At the Law Offices of Marshall, Bonus, Proetta & Oliver we have handled hundreds, if not thousands, of harassment charges. Whether you were charged with a fourth degree harassment or a disorderly person harassment offense, our attorneys have the knowledge and experience to effectively attack the prosecutor and victim’s side of the case. Make no mistake, harassment is a criminal offense and results in a record if you are convicted. Call a skilled lawyer from our defense firm for a free consultation before things are too late. The Newark criminal defense lawyers on staff at Marshall, Bonus, Proetta & Oliver have been representing clients charged with terroristic threats, stalking, harassment, criminal mischief, false imprisonment, simple assault, criminal restraint and burglary in Essex County for over a decade.
Harassment Lawyer in Montclair NJ
When Does Someone Commit Harassment?
The New Jersey Harassment Law is contained at N.J.S. 2C:33-4. Harassment occurs where someone undertakes one of three (3) varieties of conduct for the purpose to harass. The first variety of harassment is where someone sends a email, texts a message or makes some other form of communication that is anonymous, at extremely inconvenient hours, uses offensively course language or is otherwise likely to cause annoyance or alarm. If someone strikes, kicks, shoves, subjects someone to offensive touching or threatens to do any of these acts, this is the second variety of harassment. The third way someone can be convicted of harassing another is where they engage in a course of alarming or repeated conduct for the purpose of causing alarm or serious annoyance. If an individual commits harassment under N.J.S. 2C:33-4, it is a disorderly persons offense, except if the defendant is on probation, parole or is in prison for an indictable crime when the violation occurs, in which case the offense is a fourth degree crime. It is important to keep in mind, however, that 2C:33-4 is only violated where the harassing conduct is with the intent or purpose to harass. So even where a harassing communication has been made, for example, where it is confirmed in writing, email, text, or voice message, an effective defense is that there was no intention to harass.
What Penalties Will I Face If I Am Convicted of Harassment in NJ?
Harassment in the fourth degree is a felony. An individual is exposed to a state prison term of up to eighteen (18) months if they are convicted of fourth degree harassment. There is also a maximum fine of $10,000 that may be imposed by the Court. All other violations are a petty disorderly persons offense that carry the possibility of a term of imprisonment in the Essex County Jail. Irrespective of the grade of the charge involved, a conviction results in a 2C record that will follow an individual around for years.
Bloomfield NJ Harassment Defense Attorney
Our Newark Office handles harassment and domestic violence cases throughout the county, including restraining orders at the Superior Court. We routinely appear in appear in the following Essex County municipalities on harassment charges Belleville, Bloomfield, Cedar Grove, E. Orange, Livingston, Millburn
and South Orange. And the good news is that the skilled attorneys at our firm are able to avoid a conviction for harassment in more than a majority of the cases we defend. Call 973-710-1520 to speak to an attorney without obligation.