GRAND JURIES TO RESUME, EXCLUDABLE TIME, AND DISCOVERY MODIFICATIONS FOR CRIMINAL DEFENDANTS IN LIGHT OF COVID-19

October 8, 2020 Submitted by New Jersey Criminal Lawyer, Jeffrey Hark. The Supreme Court of New Jersey has issued its Ninth Omnibus Order on Court Operations and Legal Practice during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.  The updated provisions are as follows: Reinforcing that grand juries will be selected virtually, and confirming that before December 1, 2020 all…

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The Co-Conspirator Exception to Hearsay Is Important to Understand for Criminal Cases

State v. Lopez Appellate Docket No.: A-1210-19T1 Decided September 23, 2020 Submitted by New Jersey Criminal Lawyer, Jeffrey Hark. In an unpublished opinion, the Appellate Division of New Jersey reviewed a jury’s conviction and forty-five year aggregate term of parole ineligibility that included text messages admitted into evidence under the co-conspirator exception to the hearsay rule.…

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State v. Alamilla Appellate Docket No.: A-5952-17T1 Decided September 23, 2020

New Jersey Supreme Court Established bright line ‘probable cause test” in 2015: State v. Alamilla Appellate Docket No.: A-5952-17T1 Decided September 23, 2020 Submitted by New Jersey Criminal Lawyer, Jeffrey Hark. In an unpublished opinion, the Appellate Division of New Jersey reviewed a trial court’s denial of a motion to suppress 15 soil bags of marijuana…

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What is Probable Cause in New Jersey and what is Lawful Interaction of Police?

State v. Alamilla Appellate Docket No.: A-5952-17T1 Decided September 23, 2020 Submitted by New Jersey Criminal Lawyer, Jeffrey Hark. In an unpublished opinion, the Appellate Division of New Jersey reviewed a trial court’s denial of a motion to suppress 15 soil bags of marijuana found in the back of a tractor trailer, after the driver blurted…

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YOUR CELL PHONE PASSCODE IS NOT PROTECTED BY 5TH AMENDMENT SELF INCRIMINATION

In Re Matter of State’s Application to Compel M.S. to Provide Passcode Appellate Docket No.: A-4509-18T2 Decided September 11, 2020 Submitted by New Jersey Criminal Lawyer, Jeffrey Hark. In a recent unpublished decision, the Appellate Division reviewed whether the requirement of a defendant to turnover his passcode to his cell phone constituted a violation of the…

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YOUR IPHONE PASSCODE IS NOT PROTECTED BY 5TH AMENDMENT SELF INCRIMINATION

State v. Andrews Appellate Docket No.: A-72-18 Decided August 10, 2020 Submitted by New Jersey Criminal Lawyer, Jeffrey Hark. In a recent New Jersey Supreme Court decision, the Court reviewed whether the requirement of a defendant to turnover his passcode to his iphone constituted a violation of the 5th Amendment right against self-incrimination. In State…

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