First Offense Marijuana/Paraphernalia Arrest

[hogtied11211]

What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)?

Scottsdale, Arizona

Last week I was charged with possession of marijuana (less than one gram) and possession of drug paraphernalia (Pipe & Grinder) in my car. I gladly came clean and told the cop straight up that I had weed and paraphernalia in my car after he asked to search for weapons. I am 18 years of age and this is my first offense of any kind of drug charges. I am currently awaiting a letter in the mail with a court date and was wondering what kind of penalties am I looking at here? I was very honest and polite to the cop (who told me my cooperation would help me out in the long run), I had an extremely small amount of weed (>gram) and the pipe and grinder that's all. Any help is greatly appreciated and thank you.

 

[The Occultist]

It's always best to show up with legal representation, but many have gone through what you're about to without it.

Assuming you have no criminal history, you will find that you're going to be let off quite easily as AZ tends to be quite forgiving to first-time offenders of non-violent crimes.

When you show up for your court date, the judge will ask how you plead. Usually the judge will also ask if, before pleading, you would like to request a pre-trial conference. Of not, just simply request this. At this point, you will likely be scheduled a new court date.

At this second appearance, the DA will likely offer you deferred prosecution (which you will gladly accept). Deferred prosecution will entail taking a drug class, paying court fees, potentially some community service, and a [light] probation, the successful completion of which will result in the dismissal of your charges.

 

[hogtied11211]

Your response was much appreciated The Occultist. Yes, like you said, I do not have any past criminal history (other than a minor speeding ticket but that's it). I have one question though and that is how much do these court fees tend to cost?

 

[The Occultist]

That will depend on the court; I have heard of anywhere between $300 and $1000 (you will likely be looking at somewhere on the lower end of that scale).

I still recommend speaking with an attorney. Local attorneys know exactly what the courts want to hear, and as such present the highest potential for yielding the most favorable results. Many attorneys will offer free/cheap consultations, so take advantage of this and sit down with a couple to see what insight they may have to offer. If it helps motivate you to speak to an attorney, then I will offer this last piece of insight: I am NOT an attorney.