A 26-year-old man was recently arrested in Union City, New Jersey, after police allegedly found him to be in possession of a small amount of marijuana. The man's troubles soon multiplied, however, when police discovered that he was wanted in a neighboring state on other charges. What began as a simple arrest for the relatively minor charge of possession of marijuana could lead to far more serious criminal challenges for the man, who is now being held without bail.
The man was arrested for possession of less than one ounce of marijuana. However, he is also considered to be a fugitive from justice from a neighboring state. It is unclear what the nature of those other charges may be. Details have also not been released concerning why the man was designated as a fugitive from justice.
For now, the man is being held without bail based on the outstanding warrant. His New Jersey arrest led to a bail of only $10,000, with a 10 percent cash option. Until the matter is resolved, he will remain incarcerated and could be extradited to a different jurisdiction.
Law enforcement and the courts take an aggressive approach toward drug charges, and rightfully so. That said, not every drug crime represents a serious threat to society, as evidenced by the continued efforts to decriminalize the possession and recreational use of marijuana. In this case, the man arrested may have other charges to address, which could lead to more serious punitive measures if a conviction is obtained. Had the matter been confined to the New Jersey marijuana arrest, the outcome may have been far less severe than the one he now faces.
Source: nj.com, "West New York man facing Union City drug charge is wanted in New York", Michaelangelo Conte, July 22, 2015