Philadelphia Police Brutality Lawyers: False Arrest of a Medical Marijuana User in New Jersey

Police misconduct is prevalent in neighborhoods all over the country, increasing the need and pressure for police officers to wear body cameras. The following incident is another example of a recent case where police officers broke their code of conduct.

On October 8, 2013, as reported by the New Jersey Herald, police were called to a Sparta Township home in New Jersey for a domestic violence incident. During the house call, police officers noticed large amounts of marijuana, a scale, and drug paraphernalia around the house. They obtained a search warrant and returned to the house, seizing more than 70 grams of marijuana. The man hurt in the domestic was then charged with possession of marijuana and drug paraphernalia.

However, it was later discovered that the arrested man had Crohn’s disease for which he was issued medical marijuana cards by the state. In 2014, he filed a suit in federal court and was pursuing financial compensation against both Sparta Township and the police department; he claimed they violated his civil and constitutional rights. The charges against him were eventually dismissed. The arrested man said he was treated like a criminal rather than a victim by the Sparta Police Department.

In New Jersey, medical marijuana is legal and considered a source of treatment for qualifying conditions like Crohn’s disease. A Superior Court judge ruled that the police department obtained an invalid search warrant as they had no probable cause to enter the house in the first place. In a state that allows medicinal marijuana, police officers need to be conscious of the law. False arrest situations happen frequently and police officers abuse their authority when they can. Other examples of police misconduct include illegal search and seizure, harassment, strip searches, planting evidence, or destroying evidence favorable to an accused person.

Philadelphia Police Brutality Lawyers at Patrick G. Geckle LLC Protect Victims of False Arrest

 Our team of Philadelphia police brutality lawyers can advise victims of police brutality, false arrest, and civil rights violations. Call the law offices of Patrick G. Geckle now at 215-735-3326, toll free at 800-555-7780, or contact us online to discuss your case. Our offices are in Philadelphia and advocate for clients throughout Philadelphia County, Bucks County, Chester County, Montgomery County, and Delaware County.