So I got busted...Advice needed!

[BlaZeNSmoKe]

Ok, I was sitting in front of my friends house with me and 3 other niggas waiting on him to come home. We was all hitting the blunt until we saw a cop stop at an intersection down the street from us, and it just stopped. To make a long story short, I got busted with possession of marij. ( 1/2 blunt) and paraphernalia (2 white owl cases, and a scale). They told me I have to appear in court the 30th of the next month. So I'm asking y'all, do I need a lawyer? And what are the penalties? I was very cooperative, and honest. I have a clean record and a job (if that helps). Someone school a nigga on this fa'real. Thanks.

[jahjahjahjah]

Depends on what state you live in.

[BlaZeNSmoKe]

North Carolina, Guilford County. I got stopped in the hood, so they was checking my trunk for ki's and shit. So they should take it easy on me since all they found was a blunt in a case and a scale, right?

[Sgt. Pepper]

Scale could give you some trouble... I'm no lawyer, so I can't help you much more than that. Without the scale, I'd say it'd just be a slap on the wrist - a fine and whatnot.

[BlaZeNSmoKe]

Fuck...I thought about that cause the cop asked me if I was selling or not....Damn, where are all my lawyers at? I'm tryna find out if this is gonna be something that's gonna prevent me from going to college, and whether or not my mom finds out. Those are my biggest worries right now.

[SporesDirect]

yeah your parents will find out... your a minor, that means that HAVE to be involved

[BlaZeNSmoKe]

^^^Are you serious? Man, this shit is gonna suck. I mean do they have to go with me to court? How are they gonna find out? I get the mail everyday anyway, so if they send something in the mail, I'll get it before anyone else does. And I've already been accepted to a college, so you don't think they're gonna check my criminal record again? And if they do, will the misdemeanor's show? Thanks for the help.

[motorcycletony222]

The courts have been ruling that 16 is the age that legal records can go with you for the rest of your life. Even if you get out of this through a dismiss or not guilty verdict or a diversion program the arrest will by on your record. I would not worry, courts tend to be easy with first timers on non violent beefs.

[dopesmoker]

i'm guessing you'll only get probation.

[BlaZeNSmoKe]

Ok, motorcycletony, answer me this....why have I gotten mail from attorneys saying that they can get the chargess dismissed and expunged from my criminal record? I don't know where you talking about, but I'm in North Carolina, so it might be different here.

[jbuckets]

if your a minor you dont really need to worry about it much because its jsut appearing in front of a judge...basically you have to make him like you and you mite end up with a fine, probation, juvy, etc.

it wont really effect college if you aiming for a state or community college but Princton mite have beef wit you :thumbsup:

[Shelbay]

The courts have been ruling that 16 is the age that legal records can go with you for the rest of your life. Even if you get out of this through a dismiss or not guilty verdict or a diversion program the arrest will by on your record. I would not worry, courts tend to be easy with first timers on non violent beefs.
For Youthful Offender Status in Alabama a first time offender will not have a record if 21 or younger for most crimes.

[motorcycletony222]

If you commit a felony all past records are looked at. Sealed means for the pubic. Expunged thats a good one and so is juvie records. This is real law, it happens everyday. My state has all the medical weed props. passed by vote. Has not happened in the almost ten years since passing. NORML will tell you that its legal, tell that to the cop as he is putting you in the back seat of his car. I've lived this life for awhile and its always been, the judge, my dumbass lawyer and me ( on my way to the joint). They cited expunged and sealed juvie beefs, enhanced because of cases droped due to diversion programs. They do anything they can get away with, period. lots of time its against your civil rights and unless your lawyer speaks up your ass is screwed. Dont take anybodies word on this web site or NORML's site or even one lawyers, ask every lawyer in your town, go to the library, go back to school get a law degree, then you can do something about the way the law is applied. After I got out last time, 5 years flat, I got my degree, graduated #3 out of 1500, got very good lsat's score, got into a good law program. We will see in about a year if I can change the world. Oh, by the way, paid for school and everything else selling guess what. No one wants to hire an ex-con, a smart ass ex-con and anti-social ex-con and I've even seen it written that I'm psycopathic. Well that was quite a long diatribe. Bottom line is I calls then the way I've seen it. Your are going to get off easy, dont worry about some college not taking you because of some old rap sheet, they dont care.

