Unlawful Possession of Marijuana in NYC

Hello everyone, I'm not sure I am in the right section, but I am too tired and too scared about my future to really check. I just need to get this off my chest.
Earlier today, my friend asks me if I am free to hang out and maybe smoke some weed. As you can already probably tell, I said sure. So in order to prepare, we had to get some so my friend purchased about a quarter of an ounce for the night and for his own personal use. After buying it, obviously we needed to smoke it so we decided to smoke in his old high-school's track field. But before actually going to smoke it, obviously, you need to roll it. So when we got to the destination (we parked next to the field), my friend started rolling it as I watched out for cops. Guess what? As I'm looking out, an undercover cop car pulls up next to us and shines his flashlight into our eyes and asks us questions such as what are we doing here and what do we have inside of the car. I tell him nothing and he, along with 2 of his friends, come out of the car to talk to us. As the first guy gets out, he starts walking to the car and sticks his hand inside of the window and starts to unlock the door. I said to him "Hey, you're not allowed to do that - don't you need my consent to get in my car?", he replies saying only a few words. "You wanna bet?" So as he unlocks my door and opens it, he looks around some more. He then tells me and my friend to step out of the car after we tell him we're just looking around the area and the school. He tells me to put my hands on the car and he pats me down as his other friend interrogates my friend and his 3rd buddy begins to search my car. The first cop continues to search me, thoroughly I might add, and keeps asking me questions about what our real intentions were. They tell us that if we tell them the truth, it could be easier on us, so my friend told the officers that we were there because we planned to get high. He tells us, after patting us down, "Okay. I want you to take a seat on the back of your car." So we did. As we both sat there, the first cop just watched us and asked us questions such as college and the car itself and other things as my friend tried to act like he's a very good student and such but he doesn't really seem to care. I ask the officer what exactly are we looking at and he says that we are just going to get a summons where we show up to court and pay a $25. I'm pretty sure he's lying about that, like all cops do, but that's not really the subject at hand. Here is the main subject - my friend then asks if this will go on our record because he really needs his financial aid and the officer says "No, don't worry. It's only a summons, it won't go on your record." So after his two friends thoroughly turn my car upside down, they tell us to get back in the car and wait. We wait, they come back and give us our summons. As he was explaining it to us, I asked about what we were looking at again just to be 100% sure about what he was saying because at first, it sounded to good to be true, even in such a case such as this. He basically told us that all we have to do is go to court and pay $25 and we're set loose and free of everything until our second offense. Now, after this happening to me and my friend, we just have to do some research on what really happens because cops tend to bullshit. After hours of researching, I must have gotten so many mixed answers that didn't help with anything! If anything, they just made the situation worse because now I'm even more scared about what might happen (I read that one can go to JAIL for this.. Do not want.) to me. But after getting so many mixed reviews, I figure I MUST ask a few lawyers what are my options and what could and would most likely happen but since it only happened a few hours ago, I'm pretty sure there is no one I could ask as it is 6:30AM-ish out here in NYC, so I figured I would ask the internet first since you guys are quicker at it, even though some of the answers will probably be just complete nonsense.

What exactly should I be expecting for when I show up to court? Will this go on my record? Will they let me go free for a mere $25? Will no one really know about this? I am only 19 and I have my whole life ahead of me but now it seems like it just got crushed because of this.. Who will hire someone with this on their record.. Was everything the cop telling us the truth? Also, how could I get an ACOD? I have no previous summons/tickets besides a speeding ticket but I doubt that will affect this in any way. Should I go and purchase a lawyer? Is there any way to go about this without a lawyer? Could I get ACOD without a lawyer? I'm pretty sure there are some other questions here that I am not asking but I am still devastated about this because this will ultimately affect my future and that of my friends because of his financial aid. This one little mistake could utterly destroy his financial future.

Please help me, and all advice/tips/information is GREATLY appreciated. Also, if you're interested, I will probably tell all of you what happens after I go to court and do whatever is best to get the best results (hopefully).

Thank you all -
Nick.

First off, your life has not been "crushed" by this incident. The cop (in spite of your oh-so-experienced assertion that he was lying, "like all cops do") was probably telling you the truth. The maximum fine for a first offense marijuana possession is $100. So, $25 might just be a common actual penalty. Even if you get the "max," $100 is hardly crushing. Since this is punishable by a fine only (no jail), the cop is also probably telling you the truth that there will be no criminal record...I'm not up on NY law so I may be wrong there, but I don't think I am. However, that does not mean there will be NO record. Even a speeding ticket goes on a "record."

So, while there is no need for the melodramatic distress that your life is now "crushed," this will have consequences. Of course, the proper time to consider those consequences was BEFORE you decided to go get high. Will it be a black mark for things like getting hired for a job (at least any job that does not involve endless repetitions of "would you like fries with that?"), financial aid, and such? Of course it will. Can you overcome that black mark and still have a successful life? That's up to you. The first step on that road is making better choices about your activities and who you associate with. The next time you go out with a "friend" to get high, what if the cops search the car you are in and find a stolen gun, a pound of meth, or the loot from a burglary? Guess what? You get charged with it, right along with your "friend" who had it, even if you had no idea it was there. Doper "friends" can and will get you in much deeper doo doo.

I totally agree with PTPD22..