Decades Of Experience In New Jersey Criminal, Municipal And DUI/DWI Defense

If you have been charged with a criminal or municipal offense in New Jersey, you face potentially serious consequences that warrant the attention of an experienced and aggressive defense attorney.

I am Anthony N. Palumbo, a partner at The Law Offices of Anthony N. Palumbo and a Union County criminal defense lawyer with more than 35 years of trial experience in New Jersey courts. As a former county and municipal prosecutor and a longtime New Jersey law firm, I know the criminal process and what to expect from the local judges, prosecutors and police.

Contact me, a New Jersey defense lawyer, to schedule a free initial consultation by calling 908-643-6801 about any criminal or municipal defense matter, including:

• New Jersey DUI/DWI offenses
• Other drug offenses, including possession, distribution and trafficking
• Crimes against children, including abuse, molestation and internet sex crimes
• Disorderly conduct, including public drunkenness, disturbing the peace, resisting arrest and obstruction of justice
• Domestic violence, including criminal charges and restraining orders
• Theft and property crimes, including burglary, larceny and forgery
• Deportation for criminal charges
• Juvenile offenses in juvenile and criminal court
• Sex offenses, including prostitution, lewd conduct and indecent exposure
• Traffic offenses and driving violations, including speeding violations, reckless driving, and DUI/DWI or drunk driving
• Violent crimes, including homicide, robbery and sexual assault, and assault and threat crimes, including terroristic threats, harassment and stalking

Experienced Attorney Handling Cases In Municipal And Criminal Courts

New Jersey has criminal and municipal court systems to deal with different types of offenses. Generally, municipal court judges hear cases involving minor offenses. However, the consequences can still be serious and lasting.

Indecent Exposure

Most lewdness and indecent exposure charges are classified as disorderly persons offenses. In cases where the crime was committed in front of someone under the age of 13 or someone with a mental disease or disability, the crime may be classified as aggravated indecent exposure, an indictable offense with more serious penalties.

Many people in New Jersey face indecent exposure or sex in public charges every year, a large portion of these at Sandy Hook’s Gunnison Beach which allows nudity. There are several valid defenses to these accusations, and a proven indecent exposure lawyer can often get your charges reduced or eliminated entirely.

DUI And DWI

A DUI or DWI conviction will have widespread impacts on your everyday life. You will likely be required to install an ignition interlock device (IID) into your vehicle, you may lose your license for a period of time, your car insurance rates will rise – and that is all on top of the jail time and fines that you may be facing. These penalties only get more severe if your drunk driving caused injury to others or if this is a repeat offense. An experienced drunk driving lawyer can help you minimize the penalties you face for this offense.

Simple Assault

Assault crimes can arise from even the simplest of altercations. A small barfight can quickly become a serious criminal charge. Arguments happen, but when those arguments lead to you injuring another (even if on accident), you may be facing hefty criminal penalties.

Criminal charges don’t always require physical contact, either. The mere threat of violence and even harassment or stalking can result in criminal charges. If you are accused of one of these crimes, an experienced assault lawyer can defend you and your reputation against these charges.

Theft Crimes

Depending on the value of goods stolen or damaged, and the nature of the theft charge you are facing, a property crime may be classified as a more minor disorderly persons offense or a serious indictable offense. Whether you are accused of shoplifting, burglary or anything in between, you may be facing large fines and jail time if you are found guilty. I have defended many New Jersey clients against these charges in criminal, municipal and juvenile courts, and will fight to reduce or eliminate the charges against you.

Speeding Tickets

Speeding tickets add up, causing you to accumulate points on your driving record. Depending on how fast you were going, you could receive up to 5 points on your record. Once you accumulate 12 points, your license may be suspended, in addition to the fines you will have to pay. This is just one reason why it is crucial to seek help from a lawyer for traffic violations, rather than just paying them.

There are several valid defenses to claims of speeding. An experienced traffic ticket lawyer will utilize these defenses to lower the penalties you are facing, potentially eliminating the ticket entirely.

In addition to some of the above offenses, I can also help you with the practical matters that arise in a wide variety of criminal defense circumstances, such as dealing with bench and arrest warrants and bail bonds.

What We Have Already Done For Our Clients

When you are looking for an attorney to represent you, you want to be sure that your attorney has the experience necessary to defend your rights and your freedom. Here are a few examples of the charges we have beaten:

• Eliminating Drug Charges. Several months ago, I represented a young man charged with distribution of prescription drugs. When he was first arrested, he panicked and gave a confession to police without an attorney present. I challenged the constitutionality of the confession and after a four-day trial we received a Not-Guilty verdict. Needless to say, the young man was very happy. Based on the charges he was facing, he could have easily spent up to 10 years in prison, but instead he was able to get on with his life without conviction.
• Lewd Conduct Charges Defeated at Trial. Less than one year ago in Middlesex County, I was retained to represent a young man charged with lewd conduct and other offenses of a sexual nature. The state had videotapes of his alleged lewd conduct and the state furnished me with “proof” of his conduct. After reviewing the tapes, I concluded that the tapes did not show what the state claimed and that the tapes were ambiguous as to what the defendant was doing. After a three-day trial and four hours of jury deliberation, the jury decided that the state had not proved beyond a reasonable doubt that the defendant committed the crime of lewdness and found him not guilty of all charges.
• Favorable Results for Child Porn Offender. I recently represented a college student who downloaded a number of images of pre-pubescent females. The government found out about his involvement, obtained a search warrant, impounded his computer, and filed criminal charges against him. His exposure for jail as a result of these charges was up to 8 years! He had no criminal record. I was able to obtain a probationary sentence for this college student and reduced the charges of child pornography against him. The laws concerning the internet and pornography are evolving. A lawyer that is familiar with the internet and pornography will give his client a leg up in defending himself when charged with doing something wrong involving the internet and pornography.
• Indictable Theft Charge Reduced to Municipal Offense. A man in Edison was recently charged with services theft by the local electric company. The electric company said that he disconnected the electric meters so that he would not be charged for the electricity that he was using and had been doing so for quite some time. The amount of electricity that he stole amounted to over $7,000! I represented him and was able to show that other people had access to the electric meters. I was able to raise doubt on his intent to steal the services and managed to have the matter downgraded from an indictable offense back to the local municipal court. He received a small fine after pleading guilty to a local ordinance that did not involve the offense of theft. Knowledge of the laws concerning theft and numerous defenses that might be available require the experience of one who has frequently encountered these problems. I have been practicing law in the State of New Jersey for almost 40 years and have encountered thousands of various situations involving theft.

Free Consultation With An Aggressive New Jersey Defense Lawyer

Email or call my New Jersey law firm today at 908-643-6801 to schedule your free initial consultation with an experienced criminal and municipal defense lawyer. With offices in Cranford, Elizabeth and Newark, I am able to provide representation to clients throughout New Jersey.