busted on the spot.my story and now what?

so i went to mcdonalds got a milk shake ( there was about 5 cops there standing around talking w/e) after going thru drive thru at mcdonalds i drive downtown and park in a slightly more secluded area, its dark, its midnight im sitting here rolling a joint enjoying the milkshake, know one is around, know other cars around near me and all of a sudden i get a spot light shining straight thru my car, i knew it was police so i quickly hid everything under my seat, grinder, like an 8th of bud, and some rollin papers, he asks me what are you doing out here, i told him enjoying my mcdonalds milkshake, hes like "oh yea, well the only reason why i know people come out to here is to do drugs or make babies" then asks me if i was smoking pot, i told him earlier that day i was, he asks me if i have any thing in the car, i told him some pot and a grinder, he asks me how much, i told him a little less than an 8th, he asks for my id, tells me to sit tight and that hell brb, so when he gets back he asks me to step out fo the car, i kiddingly reply with "should i just go hop in the back seat of your car" he just repeated him self and said na step out of the car for me, so i do, he asks me to lean up against the back of my car and put my hands around my back, he puts me under arrest and ask if i had anything else on me weapons drugs ect... said no, ( and i didnt have anything else on me) so he pats me down and walks me to his car, i get in, and by this time 5 other police have shown up and there out there discussing the current situation i assume, then i see them all start searching my car top to bottom, trunk and all had every thing a mess in there, now i know why there called pigs... lol... so any he comes back to me saying is this your first time being arrested and all and i tell him yeah first time never had any trouble ever before except for a speeding ticket...wich was payed off and cleared from my record, so he ends up telling me that since i was so cooperative that he doesnt wanna arrest me cause then he would have to tow my car so he confiscates my 70 dollar grinder, my little less than an 8th... and the new pack of rollin papers lol and lets me go...about a week later i get documentation staing that im being charged with possesion of pot, and possesion of paraphernalia in wich my state (maryland) has a max fine of 1000 dollars/1 year in jail for each charge and im scheduled togoto court in like a month. whats going to happen? what should i do? what shouldnt i do? how do i prepare for this? since this is liek the first time will this be like a slap on the wrist pay a fine and never talk of it again kinda thing? will it be on my record forever?

u fucked up never admit to shit and never consent to search u ratted your own self out im sorry to say
as to the ? of how to prepare for this i will just say when u go to court pack your toothbrush

did you sign anything or is it just his word against yours

in most states minor misdemeanors can be expunged. Probation seems like a appropriate punishment for that. No jail time should be in future. probably a nice fine though. Only way to remove the offense from record would be pay the fine and the expungment fee. check with the clerk of courts after hearing.

Yeah that wasn't the best idea consenting to search when I was arrested they damn near grabbed my pipe they knew it was there but asked if there was a reason to search I said no they tried to get my stuff but I said I have ocd please don't touch my stuff and they allowed me to get it and lock it up...for me it was easy to manipulate the situation to my benefit if you used your brain you wouldn't be where you are..get a lawyer

Yeah, you sold yourself out man.

Know your rights. Crack a window, don't offer more than you need to. If it is locked then it cannot be searched.

99 problems...

and what ever u do if u drop the soap dont bend over to pick it up

"well the only reason why i know people come out to here is to do drugs or make babies"...i would get a new spot thats not well known as a drug use and/or sex spot and definetley not at midnight rolling a joint.
did he say he wasnt going to charge you at all or he wasnt going to arrest you for them? im sure they will cut a plea deal with you, one sad thing is you aint gonna be smoking any bud for awhile if they give you like a year of probation, also to help yourself on that part make sure to offer or ask to go through one of those bs drug classes.

good advice and op im not hating on u but u need to wise up a little so when this is all over u dont make these mistakes again u violated every rule of a true ganja smoker now u got to do damage control then be more cautious next time out
repped darkdestruction

darkdestruction420 said:

"well the only reason why i know people come out to here is to do drugs or make babies"...i would get a new spot thats not well known as a drug use and/or sex spot and definetley not at midnight rolling a joint.
did he say he wasnt going to charge you at all or he wasnt going to arrest you for them? im sure they will cut a plea deal with you, one sad thing is you aint gonna be smoking any bud for awhile if they give you like a year of probation, also to help yourself on that part make sure to offer or ask to go through one of those bs drug classes.

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move to a state that supports MMJ

your gonna get a fine no jailtime and lose your license. it will stay on your record(i got like 5 of these on mine) get a lawyer or dont. talk to the magistrate and ask them if you can plea to a disorderly conduct. they will do that then you dont have a drug charge.

You did the right thing by fessing up because they knew what you were doing. When they had the spotlight on you they surely seen you stashing your shit. If you would have lied to them about it, they wouldn't have been so lenient with you and they still would have searched your car and they would have taken you straight to jail and towed your car for lying to them, costing you more money in the long run and charges to boot.

Your gonna get a slap on the wrist, along with a fine. Your also probably gonna do a year probation with monthly piss tests and drug classes. Also it's not a smart idea to go to court without a lawyer. The initial hearing you wont need one, just plead not guilty to the charges. After that get yourself a lawyer even if you have to get a public pretender.

Take it from someone that's been through this shit before.

