A long-time Paterson high school teacher’s aide and basketball coach has been taken into custody on assault and drug charges. Police investigators allege that the man had been dealing cocaine. Detectives approached the man as he was sitting in his SUV in a parking lot outside of a home improvement store on Aug. 28 at about 7 p.m. When the detectives identified themselves, he reportedly attempted to drive away and struck one of the detective’s cars. He then exited his vehicle and allegedly fled on foot.
When investigators caught up with him, he reportedly assaulted and injured two of them as they tried to take him into custody. After the man had been brought into custody, investigators are said to have discovered seven grams of powder cocaine from inside the man’s vehicle. He has been charged with assaulting law officers and possession with the intent to distribute. He was held in custody in lieu of a $500,000 bail.
Drug charges such as possession with the intent to distribute carry serious consequences for those who are convicted. A judge may impose a prison sentence of several months or years, hefty fines and a long probation period. In addition, many employers check the criminal records of potential employees. A person with a drug conviction may face future difficulties in finding work and housing.
A New Jersey criminal defense attorney may be able to minimize the impact of drug charges for a defendant. In this story, the man was taken into custody before the drugs were allegedly seized from his vehicle. An attorney could look at such a situation to see if law enforcement officers had violated any laws or protocol. The attorney might be able to challenge the evidence or police procedure to have the evidence excluded from court.