Legal Question in Criminal Law in New Jersey

I am being charged with 4th degreee identity theft(4counts). I moved 2 years ago and had no idea charges were being filed against me, so the court notices were sent to an old address. I was picked at my job by the Morris County NJ Prosecutor's office and taken to jail for missing court. I was detained on no bail until I went to video court. The prosecutor recommended that I be released on a ROR based on his conversation with the prosecutor on my case. was also told that it is a direct indictment. what is that? I have no criminal record of any kind and no arrest record until now. I work a fulltime job and take college courses online and I also have 4 small children. I do not want to go to jail and loose my job, and my kids. What should I expect during this process? Will I be asked to enter a plea if I do not have a lawyer present? I just want this whole thing to be over. What will happen if I do not have a lawyer present at my arraignment, and enter a guilty plea? Will the people who filed the complaint be notified of my court date if it the State of NJ vs. Myself? Will they be present? If I go to court with out a lawyer will someone from the public defender's office be there to talk to me?


Asked on 3/12/11, 12:20 pm

5 Answers from Attorneys

Ronald Aronds Law Office of Ronald Aronds, LLC

You are being charged with crimes that could result in state prison time. You cannot speed through the process, it is too complicated and the consequences to you are too severe. The victims, if there are any, would be notified if they wish to appear at sentencing on your case, if you are found guilty or plead guilty later on down the line. You need a lawyer and if you cannot afford a private attorney you can apply for the public defender to represent you. When you go to court you MUST plead Not Guilty. My advice is to hire a lawyer as soon as possible to prevent anything negative from happening to you. I am an attorney who has handled many cases similar to yours in the past. Please contact me to discuss your matter in more detail. I never charge for simply talking to a person about their legal issues. Thank you.

Sincerely yours, -Ronald Aronds, Esq.- 908-272-0111

www.njworkerscompensationlaw.com

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Answered on 3/12/11, 1:57 pm
Gary Moore Gary Moore Attorney At Law

Get a grip on yourself. You can not plead guilty because it will give you a criminal record. Secondly, a fourth degree conviction of a first offender will not result in jail because the law

is that it is presumed that such a conviction for a first offender will not be a sentence to prisoh.

Thirdly, you are eligible for first offender treatment which involves your being supervised by the

county probation department for a period of time leading to the dismissal of the charge, so long as you are compliant with such supervision.

DO NOT PLEAD GUILTY AND GO TO COURT WITH A LAWYER WHO KNOWS WHAT HE IS DOING. I am such a lawyer.

Call me if you like.

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Answered on 3/12/11, 2:25 pm
Jef Henninger, Esq Law Offices of Jef Henninger, Esq.

You have a lot to lose and you seem to want to take the cheap way out. I don't see why you would do that. Call someone ASAP and see how much it will be to get a good lawyer to help you out. Feel free to call my anytime at 732/773/2768.

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Answered on 3/12/11, 3:37 pm
Barry Kozyra Kozyra & Hartz, LLC

You should definitely consult counsel as soon as possible. From what you describe it is unlikely you will face jail time and might even qualify for diversion from the criminal process.

We have a number of lawyers here who could assist you. Please call for an appointment if you are interested.

Disclaimer: Your question and any response given are not intended to create an attorney-client relationship. The response given is not intended to be relied upon by you or anyone else as it is based only on the limited information which you have provided. Other information is needed before advice can be given including facts which you have not supplied which may change the response to your question. You should consult with an attorney as soon as possible to assess your legal rights so as not to prejudice yourself..

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Answered on 3/13/11, 6:22 am
Daniel Cevallos Cevallos & Wong, LLP

Speak to counsel as soon as possible. Do not simply plead guilty on the hopes that the State will go easy. Feel free to call our office for a consultation.

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Answered on 3/13/11, 7:23 am


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