TOWNSHIP OF SOUTH ORANGE VILLAGE, NJ. STATE & FEDERAL CRIMINAL DEFENSE ATTORNEY

The Law Office of Charles Dawkins Jr. LLC (908) 962-9929 is a State and federal Criminal Criminal Defense attorney who represents Criminal Defendants accused of Federal Crimes, State Crimes, Disorderly Persons,  and Juvenile Delinquent Acts in Township of South Orange Village, NJ.  State felony charges and alleged Juvenile delinquent acts are heard in Essex County, NJ Superior Court.  The criminal division hears the felony charges and in most cases, the Family division in Essex County, NJ Superior Court hears the Juvenile delinquent cases that are not waived up to the Essex County Criminal Division Superior Court. South Orange,  NJ. Municipal Court hears most disorderly person violations, DWI's, traffic violations, and Ordinance and Code violations.

The Federal District Court for the District of New Jersey located in Newark, NJ. hears all Federal Criminal Charges committed in Milburn Township, NJ.

Township of South Orange Village , NJ has approximately 18,400  people. Seton Hall University is located within South Orange, NJ. South Orange, NJ. is governed under a special charter granted by the New Jersey Legislature. The Township is one of 11 municipalities of the 564 statewide that operate under a special charter. Seton Hall University is also located in Township of South Orange Village, NJ..

However,  residents of South Orange, NJ., or those who visit South Orange, NJ. occasionally need effective Federal, State, Municipal, or Juvenile Delinquent defense against various allegations. The Law Office of Charles Dawkins Jr., zealously represents the accused of all State and Federal crimes, disorderly persons violations, and Juvenile acts allegedly occurring in South Orange. NJ.

The goal of the legal representation is to give the accused the best legal options considering the facts of the case, and then proceed with the best legal defense according to the legal judgment of the Attorneys.

 WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A DISORDERLY PERSONS CHARGE IN SOUTH ORANGE, NJ MUNICIPAL COURT, AND A STATE  FELONY CHARGE?

     Disorderly persons offenses and petty disorderly persons offenses are petty offenses and are not crimes within the meaning of the Constitution of New Jersey State. N.J.S.A. 2C:1-4(b) In New Jersey the accused of a disorderly person or petty disorderly person will not be tried with a jury, but the South Orange Municipal  Judge located in the new Maplewood Police and Court Buliding will be the trier of fact in the case, and the accused will not be indicted by a Grand Jury.  The legal action will be initiated by a Complaint. THERE IS NO RIGHT TO INDICTMENT BY GRAND JURY AND NO RIGHT TO TRIAL BY JURY OF DISORDERLY PERSONS Offenses. 

      The South Orange, NJ. municipal prosecutor will prosecute the case. Some examples of Disorderly persons offenses are harassment, Simple Assault, Shoplifting (less than 200 dollars) Disorderly Conduct, Resisting Arrest, Lewdness, failure to disperse a riot, criminal trespass, criminal sexual contact, and Obstruction of Justice.     Domestic violence disorderly persons complaints are also sometimes heard in South Orange,  NJ. Municipal Court located in Maplewood Police and Court Building. 

Felony charges are crimes.  Essex County N.J. Superior Criminal Court deals with all State felony criminal charges located in Title 2C of the New Jersey Criminal Code.  Some of these charges are the following:

• Criminal Homicide
• Assault, Reckless Endangering; Threats
• Kidnapping and Related Offenses: Coercion
• Aggravated Sexual Assault, Sexual Assault, Sexual Contact
• Robbery
• Bias Crimes
• Arson, Criminal Mischief, and Other Property Destruction
• Burglary and Theft above a certain amount
• Forgery and Fraudulent Practices
• Human Remains
• Offenses Against the Family, Children and Incompetents
• Domestic Violence
• Possession of Drugs, Manufacturing of Drugs or Distributing Drugs     
• Stalking
• Perjury, Bribery, and Corrupt Influence
• Aggravated Assault
• Misconduct in Office; Abuse of Office
• Sexual Offenses
• Firearms, other dangerous weapons and instruments of crime
• Gambling Offenses
• Racketeering

     The sentencing penalties in Essex County Superior Court Criminal Division are greater than in Township of South Orange Village, Municipal Court. In some cases, a criminal defense attorney may obtain a plea that the Court accepts where a criminal charge is pleaded down to a disorderly persons charge, or the prosecution on its own accord will remand a criminal case to the Special Remand Court. 

