Think twice before handing your smartphone to police officers during a criminal investigation. Phones store personal details about daily activities, conversations and locations. Without even realizing it, these elements could turn into evidence against you in court....
Everyone makes mistakes, and some past actions can affect future opportunities. Luckily, New Jersey allows some people to expunge their records. This can help those wanting a new life and a clean slate get a fresh start. Expungement is especially important today, when...
Individuals who have been accused of criminal wrongdoing have the right to an attorney, to be protected from the presentation of unfairly prejudicial evidence, and the right to be tried by a jury of their peers. These rights can be waived, which is usually isn’t...
Being arrested for any reason can be a worrying time for people in New Jersey whether it is an allegation of drunk driving, a form of theft, violence or drugs. This is particularly true for juveniles. A mistake people often make when they find themselves in these...
If your criminal case ends up heading to trial, then the prosecution will present witness testimony against you. If you simply sit back and allow that testimony to come into evidence without challenging it in some fashion, then the jury is probably going to take the...
When you’re under investigation for a criminal offense, the police are going to try to get you to talk so that they can build their case off your admissions. It might sound easy to avoid making incriminating statements, but investigators are adept at utilizing sneaky...
Most people know that if police show up at their home and want to come in, they typically have a right to say no unless they have a search warrant (with exceptions). When it comes to police officers’ right to search your car and seize items when they pull you over,...
Although New Jersey passed a law in 2021 that decriminalized the use of marijuana, many other controlled substances continue to be prohibited in the state. Possessing scheduled substances such as cocaine, heroin and methamphetamine is a crime in the state and can lead...
For a New Jersey officer to charge a driver with driving while intoxicated (DWI), the driver must show telltale signs of inebriation (i.e., slurred speech, inability to keep balance, etc.). The driver’s blood alcohol content (BAC) levels must also exceed the .08%...
In legal terms, “assault” and “battery” mean very different things. An assault charge refers to threats of bodily harm but doesn’t require actual contact. Meanwhile, a battery charge refers explicitly to intentional or unwanted physical contact, even if the intent...
