A lawyer who has admitted posession of methamphetamine is hoping to escape convictions.
The man, aged in his 40s, works for a well known firm and appeared at the Auckland District Court today.
He was declined name suppression in the face of opposition from the media but his lawyer has indicated he would appeal that decision to the High Court.
That means in the meantime, he can not be named.
Photo: RNZ / Kim Baker Wilson
Initially, the lawyer faced a much more serious charge of supplying the class A drug.
However the police withdrew that charge after the lawyer pleaded guilty to the three possession charges today, which carry a maximum of six months in prison.
His lawyer, Peter Davey, said he would be seeking a discharge without conviction when his client appeared for sentencing next month because the consequences of the crime outweigh the seriousness of the offending.
Mr Davey confirmed he would argue his client would struggle to get work in his chosen field if he was convicted. In the meantime, he said his client was about to begin rehabilitation and counselling.
Mr Davey also got a change to his client's bail conditions which would allow him to travel overseas for a family wedding.
He said naming his client would cause extreme hardship to the lawyer, his wife and others who depended on him being able to work in his profession and earn the money he was currently making.
But Judge Anne Kiernan declined that application.
She said it could create hardship but that was something many people faced when they admitted charges in court.
However, Mr Davey immediately indicated he would be appealing that decision to the High Court.
That means the man can not be named.
Other people who were also charged by police in the same operation are due back in court in three weeks' time.
