New Jersey drug conspiracy lawyer

Understanding Drug Conspiracy Charges in New Jersey

When you think of drug conspiracies, your thoughts may turn to drug lords, organized crime, and other similar situations. However, you may be surprised to learn that people can be charged with drug conspiracy for doing far less than these criminals. In fact, you don’t even have to sell the drugs yourself to be charged with drug conspiracy. Contrarily, you might assume that the less involved you were with selling the drugs, the lighter sentence you would receive if convicted. Unfortunately, this is rarely the case. Due to the war on drugs being a constant issue in today’s news, prosecutors and other law enforcement officials will always strive to secure harsh convictions against those involved with drugs. If you now find yourself facing drug conspiracy charges in New Jersey, take them very seriously and immediately consult with a knowledgeable New Jersey drug conspiracy lawyer who can put their expertise to work for you and your case.

Defining Conspiracy in New Jersey Law

While New Jersey does not have specific drug conspiracy laws, it does have conspiracy laws that can be applied to drug cases. The legal definition of conspiracy in New Jersey is when one person reaches an agreement with another person to either engage in criminal conduct or assist in the planning or commission of a crime. For instance, if you decide to work with another person to sell marijuana, you could be charged with drug conspiracy if caught by the police. To make matters worse, these charges could be levied against you even if you never actually sold marijuana to anyone. The mere act of buying packing materials and wrapping the drugs for resale could lead to a conspiracy charge. In these situations, consider turning to a New Jersey drug conspiracy lawyer who understands the nuances of these cases and can work hard to get the charges against you reduced or dropped.

Conspiracy Charges Without a Completed Crime?

If you believe that you won’t be charged with drug conspiracy if a crime never actually takes place, think again. For example, even if your partner in a marijuana drug business never actually sells the drugs you packaged for resale, both of you can be charged with drug conspiracy. Prosecutors will defend the filing of conspiracy charges against you based on the definition of conspiracy, which partly includes the attempt to commit a crime. If you are found to be involved in any way with a drug operation, expect to be charged with conspiracy if caught by authorities.

Defenses Against Conspiracy Charges

Yes, there are defenses against conspiracy charges. Once you have hired an experienced New Jersey drug conspiracy lawyer to handle your case, they will immediately examine the evidence against you and plan a legal defense known as a renunciation of purpose. When using this defense, your lawyer will argue that you should be allowed to escape conviction due to your actions to prevent a crime from taking place. As an example, if you contact the police before your partner sells any drugs, your lawyer can point to this as proof that you took the necessary steps to stop the criminal activity. Despite prosecutors working hard to prove otherwise, having a skilled attorney on your side may lead to a not guilty verdict. Since you may be facing many years in prison if this does not happen, you should never trust your case to an attorney who does not handle drug conspiracy cases regularly. Instead, hire a New Jersey drug conspiracy lawyer who has a reputation for helping clients avoid guilty convictions in these cases.

Protect Your Rights

Given the confusing nature of New Jersey’s conspiracy laws, do not allow yourself to be intimidated and confused by law enforcement officials and prosecutors once you are arrested. The gravity of your alleged crime will motivate authorities to pressure you into revealing each and every detail of the drug operation you were allegedly involved with at the time of your arrest. Faced with threats of long prison sentences and other penalties, you may let your fear and confusion force you into making critical mistakes regarding what you say while under arrest. However, always remember the Miranda rights that were read to you upon your arrest. While the police may use your statements against you, keep in mind you also have the right to an attorney and for that attorney to be present during any questioning. To protect your rights from the start, say nothing until you consult with and hire the best possible New Jersey drug conspiracy lawyer available to handle your case.