New Jersey Criminal Defense

Juries are the lynchpin of our criminal justice system, and ensuring that jurors operate in an impartial way is critical to maintaining public faith in our institutions.

New Jersey law makes it a crime for a juror to solicit or accept offers to depict their service before a verdict is rendered, or for others to make such offers to an impaneled juror.

Under the statute Prohibited Juror Contact (N.J.S.A. 2C:29-8.1), the conduct is graded as a crime of the fourth degree, which carries a sentence of up to 18 months if convicted and a fine of up to $10,000.

Specifically, the statute prohibits the following offers from being made to jurors or solicited or accepted by them, depicting a person’s service as a juror:

• A contract for a movie or a book
• A magazine article
• Any literary expression
• A recording, radio, or television presentation
• Live entertainment or presentation of any kind.

High profile cases in a major media market present ample opportunities for conflicts of interest, and prosecutors are extremely sensitive to the appearance of impropriety on the part of jurors or members of the media who may attempt to contact them.

If you’ve been charged under N.J.S.A. 2C:29-8.1, get help right away.

Call Matthew Reisig today at 732-625-9661 and talk to an experienced New Jersey criminal defense attorney for free.

New Jersey’s statute 2C:29-5, Escape, provides legal recourse for a variety of actions, by a variety of actors in the state.

Most prominently, a person who removes him or herself from jail or prison, or doesn’t return to jail or prison after a temporary leave, is in violation.

The charge will be graded as a crime of the third degree, with a possible three to five year sentence for conviction, unless threats, force, or a deadly weapon are used in the escape.

In that case, the charge elevates to the second degree, and conviction will result in a five to 10 year sentence.

People on parole can also be charged with escape under the statute.

Going into hiding, fleeing the state, or otherwise avoiding mandatory supervision is a crime of the third degree, with a possible three to five year sentence if convicted.

Those who facilitate another’s escape are also subject to significant penalties if convicted.

Prison guards or others who recklessly or knowingly allow a person under detention to escape will be charged with a crime of the third degree, except in cases where threats, force, or a deadly weapon are used to facilitate the escape.

In those cases, as with the person who actually escapes, the defendant will be charged with a crime of the second degree and face a five to 10 year sentence if convicted.

Escape charges can be hard to defeat, because on one level, everyone understands the basic concept.

A prosecutor doesn’t have to teach a jury complicated legal concepts or highlight elements of obscure laws to make their case.

You need an attorney who can effectively counter the allegations and fact pattern the prosecutor will produce.

Matthew Reisig has defended clients in New Jersey against even serious criminal charges for nearly 20 years.

Call 732-625-9661 today for a free consultation with an experienced New Jersey criminal defense attorney.

Providing for disabled residents of New Jersey to enjoy a full and free life means that under the law, it is a crime to injure or interfere with service animals and guide dogs in the state.

Under N.J.S.A. 2C:29-3.2, Offenses Against Service Animals, Guide Dogs, you can face felony prosecution for some types of conduct, and misdemeanor charges for other actions described by the statute.

Most seriously, a person who recklessly kills a service animal or guide dog, or who recklessly allows their own dog to kill a service animal or guide dog, can face a sentence of up to 18 months, plus fines of $10,000.

Reckless injuries to a guide dog or service animal, or interference with a service animal or guide dog, are misdemeanors.

Injuries sustained by a person’s recklessness or a person’s dog’s recklessness are prosecuted as disorderly persons offenses, with a maximum sentence of six months and a fine of $1,000.

Reckless interference is a petty disorderly person’s offense, with a maximum sentence of 30 days and a fine of $500.

In all cases, a person who is convicted under 2C:29-3.2 will be required to pay restitution to the owner of the service animal or guide dog.

That can include medical and veterinary expenses, the cost of the value of the animal, paying for replacement of a service animal, training for a new service animal, or retraining of the animal, as well as lost wages and other expenses incurred as a result of the service animal or guide dog being away from its handler.

Criminal charges of any kind are hugely detrimental, but when criminal charges are from incidents involving dog fights, they can feel particularly unjust to a defendant.

Get the best representation available to protect you from overzealous prosecutors.

Call Matthew Reisig today at 732-625-9661 for a free consultation with an experienced New Jersey criminal defense attorney.

Those whose roles are to care for the mentally or physically disabled are held to high standards when it comes to meeting the responsibility given them. When a person knowingly acts in a manner likely to be injurious to the physical, mental, or moral welfare of a person who is unable to care for himself because of mental disease or defect, they can be charged with a disorderly persons offense in New Jersey under N.J.S.A. 2C:24-7, Endangering the Welfare of an Incompetent Person.

A disorderly persons offense is the equivalent of what most states categorize as a misdemeanor, and you can go to jail for up to six months if convicted. You’ll also face fines of up to $1,000, and run the risk of civil action by those you are accused of victimizing.

It’s important that you get experienced legal help right away in any criminal matter, but when your career is on the line, don’t hesitate. Call Matthew Reisig today at 732-625-9661 for a free consultation with an experienced New Jersey criminal defense attorney.

New Jersey takes a strong stance when it comes to supporting one’s children or spouse, as ordered by a court or child support authority. Under the Willful Nonsupport (N.J.S.A. 2C:24-5) statute, you can be charged with a crime of the fourth degree if you willfully fail to provide support which you can provide and which you know you are legally obliged to provide to your spouse, child, or other dependent.

If convicted of Willful Nonsupport charges in NJ, you can face up to 18 months in prison, on top of orders for restitution and fines of up to $10,000. Judges have wide discretion in how you serve a sentence, and can order you to community service for all or part of your period of incarceration where that is a just outcome.

Willful Nonsupport is a charge that can have a big impact on your standing in the community. Allegations that you’ve abandoned your children or defied a court order can have impacts for you personally and professionally. When you’re facing charges under N.J.S.A. 2C:24-5, call Matthew Reisig right away at 732-625-9661 and talk to an experienced New Jersey criminal defense attorney for free.

Bigamy (N.J.S.A. 2C:24-1), while rarely prosecuted, remains a crime in New Jersey. The statute specifies the element of knowing that a person is engaging in a marriage when a previous marriage has not legally ended, in order to be convicted. Defenses include believing that a prior spouse has died, having a judgment of divorce or annulment and believing the judgment is valid, and even simply reasonably believing that you are legally eligible to marry again. Those who knowingly agree to marry a person they know to already be married are also guilty of bigamy.

The charge is graded as a disorderly persons offense and carries a maximum sentence of six months in jail and a fine of $1,000, but a bigamy charge in New Jersey can be extremely problematic in the event that you want to divorce and win a fair settlement. It’s best to fight back when facing allegations that you knowingly married again, when in many cases, the problem has more to do with recordkeeping than criminality.

Matthew Reisig can help you when you’ve been charged with Bigamy in New Jersey. Call 732-625-9661 today and talk to a lawyer for free.