If your child or teenager has been charged with a juvenile offense in the State of New Jersey, it is imperative that you speak with an attorney that is highly skilled in the criminal and juvenile court setting. You must act immediately to preserve you and your child’s interests. The earlier an attorney can engage on your child’s behalf, the better. This is because an early investigation by the defense can weaken the Prosecution’s case.
If arrested or charged with an offense/crime, a juvenile’s future can be at risk. The opportunities for future employment, a driver’s license, and getting into a good college may all be hindered if convicted. All professional licensing bodies such as the State Bar Associations, Nursing and Medical Schools, and Accounting Boards will require disclosure of all arrests and charges, whether they occurred as a juvenile or an adult. A conviction remains on a convicted person’s record for life, unless his or her lawyer formally files a motion to have the record sealed (expunged). We can also help with the process of having your criminal record (adult or juvenile) sealed.
We represent juveniles accused of all types of crimes; including, but not limited to:
• Theft offenses, shoplifting, auto theft, burglary, vandalism
• Underage drinking and DUI/DWI
• Traffic Offenses
• Drug Possession / Distribution
• Aggravated Assault and Terroristic Threat Crimes
• Internet Crimes
• Sex Crimes
• Disorderly Conduct
• Robbery
We welcome the opportunity to represent your child. Thomas H. Martin is an experienced and aggressive juvenile criminal defense attorney, and will make every effort to keep juvenile cases in juvenile court to avoid the possibility of your juvenile being charged as an adult (this can arise from only the most severe charges). Contact the Law Office of Thomas H. Martin, for a free initial consultation and case evaluation. We take pride in representing clients and have extensive experience in the juvenile court system to make certain that the child is provided with all the safeguards available to the full extent of the law and to ensure that his or her future is not unduly compromised.
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JUVENILE RESULTS OBTAINED BY MR. MARTIN:
2009: Superior Court of New Jersey, Family Division-Juvenile, Monmouth County
A juvenile, D.M., was accused of causing an eye injury. D.M. was charged with Aggravated Assault, Unlawful Possession of a Weapon, and Possession of a Weapon for an Unlawful Purpose. Specifically, D.M. was accused of striking a Hispanic juvenile in the head with a stick, causing a severe laceration in and around the juvenile's eye.
Charge 1): Aggravated Assaut, (N.J.S.A. 2C:2-121B et seq.), a third degree offense, punishable by up to two years in the New Jersey Training School for boys or "Jamesburg".
Charge 2): Possession of a Weapon for an Unlawful Purpose, (N.J.S.A. 2C:39-4[d]) a third degree offense, punishable by up to two years in the New Jersey Training School for boys or "Jamesburg".
Charge 3): Unlawful Possession fo a Weapon, (N.J.S.A. 2C:39-5[d]), punishable by up to one year in the New Jersey Training School for boys or "Jamesburg".
Result:
In this case, a juvenile was walking with his parents in Asbury Park on the evening of the black out in December 2008. At a certain point in time, the three member family was attacked by a group of juveniles. At one point, the juvenile said to the person believed to be D.M., "I know you, we go to the same school together." After that the person believed to be D.M. was alleged to have struck the juvenile in the face causing a severe injury to the outside portion of the juvenile victim's eye, resulting in the need for hospitilization as well as multiple stitches. The next day in class, the juvenile victim was able to pick D.M. out of a yearbook.
At trial, the State called the juvenile victim, his parents, and the principal of the Asbury Park High School. The crux of the State's case was based on the credibility of the juvenile victim's identification of D.M. At trial based upon the darkness on the night in question, the alibi witness for D.M., and the fact that D.M. had only been in school for 3 months (the juvenile victim alleged that they had been in school together for four years) Mr. Martin was able to gain an acquittal on behalf of D.M., on all charges in this case, saving D.M. the risk of probation, a residential program, or in the worst case scenario, Jamesburg.
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2007: Superior Court of New Jersey, Family Division-Juvenile, Monmouth Count
A juvenile, SK, was accused of threatening a store clerk with a gun during a robbery and terroristic threats. SK was charged with:
Charge 1): Armed Robbery, (N.J.S.A. 2C:15-1), a first degree offense, punishable by up to four years in the New Jersey Training School for boys or "Jamesburg". However, if the State sought a waiver and was successful in its application, then SK could have been tried as an adult and faced up to twenty (20) years in prison with a mandatory requirement to serve (85%) before becoming eligible for parole.
Charge 2): Terroristic Threats, (N.J.S.A. 2C:12-3), a third degree offense, punishable by up to two years in Jamesburg.
Result:
In this case, three boys entered a convenience store and allegedly stole a bunch of items. The clerk alleged that SK stated that he had a gun in his possession during the theft. The offer in this case was to plead to a second degree. The matter proceeded to trial over two days. Despite: (1) the eyewitness's identification of the victim,; (2) SK being found just several blocks away with stolen items around his person; (3) a store surveillance video; and (4) the testimony of a Social Service Worker that SK confessed/admitted to having a gun and robbing the store, Mr. Martin was able to raise enough reasonable doubt through aggressively cross-examining the prosecutor's witnesses and through direct examination of SK's witnesses to work out a plea bargain for a disorderly persons shoplifting offense. Thereby saving SK from being adjudicated delinquent for first degree armed robbery.