Sale of cigarettes to persons under age 19, 2C:33-13.1
Posted by whitecollarcrimenews on November 14, 2009
Sale of cigarettes to persons under age 19, 2C:33-13.1
a. A person who sells or gives to a person under 19 years of age any cigarettes made of tobacco or of any other matter or substance which can be smoked, or any cigarette paper or tobacco in any form, including smokeless tobacco, including an employee of a retail dealer licensee under P.L.1948, c.65 (C.54:40A-1 et seq.) who actually sells or otherwise provides a tobacco product to a person under 19 years of age, shall be punished by a fine as provided for a petty disorderly persons offense. A person who has been previously punished under this section and who commits another offense under it may be punishable by a fine of twice that provided for a petty disorderly persons offense.
b. The establishment of all of the following shall constitute a defense to any prosecution brought pursuant to subsection a. of this section:
(1) that the purchaser or recipient of the tobacco product falsely represented, by producing either a driver’s license or non-driver identification card issued by the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission, a similar card issued pursuant to the laws of another state or the federal government of Canada, or a photographic identification card issued by a county clerk, that the purchaser or recipient was of legal age to purchase or receive the tobacco product;
(2) that the appearance of the purchaser or recipient of the tobacco product was such that an ordinary prudent person would believe the purchaser or recipient to be of legal age to purchase or receive the tobacco product; and
(3) that the sale or distribution of the tobacco product was made in good faith, relying upon the production of the identification set forth in paragraph (1) of this subsection, the appearance of the purchaser or recipient, and in the reasonable belief that the purchaser or recipient was of legal age to purchase or receive the tobacco product.
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