Charged With Harassment in Sayreville New Jersey
Harassment usually describes continuing and unwanted communications directed towards someone else. It is a charge that anyone can be accused of and that typically comes about in Sayreville New Jersey during or after disagreements, arguments, or verbal confrontations.
A harassment offense must always be taken seriously as it can lead to incarceration and hefty fines. Engaging an experienced defense attorney to help you defend a Sayreville harassment charge may be the only way to completely avoid the consequences.
The Law Offices of Jonathan F. Marshall is a team of eight defense lawyers with over 100 years of combined experience. Our attorneys include former prosecutors and accomplished litigators who have handled hundreds, if not thousands, of harassment charges, including those arising out of alleged domestic violence incidents and cases also involving simple assault and terroristic threats. We are extremely familiar with the Middlesex County court system, including the Sayreville Municipal Court. If you have been charged with harassment in Sayreville, New Jersey, contact our office at 732-201-6509 for a free consultation anytime 24/7.
Harassment Offense in Sayreville NJ
There are three types of conduct that constitute harassment pursuant to N.J.S.A. 2C:33-4. This law reads as follows:
Except as provided in subsection e., a person commits a petty disorderly persons offense if, with purpose to harass another, he:
a. Makes, or causes to be made, a communication or communications anonymously or at extremely inconvenient hours, or in offensively coarse language, or any other manner likely to cause annoyance or alarm;
b. Subjects another to striking, kicking, shoving, or other offensive touching, or threatens to do so; or
c. Engages in any other course of alarming conduct or of repeatedly committed acts with purpose to alarm or seriously annoy such other person.
Harassment is usually charged as a petty disorderly persons offense and is therefore typically heard in the Municipal Court of Sayreville. If you are convicted of a petty disorderly persons offense of harassment, you will have a criminal record and face up to thirty (30) days in the county jail and a fine of up to $500.
A petty disorderly persons offense for harassment will be tried before a judge of the Sayreville Municipal Court, which is located at 1000 Main St, Sayreville, NJ 08872, and can be reached by telephone at 732-525-5446.
If you were on parole or probation for an indictable criminal offense when the alleged offense took place, a Sayreville harassment is enhanced to a fourth degree crime that exposes you to a felony offense and up to eighteen (18) months in jail.
Moreover, If the charge arose out of an alleged incident of domestic violence, you may also have a temporary restraining order placed against you by the alleged victim. When this is the case, you will be prohibited from having any contact with the alleged victim until you come before a judge who will determine if the temporary restraining order is warranted and whether or not it should be dismissed or made final and permanent.
How Our Sayreville NJ Harassment Defense Lawyers Can Help
There are three primary strategies we defense lawyers use to defend harassment charges and that can be summed up in these ways: (1) you never harassed anyone; (2) you didn’t intend to harass anyone; or (3) the alleged victim never felt harassed.
First is to challenge whether the prosecutor can prove that the alleged harassment even took place. There may have been something that you said verbally with no witness or corroborating testimony––only the testimony of the alleged victim. This can be very unconvincing evidence in court.
Even if the alleged harassing behavior is said to have occurred via text message or email, it may difficult for the prosecutor to authenticate that electronic communication in court. So, it may not even come into evidence and the prosecutor may not be able to prove that any harassing behavior took place, to begin with.
The second strategy is to show that you did not intend to harass the alleged victim. Maybe you were just kidding, blowing off some steam, or speaking in jest. But, you really did not intend for the harass, vex, or annoy the alleged victim. If this is the case, then the crime of harassment did not take place.
The third strategy is to show that the alleged victim was not actually vexed or annoyed by your behavior. For the prosecutor to succeed at court, they have to show that the alleged victim was really annoyed or vexed for a period of time, which may not have been the case. They may not have taken your behavior seriously at all.
Between these three defense strategies, we have had a great deal of success in getting harassment charges downgraded or outright dismissed for our clients.
Sayreville NJ Harassment Attorney
If you have been charged with harassment in Sayreville, NJ, you should strongly consider consulting an experienced attorney at the Law Offices of Jonathan F. Marshall. We are seasoned criminal lawyer who have the knowledge and skills you need to successfully defend this Sayreville criminal offense. Whether its securing a downgrade or gaining admission into Conditional Dismissal, we have a lawyer with the abilities to secure the outcome you need. Contact us anytime of day or night to speak to one of our attorneys immediately.
