On Sept. 13, a 20-year-old New Jersey woman was taken into police custody after authorities seized 18 packages of heroin. According to a statement issued by a Holmdel police officer, the incident took place after an officer observed her driving erratically in a Jeep at around 3 a.m. The officer followed the woman for a short distance before conducting a traffic stop on the vehicle at the Laurel Avenue and Middle Road intersection. It was found that the woman's driver's license was suspended. At this point, she was taken into custody.
When her vehicle was searched, authorities found 19 empty packets of drugs and three hypodermic needles in addition to the full packets of heroin, according to the statement. Authorities charged the woman with possession of heroin, possession of a hypodermic syringe and possession of drug paraphernalia in addition to driving with a suspended license. She was released from custody and is due to appear in court.
A person who has charged with a drug crime can potentially face severe consequences upon conviction that may range from a fine and probation to incarceration. The penalties often depend on whether or not the person has prior drug convictions as well as the type and amount of the drugs that were seized.
If this is the defendant's first offense, a criminal defense attorney may attempt to negotiate a sentence that allows the defendant to seek help for a drug addiction in lieu of harsher penalties. In other cases, an attorney may review the arrest report and argue that the search that led to the seizure of the drugs was invalid.
Source: Holmdel-Hazlet Patch, "Holmdel Police Arrest Woman On Drug Charges", Michelle Sahn, Sept. 18, 2015