Pretrial Intervention

Pretrial Intervention & Marijuana Offenses

New Jersey allows individuals indicted or subject to indictment for a marijuana offense to avoid prosecution through a program referred to as Pretrial Intervention (“PTI”). Petitions for Pretrial Intervention or PTI must comply with certain statutory requirements otherwise an accused cannot be afforded diversion of, for example, a marijuana distribution charge. The attorneys from our defense firm, the Law Offices of Jonathan F. Marshall, have years of experience with PTI and know what must be presented in order to avoid indictment. A lawyer from our office would be happy to discuss your eligibility for Pretrial Intervention and to assist you in obtaining diversion of your marijuana offense.

New Jersey Pretrial Intervention Law

The goal of the PTI program is to provide a mechanism by which cases involving individuals likely to be rehabilitated can be diverted such that the legal system does not become overburdened. To accomplish this objective, the law imposes the following eligibility requirements for admission into Pretrial Intervention: (1) the accused is charged with an offense which is eligible for PTI (i.e. Third Degree, Fourth Degree or Downgraded Second Degree); (2) the accused is likely to successfully complete the program; (3) the accused was never granted diversion of an offense previously, including a prior conditional discharge; and (4) consent by the prosecutor to admission into Pretrial Intervention.

When an individual arrested for distributing marijuana successfully completes Pretrial Intervention, his criminal case is dismissed. Completion of PTI therefore eliminates any risk of a criminal conviction. If, however, an individual violates the conditions of Pretrial Intervention, the original charge is resurrected and the marijuana offense is restored to the active trial calendar.

Our defense lawyers have been representing individuals charged with marijuana offenses in conjunction with Pretrial Intervention for literally years. We believe that involvement of an experienced attorney in the PTI process is important in order to reduce the risk of prosecutor rejection. Please do not hesitate to call upon us for a free initial consultation at 1-877-450-8301 to discuss how your marijuana arrest may be resolved through Pretrial Intervention.