it's not murder.
But a drug conviction can help ruin your life.
You'll be alive on this planet 60, maybe 70, even 80 more years.
You need to do EVERYTHING within your power to fix this mess.
It's not small, even though its not murder.
It's a black mark that can cause you to not get good jobs, gamer your ability to rent apartments, and many more things.

Okay, stay with me.

You follow the instructions of your bail bondsman.
You appear in court on time, neat, polite, and prepared to start repairing this stain.
You plead not guilty, and ask the court if you qualify for a court appointed lawyer.
You don't discuss this case with ANYONE but that lawyer.

You keep going to NA.
You STOP using weed, or any illegal drug.
You don't abuse prescription drugs.
You're 18, so don't consume alcoholic beverages.
You get that job.
You keep that job.
You start saving money, spending money ONLY for necessities.

You keep gong to court.
You're always on time to court, NA meetings, and your job.
You do the hard work recovery requires.
Never give a drug dealer another penny of your hard earned money.
Dope is trouble, even weed, as you've learned.

Fixing this will take time, so stay strong, be patient.
Your lawyer will eventually offer you more instructions and options.
This is all you need for now.

Funny thing, you already knew all of this, didn't you?
Now, keep fixing the mess.

If I want them to go easy on me wouldnt I plead guilty? And what do you expect the expected punishment will be? I will pay as much as I need to. I just can't get probation because right now my parents don't know and obviously they will find out if I get probation. If they know I'm homeless.

 

[Jakemorr]

Or should I just look into getting a lAwyer now because I don't have court till june

 

[Betty3]

No, you do not plead guilty. On your initial appearance in court you plead not guilty as army judge noted. If you cannot afford a lawyer, at that time ask for a public defender (a PD is a lawyer). You can then discuss your options with him/her.

 

[Jakemorr]

What usually happens with cases like these? Do you think they would take the offer for a large fine or a suspended case?

 

[Michael Wechsler]

Since it's such a little thing and it's my first charge and I'm just 18 do you think I need a lawyer if I'm broke? And you think Its realistic to get off with a fine or a suspended case I'm going to get a job before court and show I have been going to NA meetings

I read about your hope that they will go easy on you because you're potentially homeless, etc. Honestly, I think you need to wake up to the seriousness of the issue. Smoking marijuana is not only a crime but also not a necessity. It's not like you violated the law because you were hungry and were starving. You have no money for necessities but you have money for weed... No, they may not go easy on someone who appears to have no plan, no care, no direction and will be a burden on the system forever. Pity probably won't work here. And if you ever want to straighten out your life and get a job, do you think that an employer doing a background check and seeing a conviction for marijuana possession is going to go over well?

At the very least you should ask for a public defender and you should definitely plead "not guilty" and hope to then work out a deal with the prosecutor. It is possible that for a small amount of marijuana you may be able to get alternative sentencing. This may mean that if you refrain from possessing and smoking marijuana and otherwise steering clear of violating the law, the charges may be dropped. I can't say for certain but pleading guilty and taking the fine you won't be able to afford doesn't seem to be any good or acceptable result.

 

[Jakemorr]

I read about your hope that they will go easy on you because you're potentially homeless, etc. Honestly, I think you need to wake up to the seriousness of the issue. Smoking marijuana is not only a crime but also not a necessity. It's not like you violated the law because you were hungry and were starving. You have no money for necessities but you have money for weed... No, they may not go easy on someone who appears to have no plan, no care, no direction and will be a burden on the system forever. Pity probably won't work here. And if you ever want to straighten out your life and get a job, do you think that an employer doing a background check and seeing a conviction for marijuana possession is going to go over well?

At the very least you should ask for a public defender and you should definitely plead "not guilty" and hope to then work out a deal with the prosecutor. It is possible that for a small amount of marijuana you may be able to get alternative sentencing. This may mean that if you refrain from possessing and smoking marijuana and otherwise steering clear of violating the law, the charges may be dropped. I can't say for certain but pleading guilty and taking the fine you won't be able to afford doesn't seem to be any good or acceptable result.

I have money. Just not thousands, I am workin doing landscaping and I'm applying for a job at a factory. I, not some freeloader that smokes massive amounts of pot. I just was out with some buddies and got caught up. I'm hoping they don't screw me and I can go on living my daily life.

 

[Michael Wechsler]

So you're not on the verge of homelessness. You have a job. You have income. Don't take the pity path as it's probably not going to work. You are best served showing that you take the marijuana charge seriously and don't intend to make the same mistake again.

Considering that the marijuana possession charge is a misdemeanor and appears to carry up to 1 year in jail and a $2,000 fine, an investment in an criminal defense attorney may end up being worthwhile. If you've got a clean criminal record, it's probably something you want to maintain. You're under no obligation to retain an attorney so it's possible for you to discuss the potential for representation. I'm not sure if you will qualify for the public defender but you're better off with his or her legal representation than trying to broker your own deal and pleading guilty and having a criminal conviction for a misdemeanor on your record if you can avoid it. Others may share their opinions. Good luck.

 

[Disabled Vet]

So you're not on the verge of homelessness. You have a job. You have income. Don't take the pity path as it's probably not going to work. You are best served showing that you take the marijuana charge seriously and don't intend to make the same mistake again.

Considering that the marijuana possession charge is a misdemeanor and appears to carry up to 1 year in jail and a $2,000 fine, an investment in an criminal defense attorney may end up being worthwhile. If you've got a clean criminal record, it's probably something you want to maintain. You're under no obligation to retain an attorney so it's possible for you to discuss the potential for representation. I'm not sure if you will qualify for the public defender but you're better off with his or her legal representation than trying to broker your own deal and pleading guilty and having a criminal conviction for a misdemeanor on your record if you can avoid it. Others may share their opinions. Good luck.

I think he meant if his parents find out he is homeless. They will kick him out. So this isn't the first time they have caught him.

 

[Michael Wechsler]

I think he meant if his parents find out he is homeless. They will kick him out. So this isn't the first time they have caught him.

Thanks, you're probably right. Regardless, I don't find that most prosecutors will be amused by the pity approach or the "it's no big deal just let me pay the fine" approach. If it's no big deal then go ahead, pay the fine for the crime. Technically, if you're guilty you're guilty. But unfortunately these types of crimes can have much larger repercussions and many young people don't realize just to what extent it can reach.