Blog Posts in May, 2014
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New Jersey police officers charged with sexual assault
Posted By Brickfield & DonahuePolice officers in New Jersey are tasked with protecting their communities and upholding the law. It is only natural to assume that they are safe and trustworthy persons who can be depended upon in a dire situation. So if an officer is accused of a crime, it could not only affect their personal reputation but their professional one as well. Two officers in New Jersey have been charged with the ...Continue Reading -
When the sex offender registry causes more harm than good, cont
Posted By Brickfield & DonahueEarlier in the week, we brought you the story of a man who, in 1998, when he was 17 years old, had sex with a younger girl. Under the laws of his state (he was not in New Jersey), he was convicted of aggravated sexual abuse and ordered to register as a sex offender for the rest of his life. According to the man's mother, he has been treated much like a violent offender would be. Although many of ...Continue Reading -
When the sex offender registry causes more harm than good
Posted By Brickfield & DonahueThere is a reason why every state in the country has public databases with information on former sex offenders. There have been horrific stories of former offenders released into the community who reoffend. The problem with sex offender registries, however, is that they are extremely harsh, and the law often fails to take into consideration the facts of a case before requiring someone to register. ...Continue Reading -
New Jersey twins accused of murder in hit-and-run accident
Posted By Brickfield & DonahuePedestrian accidents can be scary for all involved. Depending on the situation, it is possible that at least part of the fault lies with the pedestrian, who may have been jaywalking or in another way disobeying traffic laws. In some cases the result of such an incident is a civil lawsuit. However, the gravity of the situation is ratcheted up when the driver involved in the accident is criminally ...Continue Reading -
Supreme Court indicates a change in drunk driving stops
Posted By Brickfield & DonahueEvery person in the United States has certain rights that are guaranteed to them by the Constitution and the Bill of Rights. In particular, the Fourth Amendment protects against unreasonable searches and seizures by the government. What this means for people in New Jersey is that unless police have a warrant or some extraordinary circumstance, they cannot stop or search you. One place where ...Continue Reading -
Police use hidden GPS unit in pharmacy robbery
Posted By Brickfield & DonahueIn an effort to combat crime, police officers are willing to use technology and techniques that sometimes sound like they come from the future. Sometimes officers, including those in Bergen County, are willing to use methods to track or arrest defendants and collect evidence that others may question. Take, for example, the recent use of hidden GPS units in a suspected out-of-state pharmacy ...Continue Reading -
When police have authority to search your vehicle
Posted By Brickfield & DonahueMany New Jersey residents know that police need a warrant to search private property. But we have all heard of people getting frisked and having their cars searched during a traffic stop, so what gives? Well, the laws of criminal procedure are very complicated. They are based on the U.S. Supreme Court’s interpretation of the rights that were afforded to us in the Constitution. One of these rights ...Continue Reading -
Ray Rice applies for New Jersey's pretrial intervention program
Posted By Brickfield & DonahueIn many criminal cases involving domestic violence offenses, prosecuting the alleged abuser requires the alleged victim’s testimony. That means if the alleged victim isn’t willing to testify and doesn’t want the alleged abuser prosecuted, the charges often have to be dropped. But that isn’t always the case, especially when evidence of the purported abuse can be gathered elsewhere. Prosecutors in ...Continue Reading -
Dozens of New Jersey teens arrested during senior prank
Posted By Brickfield & DonahueIt’s the time of year when many high school seniors develop what’s informally known as “senioritis.” Symptoms of the fictitious condition include oversleeping, boredom with school curriculum and anxiousness to move on from high school. Some high school seniors with so-called senioritis even pull class pranks as a way to commemorate their last months of high school. However, a senior prank by a ...Continue Reading
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