At Trial, Prosecution Cannot Question a Defendant’s Right to Silence

June 13, 2017

Submitted by New Jersey Criminal Lawyer, Jeffrey Hark. 14-2-3453 State v. Irizarry, N.J. Super. App. Div. (per curiam) (29 pp.) A defendant’s right to remain silent during a police interrogation is an integral part of our criminal justice system, granted by our Fifth Amendment to the United States Constitution. This right gives protection for a…

When Do Criminal Witness Statements Have to be Produced to the State?

May 23, 2017

Submitted by New Jersey Criminal Lawyer, Jeffrey Hark. 14-1-3174 State v. Brian Tier, N.J. Sup. Ct. (Timpone, J.) (13 pp.) New Jersey’s Supreme Court recently decided a case regarding criminal witness statements.  In the case, the defendant was charged with first-degree kidnapping, N.J.S.A. 2C:13-1, and first-degree criminal attempt to commit murder, N.J.S.A. 2C:11-3 and N.J.S.A. 2C:5-1,…

What Evidence am I Entitled to When Fighting Pretrial Detention?

May 17, 2017

Submitted by New Jersey Criminal Lawyer, Jeffrey Hark. The Supreme Court of New Jersey has recently clarified what evidence the State has to provide when arguing for a defendant to be detained before trial.  The new Criminal Justice Reform Act effective January 1, 2017, allows for pretrial detention of defendants who present a serious risk…

Do Police Have to Knock Before Entering My House?

April 21, 2017

14-2-3069 State v. G.A. , N.J. Super. App. Div. (per curiam) (10 pp.) Submitted by New Jersey Criminal Lawyer, Jeffrey Hark In a recent case decided by New Jersey’s Appellate Division, a defendant was indicted for third-degree possession of cocaine, N.J.S.A. 2C:35-10(a)(1); third-degree possession of cocaine with intent to distribute, N.J.S.A. 2C:35-5(a)(1) and 2C:35-5(b)(3); second-degree unlawful possession…

My Lawyer Denied My Request to Appeal My Criminal Conviction, Now What?

April 5, 2017

Submitted by New Jersey Criminal Lawyer, Jeffrey Hark. In a recent case decided by New Jersey’s Appellate Division, a jury convicted the defendant of: the lesser-included offense of first-degree aggravated manslaughter, N.J.S.A. 2C:11-4(a) first-degree felony-murder, N.J.S.A. 2C:11-3(a)(3) first-degree armed robbery, N.J.S.A. 2C:15-1 fourth-degree unlawful possession of a weapon, N.J.S.A. 2C:39-5(d) third-degree hindering apprehension or prosecution,…

Can I Appeal My PTI Denial?

April 3, 2017

Submitted by New Jersey Criminal Lawyer, Jeffrey Hark. New Jersey’s Appellate Division has recently decided a case which resulted in a rare reversal of a PTI denial.  In State v. Denman, the defendant, a former Scotch Plains police officer, appealed from his conviction for third-degree attempted misapplication of funds, N.J.S.A. 2C:21-15 and 2C:5-1. The defendant…

Troopers shoot, kill man at New Jersey Turnpike rest stop in Cranbury

March 31, 2017

Submitted by New Jersey Criminal Lawyer, Jeffrey Hark CRANBURY, New Jersey (WABC) — A man was shot and killed by state troopers at a rest stop on the New Jersey Turnpike Thursday. The shooting happened at about 2:45 p.m. at the Molly Pitcher Service Area in Cranbury. The New Jersey Attorney General’s Office said troopers…

Can My Sentence be Made Harsher After-the-Fact?

March 28, 2017

(16-04-1150 ) State v. Hester, App. Div. (Decided March 23, 2017) Submitted by New Jersey Criminal Defense Lawyer, Jeffrey Hark. 4 cases were recently consolidated for review by New Jersey Appellate Division. In each of the matters, an issue arose of whether it was a violation of the Ex Post Facto Clause of New Jersey’s…

What is the Standard for Appellate Review for a Court’s Decision to Detain Me Before Trial?

March 28, 2017

Submitted by New Jersey Criminal Lawyer, Jeffrey Hark The statute explicitly confers upon defendants a right to appeal an order of pretrial detention “pursuant to the Rules of Court” N.J.S.A. 2A:162-18(c) and “shall be heard in an expedited manner.” An appellate court “may find an abuse of discretion when a decision ‘rest[s] on an impermissible…

What is the Significance of a Megan’s Law Tier Classification for the Purposes of Pretrial Detention?

March 27, 2017

Submitted by New Jersey Criminal Lawyer, Jeffrey Hark The State is obligated to demonstrate the propriety of defendant’s tier classification by clear and convincing evidence. In re Registrant M.F., 169 N.J. 45, 54 (2001). For a Megan’s Law Tier analysis, the precise nature of his original offenses would have been considered. Many aspects of his…

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