New Jersey Criminal Law
Can My DNA be Taken in Jail While I Await Trial?
14-2-2814 State v. Gathers, N.J. Super. App. Div. (Fisher, P.J.A.D.) (13pp) Submitted by New Jersey Criminal Lawyer, Jeffrey Hark. A case was recently decided by New Jersey Appellate Division in which the Court ruled a buccal (mouth) swab, taken from a defendant while he awaited trial, was unreasonable. In this case, the defendant was charged with second-degree…
Read MoreTown Car flees scene of Route 80 accident
Submitted by New Jersey Criminal Lawyer, Jeffrey Hark. A Lincoln Town Car fled the scene of a three-vehicle accident Sunday night on Route 80 in Mount Arlington, according to a New Jersey State Police report. No details were available Monday afternoon regarding the circumstances of the accident, which also involved a Nissan Sentra and a…
Read MoreHow can I get into PTI after the Prosecutor objects or denies my participation into PTI
I want to get into PTI (Pretrial Intervention) because my criminal charge is for a 3rd or 4th degree offense. Why is the prosecutor objecting and not letting me in? What can I do? Submitted by New Jersey Criminal Lawyer, Jeffrey Hark. In this case a government employee, defendant Morgan who was a school district…
Read MorePolice: Intoxicated driver charged in crash that killed woman, injured her brother at bus stop in Verona
Submitted by New Jersey Criminal Lawyer, Jeffrey Hark. VERONA, New Jersey (WABC) — A New Jersey man is facing charges after a crash at a bus stop that killed a woman and injured her brother. The Essex County Prosecutor’s Office charged Anthony Casale Jr., 25, of Belleville, with first degree death by auto in connection…
Read MoreCan the Police Search My Rental Car’s Center Console?
Submitted by New Jersey Criminal Lawyer, Jeffrey Hark. State v Hamlett A-4399-14T2 In this case the defendant plead guilty to three different indictments for three different criminal cases pending against him. On appeal he raised an argument that the police were not allowed to search his rental car and specifically the center console of the…
Read MoreWhen Prior Psychiatric or Medical Records Can Be Used in Court
Submitted by Jeffrey Hark, New Jersey Criminal Defense Lawyer State v. Brandon Kane Can I get my girlfriend’s or boyfriend’s prior psychiatric or medical records and use them at trial to attack there credibility. There are two issues which must be addressed here. The first is criminal court Rule 3:13–3. First, the defendant cannot require the…
Read MoreWhat Are My Rights to Evidence for a Pretrial Detention Hearing?
Submitted by New Jersey Criminal Lawyer, Jeffrey Hark Recently the New Jersey Superior Court implemented the final part of the State’s Bail Reform Act N.J.S.A. 2A:162-15 to -26 since it went into effect on January 1, 2017 and approved by voters and the legislature over 2 years ago. Now, when some is arrested there is…
Read MoreFailure to Turn Over Drugs and Failure to Make a Lawful Disposition to a Police Officer from a Motor Vehicle Stop
Submitted by New Jersey Criminal Lawyer, Jeffrey Hark. I have been charged with failure to turn over drugs (also Failure to make a lawful disposition) to a police officer from a motor vehicle stop. Is this a separate offense from possession of CDS. In this case the court ruled “failure to make lawful disposition” under N.J.S.A.…
Read MoreAppeal of Denial to PTI Program – New Jersey DWI Law
Submitted by New Jersey DWI Lawyer, Jeffrey Hark. This is a county prosecutor’s appeal of a trial court’s decision to overturn their denial of a defendant into their PTI program. Defendant was charged with the 4th° offense of driving a motor vehicle while suspended for a second or subsequent violation of DWI. Recently the NJ…
Read MoreGet off of your phone! Your electronic communications can be used against you in the future.
State v. Hannah, NJ Appellate Division Decided December 20, 2016 Get off of your phone, stop Facebooking, stop texting, stop tweeting, stop sending Instagram photos. You could be in trouble if you don’t and what your electronic communications can be used against you in the future. Submitted by New Jersey Criminal Lawyer, Jeffrey Hark. The…
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