Month: September 2023

Getting a jury duty summons is rarely something someone looks forward to, but people in this country have a right to jury trials. So consider serving on a jury as performing your civic duty. One thing you should not do is ignore that summons. You can actually end up facing punishments of your own. Calling a Bergen County, New Jersey criminal defense lawyer over an accusation of skipping jury duty might seem silly, so follow our advice and read on to see how this system works instead. Will I Be Punished For Missing Jury Duty? Generally, when the state wants you to do something and you ignore its request, there will be some kind of punishment. Failing to appear could net you a fine of up to $500, payable to the county where you were summoned. If you are called by the court to appear and show why you did not comply with the summons, you can be fined up to $1,000 and sentenced to up to three days in jail. I think we can all agree that just accepting the jury summons seems like the smarter option here. What Kind of Jury Will I Serve On? You could serve […]

The cops and prosecution might tell you that it’s the easier path, but it is rare that deciding to plead guilty to a crime is your best path forward. There are many consequences you could face after being found guilty, so make sure that you exhaust your options fighting these charges first. A Bergen County, New Jersey criminal defense lawyer from our firm is ready to help you. What Should I Do If I Am Charged With a Crime? When you are charged with a crime, you should not panic. You have rights and you need to act to protect them. You may be brought into a police station where cops or the prosecutor themself might have questions for you. You are not obligated to answer any of these questions. You have the right to protect yourself from self-incrimination, and that means that you do not need to talk to these people at all. At this time you should contact a lawyer and get ready to enter a plea of not guilty. Why Should I Plead Not Guilty? When you plead not guilty, you have the chance to make a case of your own. With the help of your lawyer, […]

If you are accused of committing sexual assault and you know that those accusations are wrong, that does not really matter. You still need to address the charges against you and defend yourself. This can be a scary experience and it is not something that you should have to go through on your own. Instead, you should hire a Bergen County, New Jersey criminal defense lawyer who can help you build a defense and protect your rights. Why Would Someone Accuse Me of Sexual Assault? There are many reasons why someone could accuse you of sexual assault. It could be an ill-conceived revenge plan, or it could be a simple case of mistaken identity. Whatever the reason may be, you need to fight back against any accusations with everything that you have. The penalties for sexual assault can be severe, so it’s time to start forming your defensive strategy. Should I Tell the Cops My Side of the Story? You might be tempted to talk to the cops after you are wrongly accused of sexual assault. You did nothing wrong, so nothing bad can come out of the interview, right? We do not recommend doing this. The cops are not […]

When you are charged with a crime, the judge can decide to set bail for you. This is an amount that needs to be paid so that you can get out of jail and wait for your criminal case to begin. If you cannot pay this bail amount, you have to sit in jail until your trial date comes around. Another course of action is paying for bail bonds. These allow you to get out of jail for a fraction of the cost of your original bail amount. Your Bergen County, New Jersey criminal defense lawyer can tell you more about this option. How Much Do You Have to Pay for Bail Bonds? Bail bonds allow you to get out of jail for less money, but there is a big catch. You have to put up collateral to cover the rest of the bail amount. Then the bail bondsman and the company they work for can charge you some fees on top of that. So if your bail was set at $75,000 and the bail bondsman charged you 10 percent, you have to pay $7,500. Then you have to pay whatever fee the bondsman charges. Then you have to have […]