New Jersey’s No Early Release Act (NERA) became law in June 1997, spurred by the “get tough on crime” era of the 1990s. NERA, modeled on federal “Truth in Sentencing” guidelines, requires those convicted of specific serious crimes to serve at least 85% of their...
Your Future Is Our Focus
Criminal Law
The choice is yours: Private defense attorney or public defender?
It can be an intimidating experience for someone who has been charged with a criminal offense to walk into a courthouse, whether it’s the Monmouth County Courthouse in Freehold, or elsewhere in New Jersey. It can be even more daunting when you’re asked whether you...
Courts now scheduled to reopen on June 15
The New Jersey Supreme Court has ordered State Courts to reopen for in-person jury trials starting June 15. Due to health concerns regarding COVID-19, in-person criminal trials have essentially been suspended since November of 2020 and limited since March of last...
The grand jury indictment process in New Jersey
New Jersey's use of grand juries in the indictment process sets it apart from most U.S. states. If you are ever arrested for a serious crime, and your case is not dismissed or diverted into something like a pretrial intervention program, a grand jury will most likely...
Understanding your Miranda Rights
If you enjoy watching crime shows on television, you’ve probably watched more than a few scenes where police arrest a suspect. As part of that arrest, the officers likely tell the suspect that they have the right to remain silent. That anything they say can and will...
What are pretrial detention hearings?
In the United States, people are innocent until proven guilty. That means if you ever get arrested, you deserve a fair trial. You shouldn’t have to pay steep fines or endure lengthy prison stays unless a jury finds you guilty. However, that’s not always how things...