Fourth Degree Felony for Fake ID Downgraded to Ordinance

Our New Brunswick Fake ID attorneys recently defended a Rutgers business student that was charged with a fourth degree possession of a fake drivers license under 2C:21-2.1c. The whole incident started when police were on patrol in the train station during the early morning hours and spotted a young male who was visibly intoxicated and throwing up. Based on their observations they approached our client and began questioning him about his age and why he was drinking alcohol underage.

Based on their questioning our client handed over a fake North Carolina drivers license to the officers to try and convince them he was over 21 years old. The police officers were quickly able to confirm that the ID was a fake and arrested him for a 4th degree crime. When our client and his family initially contact us they were very upset and concerned because if convicted, he could face up to 18 months in state prison and have a felony record. These days if you are a new graduate trying to find a job in the corporate world it is almost impossible to get a good job with a felony conviction and we knew we could not let this happen to this young man.

Our office spoke to the County Prosecutor’s Office and, based on the circumstances, they agreed to downgrade the charges and remand them back down to municipal court to be handled as a disorderly persons offense. Once in municipal court we were able to further negotiate and plea bargain with the prosecutor to downgrade the charges to a city ordinance which did not result in a criminal conviction. Even after getting the consent of the prosecutor to do the downgrade, the municipal judge was very reluctant and hesitant based on the fact that the charges were originally a felony crime. But based on the persuasive arguments of our criminal defense attorney, the judge eventually agreed and the downgraded plea was put through. This story is a perfect example of how an experienced criminal defense attorney can help a client out of a tough situation. Now our client can go on to graduate school or enter the workforce without having to worry about a felony conviction coming back on his background check. If you or your family member has been charged with possession of false government documents, then contact our office today to speak with an experienced New Brunswick fake ID lawyer during a free consultation.

State v. V.G. decided on June 5, 2017