WHAT IS A CONSIDERED A CRIME IN TOWNSHIP OF SOUTH ORANGE VILLAGE, NJ.?

"A crime is an offense for which a sentence of imprisonment in excess of six months is authorized. N.J.S.A. 2C:1-4(a). Any other offense is either a disorderly persons offense or a petty disorderly persons offense and therefore not a crime. N.J.S.A. 2C:1-4(b). More specifically, "Crime" means any crime as defined by the New Jersey Code of Criminal Justice (2C:1-4(a), or the equivalent under Federal law or the laws of any state."

The South Orange NJ. Criminal Defense Lawyer is familiar with the criminal statutes and defenses and will be able to defend the criminal defendant against all state and federal crimes. Criminal statutes apply to the entire state of New Jersey.

WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN BEING CHARGED IN  SOUTH ORANGE, NJ. WITH A FELONY IN N.J. STATE COURT AND NEW JERSEY FEDERAL COURT?

There are many differences. This article will only highlight a very few. One difference is that "generally" Federal Law Enforcement Agencies conduct the Criminal Investigations ---such as the FBI (Federal Bureau of Investigation) and DEA (Drug Enforcement Administration).  The FBI is trained mainly at Quantico, Virginia--- some of the agents are lawyers or accountants, while all of the agents are college educated and highly trained in financial crimes, violent crimes, drug crimes, and all facets of criminal investigations, with a preeminent crime lab to buttress investigatory evidence.  Consequently, many times the cases presented for prosecution are compelling and well-documented.

  The Federal Government must be at the cutting edge of technology to protect the citizenry. State law enforcement agencies sometimes do not have the financial resources and training level of most Federal Investigators.

Also, State crimes are prosecuted under N.J.S.A. Title 2C while most Federal Crimes are prosecuted under Title 18 of the US Code and Title 26 of the US Code.

Moreover, Federal Courts have Sentencing guidelines that the Federal Criminal lawyer must understand, and Federal Case Law is related to the guidelines and the law.  The Federal Courts dispensed with the "indeterminate sentencing system"  in 1984 for determinate sentencing guidelines in Federal Courts. The two seminal cases of United States v. Booker, 543 U.S. 220 (2005) and Apprendi v. New Jersey, 530 U.S. 466 (2000) established guidance for Judicial authority in sentencing.

. The federal sentencing guidelines are not complicated for most criminal defense lawyers. 

Some Federal Crimes are the following:

• Bank Fraud
• Embezzlement

• Forgery

• Healthcare Fraud

• Mail and Wire Fraud
• Money Laundering
• Mortgage Fraud
• Securities Fraud
• Mortgage Fraud
• Immigration crimes-smuggling across the border
• Drug Crimes
• Violent Crimes.
• Extortion and Threats
• False Personation
• Fugitive from Justice
• Kidnapping
• Liquor Traffic

WHY IS A DISORDERLY PERSONS CHARGE TRIAL IN TOWNSHIP OF SOUTH ORANGE VILLAGE NJ. MUNICIPAL COURT MUCH FASTER THAN IN FELONY TRIAL?

A State and Federal felony trial takes longer than a South Orange Municipal Trial for many reasons. However, one of the most significant reasons for the Criminal Defendant is that Municipal Trials require no voir dire while felony trials require voire dire. State v. Zola, 112 N.J. 384, 395 (1988) (“Voir dire is a shorthand expression for the questioning of a pool of potential jury members to select impartial jurors to hear a case). 

In most felony cases, a jury must be selected and much time is taken in an attempt to select a fair and impartial jury. This process is painstaking and very important in any felony case irrespective of the New Jersey County Superior Court or federal district court.

WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A CASE IN THE ESSEX COUNTY SUPERIOR COURT AND SPECIAL REMAND COURT?

Central Judicial Processing (CJP) handles all the processing and the first appearance for all Indictable offenses. Most Indictable Offenses are then assigned to a Judge in Essex County, NJ Criminal Court.  However, in some cases, the Essex County, NJ Prosecutor's Office "downgrades " the felony charges---these are usually 3rd-degree or 4th-degree cases.

