On February 14, 2023, the Supreme Court finally made the right decision allowing those with prior marijuana conditional discharges the possibility to get into PTI. https://www.njcourts.gov/sites/default/files/court-opinions/2023/a_64_65_21.pdfIt is no longer an automatic bar to PTI if you have a prior conditional discharge for marijuana. The court held that people who received pre-CREAMMA conditional discharges for specified marijuana offenses — just like persons who had pre-CREAMMA convictions for those marijuana offenses are no longer categorically precluded from future admission into PTI. Rather, courts and prosecutors must consider the merits of their PTI applications, without regard to the existence or circumstances of the earlier marijuana-related conditional discharges. The holding harmonizes CREAMMA and its manifest legislative intent with the pre-existing general language of the PTI and expungement statutes, including the Legislature’s command in CREAMMA to apply its reforms to “any case” that arose before its enactment.
Finally, the Court made the right decision and notes that this is an exceptional situation involving a sweeping new statute that it has endeavored to harmonize sensibly with pre-existing laws. In the past year, many of my clients ran into issues when they had a prior CD for marijuana, and this is no longer a bar. This also calls for consistency throughout the State with how these applications are to be handled by the Courts and Prosecutors Offices. The real issue remains that even though a prior CD can no longer be sited at a bar anymore will Prosecutors and probation officers still let the prior CD influence their decisions to allow applicants into PTI. https://www.breslowdefense.com/tara-breslow-esq.html
PTI applicants can be barred for a variety of reasons, so it is important to be prepared for your interview and have counsel advise you about the process. https://www.breslowdefense.com/pre-trial-intervention-pti.html Call Tara Breslow for a free consultation 732 784 2880 or email tara@breslowdefense.com.