Palmerton man charged with possession of marijuana

Palmerton police have charged a borough man after a blood test revealed drugs in his system.

According to the affidavit of probable cause filed by officer Dane O’Brien of the Palmerton Borough Police Department:

At 11:08 p.m. Feb. 21, O’Brien was on patrol in the 100 block of Delaware Avenue when he saw a Volkswagen Jetta traveling toward Route 248 with window glazing on all windows.

O’Brien conducted a traffic stop on the 248 eastbound entrance ramp.

O’Brien noticed the driver, William Morales Jr., 54, had red eyes and had slight eyelid tremors.

Morales said that he was on his way to work.

O’Brien asked him to submit to a series of field sobriety exercises.

O’Brien searched Morales and found green vegetable matter wrapped in cellophane in Morales’ right front jacket pocket.

Morales told O’Brien that it was marijuana, but denied ownership. Morales denied smoking marijuana in the last 20 years.

Morales consented to a blood test, which indicated the presence of Delta 9-THC and its metabolites.

Morales faces charges of driving under the influence of a controlled substance, and possession of a small amount of marijuana.

He is scheduled to appear for a preliminary hearing Oct. 2 before District Judge William Kissner of Palmerton.