Essex County criminal defense attorney

It doesn’t matter if you’re facing a DWI, domestic violence charge, drug crimes, sex crimes, theft charge or even a misdemeanor in Essex Country, New Jersey. It’s up to those bringing criminal charges against you to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that you’re guilty.

At Breslow Law Offices, we urge all clients to speak with our skilled Essex Country NJ criminal defense lawyers for a free consultation as soon as the city or a prosecutor charges you with a criminal case.

Roy Breslow and Casey Breslow have more than 45 years of experience as criminal defense lawyers and have represented thousands of individuals in Essex County, Ocean County, and throughout New Jersey.

Secure your right to legal representation by working with a criminal defense attorney from our law firm right away.

Our criminal defense attorneys have helped clients get criminal charges against them dropped or receive greatly reduced penalties.

Request your free consultation by contacting Breslow Law Offices today.

Call 973-239-8000 for our Verona office in Essex County or call 609-494-8884 for our Long Beach Island office in Orange County.

DUI & DWI cases in New Jersey

New Jersey law does not distinguish between DWI, which stands for driving while intoxicated, and DUI, which stands for driving under the influence.

You can face arrest for registering a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of .08 percent with penalties that include the following for a first DWI or DUI offense:

90-day Driver’s License Suspension
12 Hours to 30 Days in Jail
Up to a $400 Fine
Increased Auto Insurance Premiums
Possible Mandatory Drug Treatment
Possible Requirement to Use Interlock Ignition for Up to 12 Months

The DWI or DUI penalties increase if your BAC is over .10 percent. With your freedom and reputation on the line, you need experienced criminal defense lawyers who know how to challenge the evidence to get the criminal charges against you dropped or reduced.

Criminal charges for drug crimes in Essex County, New Jersey

New Jersey classifies drug charges in two ways. These include criminal charges for possession or criminal charges for manufacture and possession with the intent to distribute.

Under possession criminal charges, for example, you could face the loss of your driver’s license, jail time of up to six months, a fine of $1,000, and forced drug treatment for possessing less than 50 grams of marijuana.

New Jersey law also prohibits the possession of controlled substances or narcotics. Examples of some of the penalties for drug crimes include:

Fourth-degree drug charges for up to one ounce of marijuana to first-degree criminal law charges for possession or distribution to up to 25 pounds of marijuana. Penalties vary by the degree of the charge.
Drug crimes that involve the possession or distribution of stronger drugs such as heroin, cocaine, or methamphetamines could mean criminal charges that include up to six months in jail, a fine up to $25,000, driver’s license suspension, and more.

Assault & battery is a criminal offense in New Jersey

Although you may see assault and battery listed as a single criminal offense, New Jersey law considers each a separate criminal offense. The crime of assault means that you threatened or completed a physical attack on another person, with or without causing personal injury.

It also covers causing unintentional personal injury to another person with a deadly weapon such as a firearm. New Jersey law categorizes this criminal charge as a disorderly persons offense in most cases.

Battery is a larger criminal offense in both New Jersey and New York, where some of our clients reside.

You will face a battery charge if you go beyond threatening another person causing him or her physical harm with your actions.

In either case, your first call should be to an Essex County criminal defense attorney at our law firm. We understand there are at least two sides to every story and that what appears as the criminal offense of assault or battery may not be that at all.

Sexual assault and other sexual offenses in the State of New Jersey

New Jersey uses the term sexual assault to define rape, which involves penetration using force or physical coercion.

It is still sexual assault regardless of the degree of penetration. The criminal charges and penalties are most severe when the victim is under 13 years old, and the perpetrator is over 17 years old.

You will also need an Essex criminal defense lawyer if the prosecution feels you were in a position of authority over the victim, such as his or her coach or teacher.

The term aggravated sexual assault refers to committing rape while also committing another crime such as simple assault, battery, kidnapping, murder, or robbery.

Sexual assault carries felony criminal charges. Although punishment depends on the severity and circumstances, it’s common for people convicted of sex crimes to serve up to 10 years in prison for a second-degree crime.

Aggravated sexual assault bumps the criminal charges up to first degree and a potential prison sentence of up to 20 years.

Criminal charges for theft or fraud

The State of New Jersey defines theft as the exercising of control or unlawful taking of property belonging to someone else. The state recognizes several forms of theft or fraud, including:

Concealing Library Materials
Deception
Extortion
Receipt of Stolen Property
Shoplifting
Theft of property lost by someone else or delivered to you by mistake
Theft of services

The criminal charges and penalties you face for any type of theft depend on the value of the stolen property.

Jail time of six months and a $1,000 fine is common for less serious offenses while theft of property valued over $75,000 can mean jail time of five to 10 years and a fine double the amount of the theft.

Get a free consultation with a top-rated Essex County criminal defense attorney today

When you’ve been arrested or charged with a crime, it’s important to turn to a law firm with many years of experience in criminal defense. Founded in 1978, Breslow Law Offices has established a reputation as one of the most knowledgeable & experienced criminal defense law firms in New Jersey.

Request your free consultation today. Contact us online or call 973-239-8000 for our Verona office or 609-494-8884 for our Long Beach Island.

Breslow Law Office serves clients in Essex, Newark, and many other surrounding communities in both New Jersey and New York.

Our criminal defense practice areas include many other defenses of many other criminal charges in addition to those listed above.