New Jersey Criminal Lawyers Blog

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Police officers throughout Ocean and Monmouth County are now using a new device that can scan passersby vehicle license plate numbers in a second and instantly provide the status of your vehicle and information about its owner. With 6 cameras mounted on the roof of the "reader car", information is instantly sent to the dashboard computer screen. If a vehicle warrants stopping, such as a outstanding warrant for arrest, an alert beeps and the officer can initiate a motor vehicle stop. The legality of the instruments usage has already been approved in a recent case, State v. Donis, that held that a police officer may randomly check the status of a vehicle registration or driver's license and whether the vehicle or its plates are stolen. According to one source, there are approximately 1.5 million unregistered or unlicensed vehicles in the State of New Jersey.
The scanners have powerful uses for crimes other then motor vehicle violations enforcement. Each scanner saves the data of license plate numbers it has read. If for example, bank robbers are casing a place for several hours beforehand their plates may be picked up by a police camera. Police are able to fetch this data many days later if need be as evidence to help establish probable cause and other elements of the crime.

Continue reading "Police In Ocean and Monmouth County Can Scan Your License Plate in a Second With New Technology" »

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The everyday traffic stop by a police officer has recently taken a drastic new turn. Implementation of tiny personal cameras pinned onto every police officer in Sea Girt Jersey is sure to create vibrations that will be felt for decades to come throughout New Jersey courtrooms. Created by Axon System the mini cameras are mounted on a headband, eyeglasses, or clipped to the collar of police and are able to record up to six hours of an officer at work. When video is recorded, it is wirelessly uploaded to a website, evidence.com, where it is available for retrieval by an officer with the proper authority. This groundbreaking implementation of technology, already used in Western States, is hoped to lead to better overall law enforcement procedure. In today's highly litigious society where even a simple traffic stop may end up in municipal court, this new upgrade will have untold effects.

The new technology will cost the Sea Girt Police Department about $2,000 per system and $1,200 in annual cost for data storage per unit. Sea Girt, with only 11 police officers, is the first of New Jersey's 566 municipalities to implement the mini cameras but already officials in Morristown and Cape May County have indicated their intent to have them soon. This new technology is possibly a response to the current trend of motor vehicle drivers recording snippets of their traffic stop with a cell phone. Rather than having only 10 seconds of recording, the longer videos will provide greater insight into the specifics of what happened.

Continue reading ""Big Brother" Police in New Jersey Are Watching You!" »

Colts Neck Township is an average sized municipality located in Monmouth County, surrounded by Wall Township, Marlboro, Freehold, Tinton Falls, and Holmdel. Colts Neck is comprised of just over 32 square miles and 10,000 residents. Colts Neck is home to many equestrian farms as well as fruit orchards and sprawling estates. Residents enjoy bike riding, golf, tennis, shopping at privately owned shops and stores and equestrian activities. Colts Neck can be accessed by both Route 34 and Route 18, which intersect near the middle of town. Due to Colts Neck ordinances, the Township has been able to keep out major retailers and largely control urban sprawl.

Though Colts Neck is mainly a quiet town, it has seen its share of police activity. In 2010, Colts Neck saw an estimated 28 disorderly persons offenses. Disorderly persons offenses are punishable by jail time, fines, payments of restitution, and community service. Commonly written disorderly persons offenses can include but are not limited to:
disorderly conduct (N.J.S. 2C:33-2), trespass (N.J.S. 2C: 18-3(b)), criminal mischief (N.J.S. 2C: 17-3), simple assault (N.J.S. 2C: 12-1), fake ID (N.J.S. 2C: 28-7), underage drinking (N.J.S. 2C:33-15), possession of CDS (N.J.S. 2C:35-10), and resisting arrest (N.J.S. 2C:29-2).

Additionally, Colts Neck saw an estimated 31 DWI, DUI, and refusal charges written in 2010. DWI, DUI, and refusal offenses, while not criminal, are quite serious. A conviction for a DWI related offense will ultimately result in loss of license, heavy fines and penalties, jail time, completion of a program at an Intoxicated Driver Resource Center and the possible installation of an ignition interlock device. Going hand-in-hand with DWI charges are other motor vehicle violations that can include:
speeding (N.J.S. 39:4-98 and N.J.S. 39:4-99), failure to yield to a traffic sign (N.J.S. 39:4-81), reckless driving (N.J.S. 39:4-96), and careless driving (N.J.S. 39:4-97). If convicted of a motor vehicle violation, you could face fines, Motor Vehicle Commission points on your driver's license, and even a license suspension.

Continue reading "Colts Neck Criminal Lawyer: Colts Neck Municipal Court" »