[CoyoteGrass]

dude....your fine....u dont need a lawyer...i got busted in school for a pipe full of rez,2 dimes and an altoids can full of shit...they let me go with no charge and that was in nj....with the worst cops around....your fine....its a blunt of weed and a scale on your hands.Just dress nice and go to narcotics annonymouse(easy way out) go to google and search na....find a meeting in your town...say yer from out of state and say u have 3 months....then go to court with the key chain they give u and say uve been clean and yer trying to turn ur life around. say u screwed up and your sorry.....they will let u off man...u wont serve time...if anything u'll get probation for a year and sum community service.....u can pay it off too so.

[SmurfyBH]

If charged with only possesion you have nothing to worry about in intent to sell, if they charge you w/ that it is a feloney in the state of NC. You'd been booked. Anyways I share a similiar case except I had a O on me. Good ol state of N.C. All charges were droped. :)

[attachment=o51973]

EDIT: CoyoteGrass you give the worst advice ever... All you say is "your fine"... This is illegaly and yes courts do take this seriously. Just cause you're judge was easy doesn't mean others arn't. N.C. Is very bad with possesion. I'd advise to get a lawyer and have him appel to the district attorney that It'll cost the state more to prosecute you then to drop the charges. Sure it'll cost a lil, but better than a record following.

[johnnylethal]

Oh man I was so glad to stumble on this message board today and have been waiting all day to get registered so I could respond. My wife and I are also life long smokers who recently relocated to columbia, we're long out of what we brought with us and can't find a single person to smoke with. I know to some people it's easy to find like minded people and I'm sure the bud is everywhere down here, but it never has been for us to get hooked up. I work from home (IT industry) and my wife is a recent full time mom so we never meet people, plus we have a lot to lose so we're super descrete. If any of you want new friends to hang, smoke with in SC or NC (hell, I've driven a lot farther then that in the past to score, please let us know. Thanks. (PS, I'm gonna copy/paste this on every board that mentions carolina, so don't be surprised if you see the same post a few times). anyone can email me at [email protected].

[mom2calebnjoshie]

North Carolina, Guilford County. I got stopped in the hood, so they was checking my trunk for ki's and shit. So they should take it easy on me since all they found was a blunt in a case and a scale, right?
Hey hun...we're also in NC - Burke County -- send me an email if you get a chance [email protected] or [email protected] we're VERY new to the area and having a HUGE issue in finding contacts, hope to hear back.
Also, my nephew in FL had the same thing happen and all he got was 3 mos. probation....but i do think with a lawyer you could get less. The scale could be an issue as previously stated BUT...you didn't have any other indciation of sales so you culd just state that its for your use, so you don't get screwed by people - thats better than them thinking you use it for selling -- the courts tend to frown on that, lol. But, good luck - I hope it all works out for you::: I think that is every smokers worse nightmare, getting caught.

[zero2104]

i got caught with a couple g's and i was carrying around baggies, and all i got was posession

if that helps at all

[alpha kenny wun]

http://www.norml.org/index.cfm?Group_ID=4516
Good source for legal info.

[Pride]

stop scaring him.
He sounds like a nice kid, just be who you are, a nice guy, and they'll understand you're just a nice kid who likes to smoke but the law is the law and you got in trouble, but jail time shouldn't be necessary. Probably a fine or some bullshit is all you'll get and a 'don't get caught again' bullshit from the judge.

Assuming you're black, let's hope they don't judge you and shit, so I hope you don't run into that kinda thing...
good luck.

[PotHeed420]

If the cop said you have to appear in court, then it will be traffic court. No need for an attorney/lawyer, they are just going to give you a fine and if you older than 18 your parents aren't going to find out. Dress nice and be polite and the judge will most likely drop the fine about $50. Watch your mail though, if they send your court date in the mail as a reminder.

[Rain Man]

Hey man go to court looking as nice and innocent as you can. Wear the nicest church clothes you can find, and be polite in court, win the judge and jury's sympathy, tell them you have learned your lesson, and are very sorry. If you can not afford a lawyer, the state can get one for you at no cost. Use him. Shit, I don't know, the best advice I can give you is, next time, smoke in the backyard. :thumbsup: :D