Being arrested or charged with a crime can create significant uncertainty about your everyday life. In addition to worrying about potential penalties, court appearances, and the outcome of your case, you may wonder whether you can continue traveling for work, visiting family, or taking previously scheduled vacations. In New Jersey, facing criminal charges does not […]
Being arrested does not automatically give police unlimited authority to search everything you have with you. That distinction is particularly important when the item is a cell phone. Modern smartphones can contain years of text messages, photographs, emails, location information, browsing activity, financial data, and private communications. Because of the enormous amount of personal information […]
Being pulled over by police officers can invoke fear in any driver. One of the most important things to remember is that you should remain calm during the traffic stop. It’s possible that anxiety or agitation will be misinterpreted. You should also be respectful and polite when you’re interacting with the officer. Avoiding any confrontational behavior […]
Individuals with prior criminal convictions may find it hard to find employment, housing and other opportunities. But if one is eligible for expungement, rebuilding their life might be a lot easier in every aspect. Does that mean that they can literally start anew with a clean slate? Starting with a clear record Not all criminal […]
Almost 5 million cybercrimes occur in the United States annually. Over 50% of internet users have had their accounts compromised. Worldwide, there is an average of 97 data breaches hourly. Cybercrimes can be divided into three large categories. Property cybercrimes Property cybercrimes include DDOS attacks, hacking, virus transmission, cyber and typosquatting, computer vandalism and copyright […]
The federal sentencing guidelines are a set of rules that define the punishments for specific crimes in New Jersey and the rest of the United States. These guidelines can be found in the United States Code, Title 18 and are used to determine what sentence a person should receive if they receive a conviction on […]
Guilty and not guilty are the types of pleas that everyone knows, but there are a few other options that you might not know of. New Jersey has conditional pleas and allows for withdrawal of a plea. Guilty You could plead guilty during your initial hearing before your trial. However, the judge doesn’t have to […]
Plea deals provide a seemingly valuable benefit to those looking at a difficult trial. Plea arrangement may result in a defendant receiving a far lighter sentence in a New Jersey criminal court. Tragically, not everyone who agrees to a plea bargain is guilty of the crime. Wrongful convictions resulting from plea deals might not be […]
Often, a defendant will claim that they had to resort to violence in response to a legitimate threat of injury from another person. Additionally, a defendant may claim that they rushed to the defense of another person. Furthermore, perhaps someone trespassed on their property, and the owner believed it was their right to defend it. […]
When any law enforcement agency in New Jersey legally seizes your property as evidence for a suspected crime, they should give it back to you the way they took it after the case is over. However, there are situations where the government can refuse to give you your property back. Read on to learn more […]
