Pursuant to N.J.S.A. 2C:33-4, harassment is considered a petty disorderly persons offense in New Jersey. A petty disorderly persons offense is also known as a misdemeanor, meaning a criminal charge. Therefore, if convicted, you will not only be scared with a permanent criminal record but you also face up to thirty (30) days in the Morris County Jail and up too a $500 fine. Most harassment charges issued in Morris County stem from some type of disagreement or argument between ex-boyfriend’s and girlfriends or even neighbors. You cannot let a stupid argument ruin the rest of your life. If you or a loved one has been charged with harassment in towns like Madison, Chatham, Morristown, Dover, Denville, Rockaway, East Hanover or elsewhere in Morris County is imperative that you speak to an experienced criminal defense firm about your options. To make matters worse, most Defendant’s who are charged with harassment also find themselves being charged with aggravated assault, stalking, terroristic threats, disorderly conduct or simple assault. If you would like to discuss your options with any one of the eight Morris County New Jersey harassment attorneys on staff at the Law Office of Jonathan F. Marshall, please contact our Morristown office at (973) 309-7050. We are available 24/7 to assist in any way possible. For more information on the offense of harassment, please see below.
N.J.S.A. 2C:33-4: Harassment Attorneys in Madison NJ
The governing statute in New Jersey for harassment is N.J.S.A. 2C:33-4, which in pertinent states:
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.
A communication under subsection a. may be deemed to have been made either at the place where it originated or at the place where it was received.
A person commits a crime of the fourth degree, if, in committing an offense under this section, he was serving a term of imprisonment or was on parole or probation as the result of a conviction of any indictable offense under the laws of this State, any other state or the United States.
What are the Penalties for Harassment in New Jersey?
Harassment is normally a petty disorderly persons offense, which is more commonly know as a misdemeanor. If convicted, the Defendant could be sentenced up to six months in the Morris County Jail, fined up to $500. If the Defendant is charged and convicted of a fourth degree felony harassment charge, then they would be facing up to eighteen (18) months in State Prison, a fine up to $10,000 and scared with felony criminal record. With that being said, depending on the Defendant’s prior criminal record, an experienced defense attorney may be able to convince the prosecution to allow the Defendant to participate in one of New Jersey’s diversionary programs, either the Pretrial Intervention Program or Conditional Dismissal. If the Defendant is accepted into either of these programs, and completes the probationary period without issue, the charges will be dismissed outright.
Washington NJ Harassment Defense Attorneys
As you can tell from above, a conviction for harassment in New Jersey could drastically effect one’s life. If you or someone you know has been charged with a criminal offense in like harassment, marijuana possession, heroin possession, receiving stolen property or burglary in towns like Parsippany, Mountain Lakes, Boonton, Pequannock, Mendham or Chester, the Law Office of Jonathan F. Marshall can help. We have over 200 years of collective experience on staff. To set up a free initial consultation, please contact our Morristown office directly at (973) 309-7050.