New Jersey Survivors Justice Act: Sentencing Reform for Abuse Victims

February 17, 2026

Submitted by New Jersey Criminal Lawyer, Jeffrey Hark In January 2026, New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy signed into law a pair of bills known as the Survivors Justice Act (S-4870/A-5968 and S-4871/A-5969). This landmark legislation, championed by Senator Angela V. McKnight, Senator M. Teresa Ruiz, and other lawmakers, amends the state’s criminal code to allow courts…

NJ Appellate Court Vacates PTI Order in High-Speed Eluding Case

October 3, 2025

State of New Jersey v. N.C. Docket No. A-1790-24 Decided October 3, 2025 Submitted by New Jersey Criminal Lawyer, Jeffrey Hark In a recent unpublished opinion, the Appellate Court of New Jersey decided the State’s appeal from an order enrolling defendant, N.C., into the Pretrial Intervention program (PTI) over its objection. On June 26, 2024, at…

NJ Court Upholds Vehicle Search After Traffic Stop – Evidence Stands

August 19, 2025

State of New Jersey v. John Kerkula Docket No. A-1403-23 Decided August 19, 2025 Submitted by New Jersey Criminal Lawyer, Jeffrey Hark In a recent unpublished opinion, the Appellate Court of New Jersey decided defendant’s appeal from the denial of his motion to suppress physical evidence recovered as the result of a traffic stop and subsequent…

Conviction Of Weapons Offense with Prior Nera Conviction Is Not Subject to Mandatory Parole Disqualified Under Graves Act

August 6, 2025

State v. Zaire J. Cromedy Appellate Docket No.: A-17-24 Decided August 5, 2025 Submitted by New Jersey Criminal Lawyer, Jeffrey Hark In a recent opinion, the Supreme Court of New Jersey ruled that a conviction under N.J.S.A. 2C:39-5(j), a subsection of the unlawful weapons possession statute, is not subject to a mandatory parole disqualifier pursuant to…

New Jersey Juvenile Adjudication Can Be Expunged Even If It Is a Disqualifying Offense

July 30, 2025

In the Matter of the Expungement Application of P.L. Appellate Docket No.: A-3387-23 Decided July 30, 2025 Submitted by New Jersey Criminal Lawyer, Jeffrey Hark In a published opinion, the Appellate Division of New Jersey found that a juvenile adjudication can be expunged even if it is a disqualifying offense that would not be expungable as…

Megan’s Law Violation Summary

July 28, 2025

New Jersey Appellate Court Upholds Denial of Motion to Suppress Evidence Following Traffic Stop and K-9 Search

July 25, 2025

State of New Jersey v. Rashad Johnson Docket No. A-0878-23 Decided July 15, 2025 Submitted by New Jersey Criminal Lawyer, Jeffrey Hark In a recent unpublished opinion, the Appellate Court of New Jersey decided defendant’s appeal from the denial of his motion to suppress evidence recovered following a traffic stop. On March 3, 2020, using a…

Drug Search Consent Ruling Reversed on Appeal in New Jersey Case

June 10, 2025

State of New Jersey v. Odeanne Lawes Docket No. A-0478-24 Decided April 2, 2025 Submitted by New Jersey Criminal Lawyer, Jeffrey Hark In a recent unpublished opinion, the Appellate Court of New Jersey decided the State’s interlocutory appeal from an order suppressing evidence of a controlled dangerous substance (CDS) seized by law enforcement pursuant to defendant’s…

New Jersey Supreme Court Finds That Defendants in Restraining Order Court Do Not Have Blanket Immunity to Invoke The 5th Amendment Right to Remain Silent

May 29, 2025

M.A. v. J.H.M. Docket No. A-1-24 Decided May 27, 2025 Submitted by New Jersey Criminal Lawyer, Jeffrey Hark In a recent decision the Supreme Court of New Jersey reversed a Final Restraining Order (FRO) decision, finding that the 5th amendment does not apply blanket immunity to a defendant in restraining order hearings. In M.A. v. J.H.M.,…

NJ Court Rules Prior Gun Charges Don’t Bar Recovery Court Entry

March 27, 2025

State of New Jersey v. Ahjhir Jones Docket No. A-1648-23 Decided March 20, 2025 Submitted by New Jersey Criminal Lawyer, Jeffrey Hark In a recent published opinion, the Appellate Court of New Jersey decided the State’s interlocutory appeal to resolve an issue of statutory interpretation involving a provision of N.J.S.A. 2C:35-14, which addresses the admission criteria…