When I say talk to a lawyer I think of how I know plenty of them as friends. Not everyone has that. Im talking about a lawyer buddy up to date on your state laws. Not some guy from kentucky. In this particular case a public defender would be all you need. Last time I needed a lawyer I was pulled over by a k-9 unit after 5 hours in a bar 3 lines and with an ounce or so and 500 grand in my trunk. THATS the kind of shit you need a lawyer for. This is the kind of shit where yeah its gonna be a pain in the ass youll have to take classes of some sort and youll have to go through some different motions but in the end your record is expunged and regardless you probably would not be looking at jail time for a first offense like this unless you are a real hard-head and refuse to do anything to "help yourself". Courts actually give you a lot of time between the time you are charged to the time of your actual sentencing. Partly because they are busy and partly because they give you the time to either keep fucking up or show them that you are "helping yourself" the way that they like to see. You gotta tickle their ass.

I tell you to talk to a lawyer because if you need to come to an internet forum for answers then you need more help than you will get short of a response from an actual NJ lawyer on here and not just a guy like me thats gone through this a few times throughout my adult life.