At Trial, Prosecution Cannot Question a Defendant’s Right to Silence

Submitted by New Jersey Criminal Lawyer, Jeffrey Hark. 14-2-3453 State v. Irizarry, N.J. Super. App. Div. (per curiam) (29 pp.) A defendant’s right to remain silent during a police interrogation is an integral part of our criminal justice system, granted by our Fifth Amendment to the United States Constitution. This right gives protection for a…

Read More

When Do Criminal Witness Statements Have to be Produced to the State?

Submitted by New Jersey Criminal Lawyer, Jeffrey Hark. 14-1-3174 State v. Brian Tier, N.J. Sup. Ct. (Timpone, J.) (13 pp.) New Jersey’s Supreme Court recently decided a case regarding criminal witness statements.  In the case, the defendant was charged with first-degree kidnapping, N.J.S.A. 2C:13-1, and first-degree criminal attempt to commit murder, N.J.S.A. 2C:11-3 and N.J.S.A. 2C:5-1,…

Read More

What Evidence am I Entitled to When Fighting Pretrial Detention?

Submitted by New Jersey Criminal Lawyer, Jeffrey Hark. The Supreme Court of New Jersey has recently clarified what evidence the State has to provide when arguing for a defendant to be detained before trial.  The new Criminal Justice Reform Act effective January 1, 2017, allows for pretrial detention of defendants who present a serious risk…

Read More

Do Police Have to Knock Before Entering My House?

14-2-3069 State v. G.A. , N.J. Super. App. Div. (per curiam) (10 pp.) Submitted by New Jersey Criminal Lawyer, Jeffrey Hark In a recent case decided by New Jersey’s Appellate Division, a defendant was indicted for third-degree possession of cocaine, N.J.S.A. 2C:35-10(a)(1); third-degree possession of cocaine with intent to distribute, N.J.S.A. 2C:35-5(a)(1) and 2C:35-5(b)(3); second-degree unlawful possession…

Read More

My Lawyer Denied My Request to Appeal My Criminal Conviction, Now What?

Submitted by New Jersey Criminal Lawyer, Jeffrey Hark. In a recent case decided by New Jersey’s Appellate Division, a jury convicted the defendant of: the lesser-included offense of first-degree aggravated manslaughter, N.J.S.A. 2C:11-4(a) first-degree felony-murder, N.J.S.A. 2C:11-3(a)(3) first-degree armed robbery, N.J.S.A. 2C:15-1 fourth-degree unlawful possession of a weapon, N.J.S.A. 2C:39-5(d) third-degree hindering apprehension or prosecution,…

Read More

Can I Appeal My PTI Denial?

Submitted by New Jersey Criminal Lawyer, Jeffrey Hark. New Jersey’s Appellate Division has recently decided a case which resulted in a rare reversal of a PTI denial.  In State v. Denman, the defendant, a former Scotch Plains police officer, appealed from his conviction for third-degree attempted misapplication of funds, N.J.S.A. 2C:21-15 and 2C:5-1. The defendant…

Read More

Troopers shoot, kill man at New Jersey Turnpike rest stop in Cranbury

Submitted by New Jersey Criminal Lawyer, Jeffrey Hark CRANBURY, New Jersey (WABC) — A man was shot and killed by state troopers at a rest stop on the New Jersey Turnpike Thursday. The shooting happened at about 2:45 p.m. at the Molly Pitcher Service Area in Cranbury. The New Jersey Attorney General’s Office said troopers…

Read More

Can My Sentence be Made Harsher After-the-Fact?

(16-04-1150 ) State v. Hester, App. Div. (Decided March 23, 2017) Submitted by New Jersey Criminal Defense Lawyer, Jeffrey Hark. 4 cases were recently consolidated for review by New Jersey Appellate Division. In each of the matters, an issue arose of whether it was a violation of the Ex Post Facto Clause of New Jersey’s…

Read More