14-2-2812 State v. C.W., N.J. Super. App. Div. (Sabatino, P.J.A.D.) (50pp) Submitted by New Jersey Criminal Lawyer, Jeffrey Hark A case was recently decided by New Jersey Appellate Division in which several issues under the new Bail Reform Act (the “Act”) were reviewed for the first time. Factual Circumstances In the case, a nineteen year…
14-2-2814 State v. Gathers, N.J. Super. App. Div. (Fisher, P.J.A.D.) (13pp) Submitted by New Jersey Criminal Lawyer, Jeffrey Hark. A case was recently decided by New Jersey Appellate Division in which the Court ruled a buccal (mouth) swab, taken from a defendant while he awaited trial, was unreasonable. In this case, the defendant was charged with second-degree…
Submitted by New Jersey Criminal Lawyer, Jeffrey Hark. A Lincoln Town Car fled the scene of a three-vehicle accident Sunday night on Route 80 in Mount Arlington, according to a New Jersey State Police report. No details were available Monday afternoon regarding the circumstances of the accident, which also involved a Nissan Sentra and a…
I want to get into PTI (Pretrial Intervention) because my criminal charge is for a 3rd or 4th degree offense. Why is the prosecutor objecting and not letting me in? What can I do? Submitted by New Jersey Criminal Lawyer, Jeffrey Hark. In this case a government employee, defendant Morgan who was a school district…
Submitted by New Jersey Criminal Lawyer, Jeffrey Hark. VERONA, New Jersey (WABC) — A New Jersey man is facing charges after a crash at a bus stop that killed a woman and injured her brother. The Essex County Prosecutor’s Office charged Anthony Casale Jr., 25, of Belleville, with first degree death by auto in connection…
Submitted by Jeffrey Hark, New Jersey Criminal Defense Lawyer State v. Brandon Kane Can I get my girlfriend’s or boyfriend’s prior psychiatric or medical records and use them at trial to attack there credibility. There are two issues which must be addressed here. The first is criminal court Rule 3:13–3. First, the defendant cannot require the…
Submitted by New Jersey Criminal Lawyer, Jeffrey Hark Recently the New Jersey Superior Court implemented the final part of the State’s Bail Reform Act N.J.S.A. 2A:162-15 to -26 since it went into effect on January 1, 2017 and approved by voters and the legislature over 2 years ago. Now, when some is arrested there is…
Submitted by New Jersey Criminal Lawyer, Jeffrey Hark A case was recently decided by New Jersey’s Supreme Court regarding a warrantless search of a defendant’s home. In the case, an officer responded to a noise complaint; essentially a municipal ordinance charge! The defendant was standing on the porch of his home when the officer showed…
Submitted by New Jersey Criminal Lawyer, Jeffrey Hark. I have been charged with failure to turn over drugs (also Failure to make a lawful disposition) to a police officer from a motor vehicle stop. Is this a separate offense from possession of CDS. In this case the court ruled “failure to make lawful disposition” under N.J.S.A.…
State v. Hannah, NJ Appellate Division Decided December 20, 2016 Get off of your phone, stop Facebooking, stop texting, stop tweeting, stop sending Instagram photos. You could be in trouble if you don’t and what your electronic communications can be used against you in the future. Submitted by New Jersey Criminal Lawyer, Jeffrey Hark. The…
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New Jersey Survivors Justice Act: Sentencing Reform for Abuse Victims
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…