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.

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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!" »

Marlboro Township is a medium sized township in northwestern Monmouth County spanning just over 30 square miles. Recent census data indicates that Marlboro is home to just over 40,000 residents and was recently ranked in the top 100 best places to live by CNN and Money Magazine. Marlboro Township provides residents refuge from urban sprawl while still being an easy commute to both New York City and various beach towns located along the Atlantic Ocean in New Jersey. The main roads used for travel through Marlboro are Route 9, Route 18, Route 520, and Route 79. Marlboro boasts a strong municipal park system and hosts many activities geared towards the interests of its residents. Among the activities are outdoor summer concerts, festivals, sports leagues, and fossil hunting.

In 2010, Marlboro Township Police Officers wrote an estimated 214 disorderly persons offenses. A disorderly persons offense is a general category of offenses sitting below New Jersey indictable criminal offenses. While not criminal, a conviction for a disorderly persons charge can carry fines, jail-time, community service, and possible restitution payments. Some commonly written disorderly persons offenses include:
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).

In addition to disorderly persons offenses, Marlboro Police Officers wrote an estimated 1517 motor vehicle violations and 76 DWI, DUI, and refusal charges in 2010. Drunk driving and driving while under the influence charges are serious and if convicted, an individual can face jail-time, loss of license, heavy fines, participation in an Intoxicated Driver Resource Center Program, and the possible installation of an ignition interlock device. While less serious, motor vehicle violations can still carry penalties of suspended license, fines, and points assessed to your driver's license. Some commonly written motor vehicle violations 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).

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