The Law Office of Jennifer Marshall, Esq.
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Jennifer Marshall, LLC
When you face a misdemeanor—which New Jersey refers to as a disorderly or petty disorderly person’s offense—it can present unique challenges to you and your family. You may face time behind bars and pay a fine to the court and the alleged casualty for reimbursement. In these situations, receiving sound legal advice from the point of arrest until the court decides the charge could drastically impact the outcome.
Knowing someone in your corner fighting for you and helping you defend yourself could give you peace of mind and protect your rights. Our Piscataway misdemeanor lawyer has over a decade of hands-on experience championing the interests of the accused. She understands how frustrating and disempowering it can feel to face criminal accusations and could provide targeted and decisive assistance to help you get your life back on track. Call today to speak with our dedicated criminal defense attorney.
Under New Jersey Revised Statutes § 2C:17-3.1, negligently defacing a traffic sign or signal—such as taking, writing on, or vandalizing it—may be a disorderly person’s offense. Meanwhile, unlawfully trespassing onto or peering into a dwelling, like a house or an apartment, could be a disorderly or petty disorderly person’s offense under N.J. Rev. Stat. § 2C:18-3. As N.J. Rev. Stat. § 2C:20-11 explains, shoplifting may be a misdemeanor if the accused took less than $200 worth of merchandise, money, or property.
Additionally, under N.J. Rev. Stat. § 2C:21-5, writing a check that will bounce and giving it to someone may fall into this lesser category of charges. This law applies to paper checks and money orders as well as electronic payments, if they fit into the criteria outlined in the regulation.
Although a misdemeanor charge may not count as a severe crime, the accused may benefit from working with an attorney in Piscataway. They could thoroughly review the facts in the police report, eyewitness testimony, and physical evidence and find possible loopholes in the arguments. Additionally, the legal team could help keep these charges off the person’s record so it does not result in an upgraded offense or sentence in the future.
As described in N.J. Rev. Stat. § 2C:1-4 and N.J. Rev. Stat. § 2C:43-1, New Jersey refers to misdemeanor charges as disorderly and petty disorderly person’s offenses. These may carry a sentence of less than one year in jail and a much lower financial penalty than indictable crimes. For example, under N.J. Rev. Stat. § 2C:43-8, someone who receives a conviction for a disorderly person’s offense may face up to six months in jail.
Under N.J. Rev. Stat. § 2C:43-3, those convicted of a misdemeanor may have to pay fines to the court and restitution to the casualty’s family. Someone may have to pay a fine of up to $1,000 for a disorderly person’s offense conviction and up to $500 for a petty disorderly person’s conviction. Additionally, the court may ask the person to reimburse the casualty for their losses.
Those with repeat offenses on their record—even for these lesser charges—may receive higher penalties. For example, the judge may increase the total jail time or the financial payments the accused needs to make to those impacted by the incident. A Piscataway attorney could advocate for the person to help limit the adverse consequences on their life and fight to reduce or dismiss the misdemeanor charges.
Receiving a criminal conviction can deprive you of your time and money, causing you to pay expensive court fines and restitution and spend time behind bars. When you are in this situation, it can feel like the system is built to keep you down and prevent you from telling your side of the story.
For over 16 years, our legal team has fought for those accused of crimes and offenses ranging from minor theft to traffic infractions to murder and everything in between. Reach out to our Piscataway misdemeanor lawyer to set up a no-obligation consultation.
The Law Office of Jennifer Marshall, Esq.
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