Category Archives: Criminal Defense
New Jersey Arson Laws: How Serious is the Crime?
Earlier this year in South Hackensack, New Jersey, 45-year-old Jose A. Lopez allegedly set fire to a truck that belonged to a party company near his place of employment. Surveillance footage was used to place Lopez near the truck at the time of the blaze. According to jail records, Lopez was arrested on second-degree… Read More »
Illegal Search and Seizure: New Supreme Court Decision Changes the Rules
In May of this year, the United States Supreme Court issued a decision that fundamentally changed your right to privacy under the Fourth Amendment. Imagine that a police officer stops you without cause and then, without your knowledge or permission, the officer runs your name through the database and ultimately finds a warrant that… Read More »
How Violence-Free Drug Deals Can Lead to Murder Charges
Earlier this year, two drug dealers were charged with murder. You may imagine that the two drug dealers were involved in a violent crime such as robbery or assault. When we think of drug dealers, we sometimes imagine those scenarios we’ve seen in movies, but in New Jersey, a first-degree murder charge for drug… Read More »
Running Red Lights: Where the Ticket Comes From Matters
Have you ever approached an intersection and then as you get closer, the green light transitions to red. You think to yourself “I can make it” but just before you cross through, the light turns red and you see that familiar bright flash trigger. Congratulations, you’ll be receiving a traffic ticket for running a… Read More »
Larceny vs. Burglary: Low-Value Theft Can Land You a Felony Charge
As we discussed earlier this year, larceny is a term that applies to several different crimes. In general, larceny charges result when a person has in some way wrongfully taken or kept something that belonged to another person. Stealing something is considered larceny and the theft will be considered petit larceny, chargeable as a… Read More »
Sexting: What Happens When Minors Use Cell Phones to Send Sexually Explicit Videos of Other Minors
Last year, two teens were arrested in Long Island, NY after a 14-year-old boy had a sexual encounter with an underage girl while another boy filmed the incident on his cell phone. The teens dispersed the video to other students and were subsequently arrested and charged with felonies. Of course, the facts of this… Read More »
Non-Violent Ex-offenders May Be Able to Have Their Records Expunged in Some States
The Atlantic ran an article this month about an ex-offender with drug-related charges who had his record expunged after completing an approved diversion/rehabilitation program in California. A criminal defense attorney may be able to do the same for you. Structured Rehab Programs Helps Addicts Stay Clean The ex-offender, whose name was Adrian Silva, had… Read More »
Funny Money and Serious Consequences
Counterfeit money has been around as long as money has been used to pay for goods and services. The people who commit counterfeiting crimes are generally those with the ability to produce the fake currency. However, sometimes people who unintentionally use fake money could face charges. In all reality, counterfeit money is not something… Read More »
Restraining Orders and Social Media
Social media may be one of the defining aspects of the last decade. Websites like Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter connect everything about our lives. This includes the products we buy, places we go, food we eat, and even the news we read. Today many businesses attempt to maintain some social media presence, but in… Read More »
Interfering With Police and the Consequences
Crimes happen everyday. In many instances, when people are arrested they are charged with a crime, or multiple crimes, and then they begin to traverse the justice system. Traffic-related offenses are often precipitated by traffic stops. However, sometimes even if there is no crime charged, your noncompliance with officers may result in charges just… Read More »