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Hi Jack, I was hoping you could help me out with some advice. I was arrested a few weeks ago, and 4 tickets were issued to me. I have no idea, what kind of fines and penalties I could possibly be facing, and dont know if I should hire a lawyer or not. My tickets are for :
Violent or tumultuous behavior
Failier to obey officer
careless driving
purposely obstruct the law by means of an independent unlawful act.
Any advice you can give on what type of penalties I will be looking at is greatly appreciated. The one I am most concerned with is the obstruction. Is there just a fine or possible jail time for that charge? I have a clean record, and am in the state of NJ , if you needed that info. Thanks for your help in advance.
Joe
Hello Joe,
All of those charges are unique to the state of New Jersey. Each state has its own laws, penalties, etc, so without being personally involved in the case, knowing all of the facts, your prior record, the standards of the community, sentencing standards, etc, it would be impossible and not a good idea to speculate. However I would advise you that if these charges carry any jail sentence, which I am sure they do, that you should not be thinking about an attorney. You should have contacted one by now to defend you. If you are convicted of any of these crimes you would have a criminal record the rest of your life and possibly end up in jail.
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| Rating(1-10) | Knowledgeability = 9 | Clarity of Response = 10 | Politeness = 10 |
| Comment | Thanks, Jack. You have given me something to think about. | ||
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Answers by Expert:
Jack Toomey
Expertise
Please do NOT ask questions about potential jail sentences that you or your friends may receive in court. There is no way for me to know that. I am NOT a probation officer or a parole officer so questions about those subjects will be rejected. I am a police officer with 26 years experience. Can answer questions about crime, police procedure, investigations, criminal law, search and seizure, traffic offenses. Prefer not to answer questions on the death penalty. Please do not ask homework questions. Remember this. The law in every state is different so questions about laws that are specific to your state could be difficult to answer. I also cannot give you legal advice on what to do or not to do in court. I have worked with authors in the past and will be happy to review scenarios or plots with authors to check for believability or accuracy.
Experience
Police officer with 26 years experience. Ten years in patrol and sixteen years in the detective bureau investigating every type of crime including murder, rape, robbery, theft, fraud, missing persons, etc, etc. Also taught at the police academy in areas such as constitutional law, search and seizure, and lineups.
Education/Credentials
B.S. in Criminology from the University of Maryland.
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