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!" »

Eatontown in Monmouth County, New Jersey is a borough of about 14,000 which is neighbored by Oceanport, West Long Branch, Tinton Falls, and Ocean Township. Eatontown is easily accessible, as each CR 537, CR 547, Route 18, Route 35, Route 36, and Route 71 all pass through it. Most notably Eatontown is home to the Monmouth Mall which, along with a multitude of clothing stores and small shops, is home to such popular weekend destinations as Buffalo Wild Wings, TGI Fridays, and a large AMC movie theater. Being home to the Monmouth Mall and having so many roads crisscrossing through its borders, Eatontown is a very high traffic area throughout the year. As summer approaches and younger people suddenly find themselves with more time on their hands, the Monmouth Mall absorbs a huge surge to its already substantial activity, and Eatontown in general becomes a much busier place.

This summer surge in congestion is usually accompanied by an effort by local law enforcement to control the swelling crowds and maintain order by cracking down on motor vehicle moving violations, drunk driving related charges (DWI, DUI, and refusal), and disorderly persons offenses. Disorderly person offenses are quite common and last year there were 168 of these charges in Eatontown. Disorderly persons offenses include disorderly conduct (N.J.S. 2C: 33-2), resisting arrest (N.J.S. 2C:29-2), simple assault (N.J.S. 2C: 12-1), possession of drugs and drug paraphernalia (N.J.S. 2C: 35-10 and N.J.S. 2C:36-2), underage drinking (N.J.S. 2C: 33-15), shoplifting (N.J.S. 2C: 20-11), possession of a fake ID (N.J.S. 2C: 21-2.1), and many others. Being convicted of any of these charges can have serious consequences including hefty monetary fines, jail time, community service, probation and restitution.

Motor vehicle moving violations are also extremely prevalent in Eatontown, due to its large number of high speed roads. Last year alone, Eatontown witnessed 2,515 moving violations and 39 DWIs. Alcohol related offenses, including DWI, DUI, and Refusal, are extremely serious charges with far reaching consequences. For a first time drunk driving offender, penalties can include loss of license for up to one year, up to 30 days in jail, monetary fines up to $500.00, other monetary fines and penalties, the installation of an ignition interlock device into one's vehicle, and the completion of a program at an Intoxicated Driver Resource Center. If convicted of subsequent offenses, the penalties become increasingly severe.

Continue reading "Eatontown Criminal Lawyer: Eatontown Municipal Court" »