Bias Intimidation, N.J.S.A. 2c:16-1

Gunfire at a Jersey City kosher market recently left a police officer, two suspects, and three bystanders dead. Subsequently, the investigation revealed alleged online hate as the drifters’ motive. Perhaps unsurprisingly, officials adopted the label domestic terrorism for the violence, which began a mile away at a cemetery. After opening fire at the market, the pair held off armed police and federal officials for four hours with hundreds of rounds of ammunition, per the news.

Additionally, less than a week later, a Jersey City man allegedly threatened to “bomb all of the Jews” there. He made the alleged threats during a phone call with a welfare worker. Indeed, the judge did not release the suspect on bail. Instead, she ordered him detained during the entire prosecution. Read More

Offering Diseased Animal For Sale, N.J.S.A. 4:22-22

New Jersey law prohibits Offering Diseased Animal For Sale. State and local authorities investigated and recently charged an owner and employee of an animal shelter in Berkeley Heights, NJ. Indeed, the New Jersey Division of Consumer Affairs and the Union County Prosecutor’s Office investigated the shelter together. Moreover, the allegations relate to falsifying records to conceal negative medical histories from prospective adopters, per the Union County Prosecutor’s news release. The shelter allegedly scrubbed negative information from some of the dogs’ intake forms before putting them up for adoption. The cops claim this occurred more than a dozen times during a span of about two years. The adopted pets included a variety of breeds, ranging from types of hounds to shih tzus. Read More

Drunk Driving Collateral Consequences, N.J.S.A. 39:4-50

A Jersey City car collision resulted in an arrest for driving while intoxicated and reckless driving. The crash occurred after a woman leapt from her vehicle. To her credit, however, before her flying leap she had stopped the vehicle. But she jumped from it at a busy intersection without putting it in park, per the news. Consequently, the vehicle crashed into another parked car. Additionally, upon arrival, police found the woman in the middle of the road. Nevertheless, reports suggest she suffered only minor injuries. Furthermore, it appears she had compulsory motor vehicle liability insurance. If convicted of DWI, she faces drunk driving collateral consequences as well as direct penal consequences. Read More

Money Laundering, N.J.S.A. 2c:21-25

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Recently the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office charged two foreign nationals with money laundering and other crimes. Indeed, the cops caught wind of ostensibly suspicious and unusual money transactions related to businesses the pair owned. Thus, the authorities allege the man and woman tried to hide $5.7 million, per NJ dot com. Additionally, the cops claim the pair passed profits through a check casher. Furthermore, they maintain the pair divided cash deposits among different financial institutions to evade anti-money laundering reporting laws. Moreover, the cops claim the man did not report taxes on about $1.8 million income. Consequently, authorities arrested the pair for money laundering, financial facilitation-structuring, and conspiracy. Additionally, the cops charged the man with failure to pay taxes and filing a false tax return. Read More

Penalties for Refusal to Submit to Breath Test, N.J.S.A. 39:4-50.4a

Earlier this year, Hoboken cops charged an electric scooter operator with refusal to submit to breath test, and other offenses. One cop claims he saw the gentleman appear unsteady and staggering while unlocking the scooter. After failing to stop the gentleman from boarding the scooter, the cop followed him in a cruiser. The scooters travel up to 18 miles per hour, per the news. The cop saw the operator allegedly appear as if he was going to lose control of the scooter.

Later, the gentleman allegedly failed a field sobriety test. Furthermore, he refused to provide breath samples at the station. Read More

Penalties for Drunk Driving, N.J.S.A. 39:4-50

Can you say bah humbug? This December, drunk driving enforcement in the Garden State will make many motorists feel Scrooged. Indeed, New Jersey’s DWI holiday ticket blitz is in full swing. Lasting until New Year’s Day, 133 police departments received grants totaling $600,000, per NJ dot com. These grants will fund checkpoints and extra patrols. This time last year, the cops arrested 1,269 drivers allegedly impaired by alcohol or drugs. Additionally, they issued 5,705 speeding tickets and 3,125 seat belt tickets. Notably, New Jersey’s amended penalties for drunk driving went into effect December 1, 2019. The remainder of this post covers these legal updates. Read More

Reduction of Points, N.J.S.A. 39:5-30.9

A recent automobile collision in Jersey City resulted in an arrest for driving while intoxicated and reckless driving. Indeed, the crash occurred after a woman leapt from her vehicle. To her credit, before her flying leap she had stopped the vehicle. But she jumped from it at a busy intersection without putting it in park, per the news. Consequently, her vehicle crashed into another parked vehicle. Subsequently, police found the woman in the middle of the road. Despite these ostensibly harrowing events, however, news reports indicate she suffered minor injuries. Although her minor injures signify good luck, the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission assesses 5 points for any person convicted of reckless driving.¹ Additionally, the accumulation of points can lead to surcharges and license suspension.² Nevertheless, the law requires the reduction of points recorded against a licensee in accordance with N.J.S.A. 39:5-30.9.³ Read more

Aggravated Assault, Pointing, N.J.SA. 2c:12-1(b)(4)

Last September a misunderstanding in a park lead to charges against a Jersey City Detective. Thus, the cop is under indictment for possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose and false incrimination. Additionally, the indictment charges him with endangering the welfare of a child and aggravated assault, pointing a firearm. It all began when the cop was with his son in a park. An argument with another person ensued. And when it became physical, the cop allegedly drew his gun, causing the juvenile to raise his hands. But in the end, the juvenile left with a girl and no one was injured. Read More

Causing or Risking Widespread Injury or Damage, N.J.S.A. 2c:17-2

Have you heard of self-immolation? A suicidal-sacrificial form of protest, it includes but is not limited to setting oneself on fire. For example, some self-immolation martyrs include Thích Quảng Đức, Jan Zajíc, and Evžen Plocek. To be certain, however, this form of altruistic suicide is for a collective cause. Additionally, martyrs do not intend to inflict physical harm on others or cause material damage. Instead, they merely intend to attract attention to a cause. Therefore, if performed for these selfless motives, the martyr is not causing or risking widespread injury or damage. Contrarily, a man in Woodbridge recently doused himself with fuel and tried to light himself on fire. Read More

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