Have you ever heard of a person going to prison for failure to wear a seatbelt? Well, in New Jersey, our state courts have determined that a person can spend as long as a decade behind bars if they ignore the seatbelt law. This isn’t because the seat belt law requires it, but rather, because N.J.S.A. 2C:40-18, Violation of Law Intended to Protect Public Health and Safety, can be prosecuted as a crime of the second degree (five to ten years if convicted), a crime of the third degree (three … [Read more...]
Penalties for Conviction Under N.J.S.A. 2C:40-18, Violation of Law Intended to Protect Public Health and Safety in New Jersey
New Jersey has certain laws on the books that are little used and whose intent, on their face, isn’t entirely clear. For instance, a law that prohibits the possession of controlled dangerous substances has an obvious purpose and penalties. Compare that to N.J.S.A. 2C:40-18, Violation of Law Intended to Protect Public Health and Safety. This statute makes it a crime to knowingly violate a law intended to protect public health and safety, or to knowingly fail to perform a duty that … [Read more...]