Good Luck.

clearly mcdonalds and cops are now working together to bust stoners

i never signed anything, just words exchanged..

well all cars have video cams now so im sure it was all caught on tape and since u told on yourself they got everything they need i say lawyer up and hope for for the best but i dont see a way out of conviction but maybe lawyer can get charge reduced or sentence reduced

planb1700 said:

i never signed anything, just words exchanged..

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maryland laws
Possession, use or sale of paraphernalia is a criminal fine of $500 for the first offense. For a second or subsequent offense, the penalties increase to a term of up to two years in prison and a fine of up to $2,000.

Possession
Any amount misdemeanor 1 year $1,000
doesnt mention license suspensions though so they may not do it

its not uncommon for them to tell u they arnet charging u then they change their minds at the office. i think thats just to make sure u dont flip on them at the site.

one friend of mine wasnt even drunk and the guy said hey yer not driving home (as he was walking down the road) so he said to my friend
ill drive u home... my friend decided ok... why not...

and a week later got a drunk and disorderly charge for $400, wtf

planb1700 said:

i never signed anything, just words exchanged..

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Get a lawyer. They will fuck you without one.
Next time smoke at home. If I have to take a long trip and want to bring some weed. I make a pipe out of aluminum foil and pack it good. If I get pulled over I can just crunch it up and throw it in the floor. It will look like trash left over from lunch. And of course always always always admit nothing. They are not your friend and dont want to help you out.

Don't sweat it too bad guy...you did the best thing by goin ahead and tellin them what was up. If theyre spotlightin you and your parked in a known drug zone at midnight, then you were going to get busted anyway so might as well fess up (especially since you had such a minute amount)...you making their job easier and being compliant probably kept you outta jail that night, as well as you getting to keep your ride.

The whole don't consent to search or lie and make them look for it...that would work in lets say, getting pulled over for speeding or broken taillight. But again, your circumstance at the time of questioning was suspicious to say the least lol I wish you luck! Let us know what happens

LightningMcGreen said:

Don't sweat it too bad guy...you did the best thing by goin ahead and tellin them what was up. If theyre spotlightin you and your parked in a known drug zone at midnight, then you were going to get busted anyway so might as well fess up (especially since you had such a minute amount)...you making their job easier and being compliant probably kept you outta jail that night, as well as you getting to keep your ride.

The whole don't consent to search or lie and make them look for it...that would work in lets say, getting pulled over for speeding or broken taillight. But again, your circumstance at the time of questioning was suspicious to say the least lol I wish you luck! Let us know what happens

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Very poor advice.

Here is a better option.

Never consent to a search. Most individuals arrested on marijuana charges could have avoided the arrest by exercising their Fourth Amendment rights. If a law enforcement officer asks permission to search, it is usually because :

1. There is not enough evidence to obtain a search warrant
2. The officer does not feel like going through the hassle of obtaining a search warrant.

Law enforcement officers are trained to intimidate people into consenting to searches. If an individual does consent, the officer can -and will- conduct a search without a warrant. If the officer finds any contraband, the person will be arrested. Moreover, the validity of the evidence will almost definitely hold up in court ( The recent Alaska and Ohio court rulings are exceptions to the rule.) because consenting to a search essentially amounts to handing the evidence to the officer and saying, "Here it is, arrest me."
If an individual does not consent, the officer must either release the person or detain the person and attempt to get a warrant. The fact that an individual refuses to consent does not give the officer grounds to obtain a warrant. The individual should politely say:

"I do not consent to a search of my person, belongings, home, or vehicle. I retain my Fourth Amendment right and all other rights under the United States Constitution. I will say nothing until my attorney is present."
If the officer conducts a search anyway- without a warrant- any contraband discovered will likely be declared invalid evidence by the judge and any charges will probably be dropped. If the officer does attempt to get a warrant and is successful in doing so, any contraband discovered may still be excluded as evidence if the individual's lawyer can convince the judge that the warrant itself was invalid-which, in many cases, it is.
IMPORTANT: No matter what a law enforcement officer threatens or promises, it is always better to refuse to consent to a search.

Do not stick around any longer than is required: From the time a law enforcement officer approaches, it is wise to remain calm and not arouse suspicion. Nevertheless, individuals should always find out if the officer requires them to stay; if not, they should explain that they are in a hurry, then leave.
Law enforcement officers are trained to create the impression that their suspects are obliged to stay. Individuals being questioned by an officer should simply say:
"Am I under arrest or otherwise detained? If not, I really need to get going. Have a nice day."
Do not be hostile; do not physically resist: Some law enforcement officers do not care about citizens' rights; sometimes, the suspect is caught red-handed; other times, there are special-case qualifiers to certain rights, or there are loopholes beyond the scope of discussion in this publication. In any case, there are times when individuals politely assert their rights and refuse to talk or give consent, but the officers disregard their wishes and proceed to detain, search, or arrest them. In such cases, it is important to keep in mind that law enforcement officers have clubs, mace, handcuffs, guns, back-up, and usually the trust of the court. Aggression against the officers can make matters far worse. This does not mean that individuals facing such circumstances should give up all rights. Sometimes it is best to simply say, "Do what you feel you must; I will not physically resist. However, I do not consent to this."