Drug Crimes, Substance Abuse Son caught with weed and scale

[bryson467]

Jurisdiction

Georgia

Well my son got caught with 4 grams of weed and a scale, however he is 16, turns 17 at the end of this month but still 16. The 2 tickets are possession of marijuana and possession of tools. I am just wondering what all we are looking at? This is his first offense, so that along with him being a minor should help right?

 

[mightymoose]

In theory, yes, as a first offense it should mostly go away on its own.
4 grams is nothing. If I caught someone with 4 grams I'd accidentally lose it in the wind.
His possession of the scale is interesting though.... That is often an indicator of sales. He may be very lucky he wasn't caught with more. As I parent Id be very concerned about where the rest is... because there is always more.

 

[adjusterjack]

him being a minor should help right?

A lawyer would help even more. The scale thing is troubling and the prosecutor might just make an example of your son.

 

[army judge]

Well my son got caught with 4 grams of weed and a scale, however he is 16, turns 17 at the end of this month but still 16. The 2 tickets are possession of marijuana and possession of tools. I am just wondering what all we are looking at?

There is no WE, mate, just a HE.
That said, hold on because he's a minor.
Minors aren't ever charged with crimes in juvenile court.
Minors are simply said to commit "delinquent acts", and they are never tried in juvenile court, as are adults in criminal court.
Juvenile courts are about rehabilitating minors, after assessing what caused the sweet little ones to wander off the STRAIGHT AND NARROW.

This is his first offense, so that along with him being a minor should help right?

The kid, mate, your son isn't going to get much more than a lecture from a judge.
He could be sent to attend a couple of classes to assess his propensity to abuse drugs, assess his personality, he could be ordered to attend counseling, the judge might require him to write an essay, do some community service, encourage him to stay in school and matriculate annually, and to become a productive, tax paying, law abiding taxpayer.

Either you, his mom, or both of you will have to appear with him in court, and shuttle him to his various court ordered tasks.

He might end up on probation, likely unsupervised, and be ordered to return at some dat in the future to prove he has accomplished the tasks assigned.

This is your son's "mulligan", mate.

With the support of you and mom, he'll be none the worse for wear, and hopefully much smarter this time next year.

As "adjusterjack" points out, the "scale" could become his "Achilles heel".

For that reason, and that reason alone, I suggest you retain an attorney to represent him.
If that isn't financially possible, appear with him and ask the court of he can obtain a public defender.

In most jurisdictions, that happens without asking, but be prepared to ask if it doesn't.