Drug Crimes, Substance Abuse booked on open container/ticketed with possession

[1070]

pulled over by dps for speeding. had open container and 2grams of marijuana. trooper said he was booking me on the open container alone so i could make bail and issuing tickets for the possession, paraphanalia and consuming alcoholic beverage. said the ticketed items were misdemeaners. do i need a lawyer, or should i schedule a court date and take my medicine? thanks for your time

 

[mightymoose]

That is totally up to you. You can get a private attorney if you want, or you can accept the public defender when the time comes... an attorney can help to minimize the damages, but sometimes, when the evidence is clear and not in dispute, there isn't a lot more for them to do but help you through the procedure and understand what is going on. At the very least, let the public defender represent you when the time comes.

 

[1070]

hey mightymoose
so how much damage will i possibly sustain? first bust. as far as how the trooper booked me is that what i go to court (open container) on? i can live w/the record & probation, not so much for dl suspension or jail time. have heard of other charges being dropped just because of an initial not guilty plea. no excuses for my lapse in situational awareness. thanks for the reply

 

[1070]

So I go to court tomorrow if I was booked on open container alone (ticketed with paraphanalia and possession)is that what I get sentenced on?

 

[mightymoose]

You would have to look at your court papers to find out what you are going to court for. It is possible that you are only going for what is on the citation, but also possible that they have combined all the offenses to handle them at once.
If you get there and you are overwhelmed by it all, simply ask to be appointed legal counsel. Don't try to do it on your own if you are not feeling confident.
I doubt you will have jail time for any of this. Expect to pay fines, maybe have a license suspension, and probation.

 

[1070]

so i went to court, judge says no public defender since i'm not looking at jail time? judge said he couldn't advise me but also said pleading not guilty would be a good call since '80% of the time both sides can come to something agreeable'. i'm hoping the odds are in my favor. thinking i'll wait to hear what the prosecuter says, then seek out a consultation (depending on possibilities). i work for the fed govt (17 yrs) and am not too excited about losing that because of my knucklehead choices. judge said i should mention my employment to the prosecuter.

 

[jharris352]

The Judge is trying to tell you that the prosecutor will work with you if you mention your employment and cooperate with them. There is some sort of 1st offender program that will leave your record untouched. Good luck talk to the prosecutor.