Category Archives: Criminal Defense
Important Legal Updates For New Jersey: Summer 2018
New Jersey Makes Bold Move to Adjourn All Marijuana-Related Cases On July 24, New Jersey Attorney General Gurbir Grewal made an announcement instructing all municipal prosecutors to adjourn any marijuana-related cases until September 4 or later in order to coincide with the New Jersey State Senate’s plan to consider bill legalizing marijuana. This is… Read More »
New Report Sheds Alarming Light On Increasing Use Of Guilty Pleas & Decreasing Jury Trials
According to a new report published by the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, jury trials have been decreasing significantly to the point where they now occur in fewer than three percent of all state and federal criminal cases. This has raised a number of criminal justice-related concerns, as jury trials are ever-increasingly being… Read More »
New Jersey Man Charged With 30 Animal Cruelty Offenses Demonstrates Seriousness Of Crimes
In July, a New Jersey man found living with more than 40 dogs in unsanitary, inhumane conditions was charged with more than 30 criminal offenses, including third-degree animal cruelty, fourth-degree animal abuse, and failure to provide necessary care to an animal. Reportedly, the dogs were locked inside the home for an unknown amount of… Read More »
In Spite Of New Record Sealing Law, Many In New York Still Have Criminal Records Unsealed
On July 4, the New York Times covered an important story about “expungement” (or, rather, record sealing) in states like New York, and how so few have been able to have their records sealed in spite of the new law that went into effect in October 2017. This law allows anyone with a conviction… Read More »
Can PTSD Lead To Violent Criminal Behavior?
We’ve previously addressed the link between brain trauma and violent, criminal behavior: It is an increasingly important topic in the field of criminal defense, as more and more research demonstrates that brain trauma can influence behavior and even lead to people committing crimes, in some circumstances. This is especially important when it comes to… Read More »
Did The Biggest Federal Opioid And Health Care Sting In New Jersey Involve Entrapment?
During the week of June 28th, eight people in New Jersey were arrested in what officials have called the “largest health care fraud and opioid enforcement action ever taken by the Justice Department.” Police reportedly relied on confidential informants and undercover officers to infiltrate the alleged drug ring, making at least eight controlled purchases… Read More »
The “Gay Or Trans Panic Defense” Could Be On The Way Out
It is a little-known fact that, today, anyone charged with assault or murder can argue that their charges should be reduced because they were simply reacting to their victim’s gender identity or sexual orientation in all but three states (California, Illinois, and Rhode Island). This criminal defense is known as the “gay or trans… Read More »
New Jersey Supreme Court Orders State To Consider Throwing Out 780,000 Warrants
The New Jersey Supreme Court may soon throw out close to 800,000 old warrants for minor offenses, such as local ordinance and parking violations, in an effort to improve the state’s municipal court system. According to Chief Justice Stuart Rabner and a recent, scathing report from the state judiciary committee, these outstanding charges raise… Read More »
Supreme Court Rules Police Need A Warrant To Acquire Cell-Site Records From Wireless Carriers
On June 22nd, the U.S. Supreme Court made a monumental decision upholding protection of privacy under the Fourth Amendment when it decided that the government (i.e. police and law enforcement) first needed to obtain a warrant (and thus demonstrate probable cause) before tracking an individual’s location using cell phone records. The decision makes an… Read More »
A Close Look At The Issue Of False Confessions
Every day, defendants plead guilty to crimes they did not commit; all over the country. This is often done in order to “get a deal”; public defenders making deals with prosecutors and their clients for lighter sentences or some other form of consideration. Thinking about how many of these could involve untrue confessions is… Read More »