How Cases Are Handled in NJ Municipal Court In New Jersey, disorderly persons offenses (similar to misdemeanor offenses in other states) and traffic offenses are tried in municipal courts. A municipal court has local jurisdiction over cases that arise from acts committed in the township, city, or other community where the municipal court is located. Municipal courts […]
Getting arrested for or caught shoplifting can be embarrassing in the moment, and, even worse, can leave you with a criminal record that may show up on background checks run by subsequent employers. If you have been accused of shoplifting in Ocean County, NJ, you may be wondering how the state can prove that you meant to […]
Assuming that you are not acting in lawful self-defense, attacking another person, attempting to do so, and a host of other conduct can result in a criminal conviction for assault in New Jersey. If you harm someone badly in that attack, you may even be convicted of aggravated assault, a more serious assault offense. The […]
Almost all of us have friends or acquaintances who take recreational drugs like marijuana, heroin, cocaine, and ecstasy in some form or another. Say one of these friends offers you a ride home and they have a stash of drugs in their car. You get pulled over. The police find the drugs. Can you be […]
Warrant Defense Lawyers in Middlesex County, New Jersey Learning that you have a warrant out for your arrest can come as a shock, and it happens more frequently than you might think. If you believe that a warrant has been issued for you, or you recently found out about an outstanding warrant, you should know […]
Is a Juvenile Criminal Case Different From an Adult Case in NJ? One of the most fundamental procedural differences between the adult and juvenile justice systems in New Jersey involves who decides the facts applicable to a criminal case. Adults are generally tried by jury in New Jersey, whereas juveniles are tried by a judge […]
How Long Can Police Detain You While Waiting for a Drug Dog? If police suspect you of drug dealing or distribution, or an officer has reason to believe there are drugs in your car, they may request a canine unit or “drug-sniffing” dog to come to the scene. These dogs are trained to alert their […]
New Jersey eliminated the cash bail system and implemented a new pretrial detention system in January 2017. Under the new system, the state has the burden of making a motion that establishes, by clear and convincing evidence, that you should remain in jail leading up to your trial. If the state fails to meet this […]
New Jersey offers a number of programs designed to help certain qualifying criminal defendants avoid a costly and potentially life-altering criminal conviction. These programs are broadly referred to as diversionary programs. If you have been charged with a crime in New Jersey, you should know about all of your legal options, especially those that may […]
Yes. New Jersey police can tow or impound your car after an arrest, but outside of a DWI arrest they usually need a real reason to do it. After a DWI or breath-test refusal arrest, N.J.S.A. 39:4-50.23 requires police to impound the car for 12 hours, with limited early release. Police can also remove an […]