Is fist fighting a crime? Can you go to jail just for raising your voice in anger? Everyone who has seen Meet the Parents knows that you cannot say “bomb” on an airplane, but what about anywhere else? Contrary to popular belief, you can get charged with and convicted of a violent crime even if you did not inflict physical injury on anyone. Sometimes the line between simply ranting to vent your frustration and making credible threats is not so clear. Likewise, it is possible that someone might falsely accuse you of threatening them simply because you are a physically imposing person who was reasonably voicing a legitimate grievance. No one wants to get stuck with a probation officer micromanaging them for years just because they once raised their voice in a momentary loss of temper. The sooner you contact the Essex County assault and threat crimes defense lawyers at the Law Offices of Jonathan F. Marshall, the more protection you have against the criminal justice system running roughshod over your rights.

Essex County Assault and Threat Defense Attorneys

essex county assaultEvery person accused of a crime, no matter how minor or how serious, has the right to representation by a criminal defense lawyer. You can choose your own lawyer, but it is best to choose one from a law firm that focuses exclusively on criminal defense cases, like the Law Offices of Jonathan F. Marshall. All 11 attorneys at the Law Offices of Jonathan F. Marshall work exclusively on criminal defense and DUI cases; We have a combined total of 200 years of experience representing defendants in New Jersey’s criminal court system. It is in your best interest to choose the certified criminal trial attorneys at the Law Offices of Jonathan F. Marshall.  Our law firm has offices in two convenient Essex County locations, so whether you live closer to Newark or Bloomfield, there is an office location a short distance away.

Types of Assault and Threat Crimes

New Jersey law considers all actions to be violent crimes if they involve physical violence or specific and credible threats of physical violence. These are just a few examples of criminal charges that fall under the category of assault and threat crimes in New Jersey:

It is possible that prosecutors may try to charge you with a more serious and more violent offense than what one could reasonably believe that you have done. Exaggerated charges are just one of the ways the criminal justice system sometimes violates defendants’ rights, and often gets away with it; for example, threatening to punch the person who dented your car is not the same as threatening to shoot everyone who is present. Likewise, when the evidence against you is flimsy or fabricated, representation by the Essex County criminal defense lawyers at the Law Offices of Jonathan F. Marshall is the best way to get your charges dropped or to establish reasonable doubt in the minds of jurors if your case goes to trial.

Newark NJ Assault Defense Attorneys

There are various defenses to assault, such as consensual fighting, self-defense, defense of property and prevention of a crime. Our experienced attorneys at The Law Offices of John F. Marshall are well versed in these defenses and all applicable others. Early intervention by our skilled legal team helps you attain a much better outcome for your case. We will do our best to convince the State to charge you at the lowest possible level. We evaluate the evidence against you and the circumstances of your situation. This information allows us to determine whether it’s better to negotiate a beneficial plea bargain for you, or proceed to trial and mount an aggressive defense. Our extensive criminal defense experience and outstanding reputation makes our firm an excellent choice for your defense.

Penalties for Assault and Threat Crimes in New Jersey

New Jersey recognizes several categories of crimes, with first degree offenses being the most serious and disorderly persons charges being the least serious. Which level of offense you get charged with depends on several factors, including the severity of injuries, if any, that you caused and how many prior convictions, if any, are on your criminal record. Even if you have a prior criminal record, the experienced, focused assault defense lawyers at the Law Offices of Jonathan F. Marshall can help protect you from further convictions.

This is a summary of the different types of criminal offenses in New Jersey, as well as the penalties for each:

  • A disorderly persons’ offense carries a maximum fine of $1,000 and a maximum sentence of six months incarceration
  • A fourth-degree offense carries a maximum fine of $10,000 and a maximum sentence of 18 months incarceration
  • A third-degree offense has a maximum fine of $15,000; you can also get sentenced to three to five years behind bars
  • A second-degree offense has a maximum fine of $150,000; you can also get sentenced to five to 10 years in prison
  • A first-degree offense has a maximum fine of $200,000; you can also get sentenced to 10-20 years in prison

Remember that not everyone who gets arrested gets formally charged, not everyone who gets charged gets convicted, and not everyone who gets convicted goes to prison. Your best strategy for keeping your freedom is to exercise your right to representation by an attorney and to choose the assault defense lawyers at the Law Offices of Jonathan F. Marshall in Essex County, New Jersey.

How Essex County NJ Assault and Threat Lawyers Can Help You

Criminal defense lawyers do a lot more than pointing out weaknesses in the prosecution’s arguments at trial. In fact, your chances of getting your charges reduced through a plea deal or getting them dropped entirely are much greater than your chances of going to trial. Prosecutors are notorious for trying to intimidate defendants into pleading guilty, but remember that you have the constitutional right to take your case to trial and to let an impartial jury decide whether you are innocent or guilty of your assault charges. Our assault and threat defense attorneys at the Law Offices of Jonathan F. Marshall have seen every possible strategy prosecutors can use to get defendants to plead guilty to crimes they did not commit, and we will not fall for it.

If it is your first time dealing with the criminal justice system, the police might try to prey on your fears. They might ask you trick questions in order to get you to incriminate yourself, or even to admit to crimes you did not commit. They might try to instigate and make you angry, in order to make you seem like a violent person. They might try to tell you that, while jurors have compassion for defendants accused of drug possession and financial crimes, since desperate circumstances can make people steal and leave them vulnerable to addiction, the public thinks of defendants in assault cases as violent monsters. Your best protection is to have an Essex County lawyer by your side who knows all the ins and outs of criminal law and who can advise you on the best way to respond to questions, and when to give no response at all.

Trust in an Experienced Essex County Defense Firm

It is your right to choose a lawyer, and the public defender’s office will even assign you a lawyer if you do not choose one or cannot afford to pay for legal counsel, but the best choice is to go with the Law Offices of Jonathan F. Marshall. You can be sure that the lawyer who represents you is completely focused on criminal defense law; they are not just going through the motions with your case when they would rather be working on a civil case. You also do not have to worry that this is your attorney’s first time defending someone charged with aggravated assault, stalking, making terroristic threats, or whatever kind of assault and threats charges you are facing. The criminal defense lawyers at the Law Offices of Jonathan F. Marshall have seen it all, from falsely accused defendants to criminal charges that were just a misunderstanding to charges resulting from arrests where the police overstepped their bounds and unjustifiably stopped a vehicle or searched a residence.

Defense lawyers who are truly at home in Essex County, New Jersey and with criminal cases about assault, domestic violence, threats of violence, and other violent crimes will put their expertise and dedication to work for you. Defendants in the Newark area can count on the Law Offices of Jonathan F. Marshall to provide the highest quality of legal representation in criminal defense charges related to assault and threats of violence. Your Essex County assault defense lawyer can help you avoid prison time, burdensome fines, and impossibly restrictive probation terms. The lawyers at the Law Offices of Jonathan F. Marshall will treat you with respect and only advise you to act in your own best interest. Every case is unique, so the first step to finding out the best course of action in your case is to contact the assault and threats defense attorneys at the Law Offices of Jonathan F. Marshall in Essex County, New Jersey.