The defense lawyers at the The Law Offices of Jonathan F. Marshall understand what a criminal conviction or even worse, incarceration could mean to someone. Terroristic threats is either a second or third degree felony in New Jersey depending on the underline facts of the incident. Which means, if convicted, a Defendant could find themselves facing up to ten years in a New Jersey State prison, fined up to $150,000, scarred with a permanent criminal record and even court required anger management. Defendant’s charged with terroristic threats in New Jersey may also often be charged with Aggravated Assault, Stalking, Harassment, Simple Assault and may even find themselves facing a Final Restraining Order (FRO) as well. The law firm of The Law Offices of Jonathan F. Marshall has been representing Defendant’s charged with terroristic threats in towns throughout Morris County including but not limited too, Boonton, Morris Plains, Butler, Riverdale, Randolph, Jefferson, Florham Park and Chester Twp for over fifteen years.
The lawyers on staff at The Law Offices of The Law Offices of Jonathan F. Marshall will fight to protect your freedom. If you would like to discuss your matter with any one of the eight criminal defense lawyers on staff, please contact our Morristown 973-309-7050. Our initial consultations are always free and our attorneys are available 24/7 to answer any questions. Now here is some of the important information with regards to offense of terroristic threats, including what the prosecution must prove beyond a reasonable doubt.
Terroristic Threats N.J.S.A. 2C:12-3
Terroristic Threats Lawyers in Morristown NJ
The governing statute in New Jersey for terroristic threats is N.J.S.A. 2C:12-3. Often times, the offense of terroristic threats occurs after a heated argument between two individuals, usually husband and wife. Before a Defendant can be convicted of terroristic threats, the Morris County Prosecutor’s Office three material elements. They are as follows:
- The Defendant made a threat;
- The threat was to commit a crime of violence;
- The underline purpose of the threat was to either:
- Terrorize the victim
- An attempt to cause a serious public inconvenience.
The possible scenarios that may rise to the level of terroristic threats are endless. One thing the Prosecution is not forced to prove is the Defendant’s intent behind the threat. They do not have to prove that the Defendant actually intended to follow through on the threat. This is a huge benefit to the State and only increased the necessity of hiring an experienced Morris County terroristic threats defense attorney. As an experienced New Jersey criminal defense attorney can create reasonable doubt in the underline purpose of the threat.
What are the Penalties for Terroristic Threats in NJ?
The offense of terroristic threats in New Jersey is considered a third degree felony provided the offense was not committed during a declared period of National, State or County emergency. If convicted of a third degree felony in New Jersey, a Defendant could be sentenced up to five years in a New Jersey State Prison, fined up to $15,000, court mandated anger management, community service and a permanent felony criminal record. One thing to note here, a Defendant charged with terroristic threats in New Jersey may be allowed to participate in what is known as the Pretrial Intervention Program (PTI). PTI is a diversionary program in New Jersey, which in essence allows for certain defendant’s, charged with certain crimes, the opportunity to bypass the traditional method of prosecution and be placed on a probationary period. If the defendant is able to complete the probationary period without violating any of the terms, the Defendant could walkaway from these otherwise serious charges without a criminal record let alone not spending a day in jail. For more information on the PTI program, please checkout our Pretrial Intervention practice series.
Conversely, if convicted of a second degree felony in New Jersey, a defendant may be sentenced up to ten (10) years in a State prison, fined up to $150,000 and scared with permanent felony criminal record as well. The PTI program discussed above will most likely not be an option as well.
Madison NJ Terroristic Threats Defense Lawyers
The attorneys at The Law Offices of Jonathan F. Marshall fully understand what a criminal conviction for terroristic threats can do to someone’s live. We will do everything in our power to fight to protect your freedom. We have been defending individuals charged with terroristic threats and related crimes throughout Morris County in towns like Mendham, Rockaway, Boonton, Morris, Florham Park, East Hanover and Dover for over a decade. We have eight criminal defense lawyers on staff waiting to assist you in any possible way. If you would like to discuss your matter with any one of our eight experienced criminal defense attorneys, please contact our Morris County 973-309-7050. We are available 24/7 to answer any questions you might have.