Contributed
Garden State New Jersey follows most criminal statutes like the other states in the United States of America. Some of the common laws they concur and consider illegal and punishable are: theft, murder, child abuse, kidnapping, rape, illegal drugs, extortion etc. But the state has other laws that are exclusive to these., For example, New Jersey was the first states to abolish the death penalty in over 40 years. The state of New Jersey works with the public to establish safety and security state-wide. All New Jersey prisons are listed on online web search engines for its residents to lookup for criminals and offenders in the neighborhood with minimal information like the offender’s name (full or partial), physical features/description, gender, and birth date if possible., , If you are planning to move to New Jersey, you should be aware of some of criminals laws and penalties exclusive to the State of New Jersey:, Watch out for credit card fraud and identity thieves –, Giving false information or lying about one’s identity is a crime under N.J. 2C:21-6. The law basically relates two categories., (a) How a credit card is obtained, (b) How a credit or debit card is used, Giving false information to obtain a credit card could be punishable under the New Jersey Crime law for up to 18 months in prison or a fine of up to $10,000 along with restitution. In the event of an ‘Identity Theft’ lawsuit filed by a victim, the court may award the victim three times the cost of the theft. It would also include expenses for clearing the costs of the victim’s credit score, court and attorney fees., In the rest of the cases pertaining to credit card fraud, the court will make a decision depending on the intent, facts, and extent of damage due to fraud. Punishment or penalty will be levied in accordance with the statutory law., ‘Driving While Intoxicated’ (DWI) is a seriousoffense, New Jersey strictly follows a no tolerance policy for DWI. , The state permits a maximum allowable limit of blood alcohol content (BAC):,
- Adults age 21 and older: 0.08 percent,
- Commercial drivers operating heavy machinery: 0.04 percent and
- Under the age of 21: 0.02 percent.
, If the driver refuses to take the blow test or any kind of chemical test for DWI, his license will automatically be suspended. This kind of suspension is termed as ‘Administrative License Suspension’. , The DWI sentence for the first offense carries a $250-$400 fine and possibly a jail sentence depending on the BAC level. The defendant will lose his driver’s license for a year and must attend classes up to 48 hours in an Intoxicated Driver Resource Center. Multiple convictions of DWI will call for harsher penalties and sentences., How does the state handle domestic violence?, This law refers to domestic violence for any one or more of the following abuses inflicted on an inmate in a relationship:,
- Physical
- Emotional
- Mental
- Sexual
- Economic
, It could be a roommate or a partner., Domestic violence is commonly reported by women, but men have also been victims too. To determine the extent of offense, it must be determined if the offense is civil or criminal. The punishment for a domestic violence defendant could be a temporary restraining order or a protective order based on the frequency and severity., Restraining orders on domestic violence are applied for in Domestic Courts. However, if the convict violates the order and tries to contact the victim telephonically, verbally, social media, physically, at home or workplace, he will be charged with contempt of court. It is seen as a ‘Disorderly Persons’ contempt which is not a crime in itself. However, if the person makes a second attempt it will be seen as stalking the victim and he will be immediately taken into custody by the criminal court., What is the sentence for a convicted murderer?, Death caused by an individual irrespective of the intent is termed as a homicide. Murder with a plan and purpose is called a first-degree murder. A murder committed without reason or while fleeing is termed as ‘Felony Murder’. Murder with intent or homicide in conjunction with rape, burglary, sex crime, arson etc. all fall under the ‘Death Lawsuit’. Most convicts end up with 30 years of life imprisonment . Murder convicts charged for killing anyone under the age of 14 or a police officer on duty calls for life imprisonment without parole., Sexual Assault Is Viewed Differently From Murder, Sexual assault is the legal term for ‘rape’ in New Jersey. The state law defines sexual assault as one or more of the acts:,
- Penetration irrespective the extent
- Force
- Coercion
- Inflicting the act on a mentally or physically challenged person.
, Sexual assault is considered a felony in New Jersey. A first-degree sexual assault, involving a minor, physically or mentally challenged person, carries 20 years of imprisonment. A second-degree sexual assault carries 10 years of prison term. It is up to the jury to decide the charges on the convict depending on the circumstantial evidence and homicide if any is involved., Fire Arms Possession Laws Are Stringent Unlike Other States In The Country, New Jersey is a democratic-controlled-state. Gun control advocates have strongly criticized the gun laws in the country for decades. They have strong reservations about carrying concealed weapons. It is mandatory to apply for a permit in New Jersey. The state allows carrying a gun only for licensed owners and reasonable proof of life-threat, fear of being stalked or attacked., Reasonable grounds and justifiable needs are only accepted for approval of permits. Furthermore, if the weapon is being carried in a vehicle, to must be unloaded, locked and safely stowed away in the glove compartment. Possession of guns or transporting arms without a valid license is a serious crime. The person carrying guns is immediately charged with a second-degree crime. And, pursuant to the verdict, he/she will be sentenced to 5 years in state prison and 3 years without parole., If there is one thing the citizens of New Jersey can tout about over the neighboring states of New York, Pennsylvania, and Delaware are its safe neighborhoods. Statistics reveals that New Jersey’s violent crime records are less than half of that of the entire country.