These downgrades lower the charge to a Municipal Disorderly Persons Case. The Special Remand Court handles all downgrades, and the County Prosecutor handles the disorderly persons' charges in the Special Remand Court. The presiding Municipal Court Judge for Essex County in the past handled the Special Remand Court.

WHAT HAPPENS IF PLEAD OR ARE FOUND GUILTY OF DISORDERLY PERSONS IN SOUTH ORANGE TOWNSHIP OF SOUTH ORANGE VILLAGE NJ MUNICIPAL COURT OR SPECIAL REMAND COURT?

A conviction for a disorderly persons offense generally carries a maximum possible sentence of up to six months in jail and or a fine of up to 1000 dollars. The person may also be sentenced to pay restitution. N.J.S.A. 2C:43-3(c); N.J.S.A  2C: 43-8

A conviction for a petty disorderly person's offense generally carries a maximum possible sentence of up to 30 days in jail and or a fine of up to 500.00 dollars. The person may also be sentenced to pay restitution. N.J.S.A. 2C:43-3(d); N.J.S.A. 2C:43-8

The facts of the case and the defendant's prior criminal history will affect the outcome of the penalty under the Statute. The disorderly persons accused has the right to a trial and if he is unable to afford counsel and qualifies for legal assistance, Counsel will be appointed to him. As mentioned above, a disorderly persons defendant will be able to get a trial in a South Orange Municipal Court much faster than in a Felony Trial Court.

  WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN PLEADING TO A TOWNSHIP OF SOUTH ORANGE VILLAGE, NJ CITY ORDINANCE VIOLATION AND PLEADING TO A DISORDERLY PERSONS OFFENSE?

The Township of South Orange Villiage's governing body is comprised of six member board of trustees and a Village President (equivalent to a Mayor.  The local police know all the ordinances and codes enacted by the governing body. Occasionally a person will be charged with an Ordinance violation or the Attorney will negotiate a plea bargain that entails a municipal ordinance violation.

Similar Ordinance violations will have lesser penalties than the State Statute; moreover, the violation will be precluded from the State Criminal History. The Criminal Defense Attorney may in some cases be able to negotiate a South Orange Ordinance violation that the municipal prosecutor and the Court accepts as opposed to a 2C Criminal Code violation. The disorderly persons record is not like bad credit. The disorderly persons record does not drop off automatically in time. The record remains there until the record is expunged. Even if the record is expunged, Law Enforcement will always be able to see the record. The Township of South Orange Village, NJ. Municipal Judge will also be able to see the Ordinance violation.

The Municipal Prosecutor for Township of South Orange Village, NJ, and the Municipal Court Judge will know all the Ordinance violations. The Criminal Defense Lawyer must familiarize himself with the Township, of South Orange NJ. Municipal Ordinances. 

CONTACT THE LAW OFFICE OF CHARLES DAWKINS JR LLC IF YOU HAVE BEEN CHARGED WITH ANY STATE OR FEDERAL FELONY, DISORDERLY PERSONS, OR JUVENILE DELINQUENT ACT IN THE TOWNSHIP OF SOUTH ORANGE VILLAGE MUNICIPAL COURT.

  The N.J. Federal Courts, N.J., State Criminal Courts, Municipal Courts, and Family Court Decisions should not vary depending upon the Federal District, County, or Municipality where the matter is being heard. The United States Constitution, the New Jersey State Constitution, U.S. Supreme Court Decisions, U.S. Third Circuit Court of Appeals, New Jersey Supreme Court decisions, precedential Appellate Division Superior Court decisions, and New Jersey Statutory Laws and Rules apply to the entire New Jersey State. 

Consequently, the Law Office of Charles Dawkins Jr., LLC represents State and Federal Felonies, Disorderly Persons, and Family Court Juvenile Delinquent Acts in the entire State of New Jersey including the following cities: Township of South Orange Village, Milburn, NJ., Montclair, NJ, Maplewood, NJ. Township, NJ, City of Orange Township, N.J,, Fairfield, NJ, Elizabeth, NJ, Newark, NJ. Jersey City, NJ. Edison, NJ. Hamilton Township, Trenton, NJ. Parsippany, NJ. Paterson, NJ., Middleton Township, Lakewood Township, NJ., Cherry Hill, NJ., Hackensack, NJ, Franklin Township, NJ. Mount Holly, NJ, and the entire state of New Jersey.   THE LAW OFFICE PHONE NUMBER IS (908) 962-9929