A surprising drug arrests are made in Berkeley Township. Berkeley Township Police and New Jersey State Police patrol the Township with the State troopers restricted primarily to the Garden State Parkway section of Berkeley. Berkeley is located at exit 77, the Berkeley Municipal Court is practically in Double Trouble State Park.
The majority of drug arrests in Berkeley are made for marijuana possession and drug paraphernalia possession. Some cocaine and heroin charges are also filed in Berkeley, but are usually transferred to the Ocean County Prosecutor's Office. Pharmaceutical pills, mostly pain killers like oxycontin also lead to many of these charges in Berkeley.
Berkeley Township is located in central Ocean County, New Jersey. The town borders Toms River, which has its own Municipal Court. The judge in Berkeley is the Honorable John Sheehy, J.M.C. If you are caught with drugs, marijuana or paraphernalia in Berkeley, you will have to appear for an arraignment/first appearance before Judge Sheehy in the Berkeley Court. The court meets on Wednesday mornings at 8:00 a.m., but you will likely be there for most of the morning. If you hire a lawyer, your appearance may be waived. You should contact an experienced defense attorney before you attend the first appearance.
A defense to the drug charge may exist. For example, if the stop was made without reasonable suspicion, the stop may be challenged. Or, if there was no probable cause to ask for consent to search the vehicle, the consent may be nullified. Other defenses may exist depending on the facts of the case. Anyone convicted of a disorderly persons drug offense in New Jersey may be subject to up to six months in jail and substantial fines. You may also lose your driver's license for a minimum of six months.
A charge of possession of more than 50 grams of marijuana can lead to felony charges. Possession of cocaine or heroin or pills such as Oxycontin usually leads to felony charges as well.
