Monmouth County Criminal Defense Lawyer Blog
When your child is arrested in NJ, it can be a frightening time.
From working with countless parents, I know how unsettling it is to receive a phone call informing you that your child has been arrested or the police are asking for them to be questioned regarding a criminal charge. A tornado of thoughts and concerns are sure to grip the parent as well as the child.
Juveniles can be charged with the same statutory offenses as adults and the seriousness of the offense dictates where the matter is heard. Often times an experienced criminal lawyer can avoid the matter being presented to a judge in a formal proceeding and instead have a referee or the Juvenile Conference Committee (JCC) hear the matter. If your son or daughter is charged with possession of less than 50 grams of marijuana under N.J.S.A. 2C:35-10(a)(4), it may be possible to avoid a record and enter into a deferred disposition. If your child has been charged with shoplifting there are ways an experienced criminal lawyer can avoid serious consequences. It is not uncommon for good kids to get into a fight and be charged with simple or aggravated assault. In these and other matters, a deferred disposition is oftentimes a good way for a child to be given a second chance.