criminal attorney bergen county Tag Archives

Justin Bieber Arrest Gives Teen Parent Reason to Reflect

March 10, 2014 | by Aretsky Law Group

Is Justin Bieber’s Criminal Activity That Different Than Your Teen?

What did you do in High School and College? Just saying. Recent statistics point to a well known fact. Teen boys get in trouble. The statistics pointed to the reality that arrests in this age group are increasing. Teen boys have been getting in trouble for decades. The alarming trend might be that teen girls are now getting into more criminal activity than in previous generations. Bieber was picked up by Miami Beach police for drag racing, driving under the influence (admitted to alcohol, marijuana, and prescription drugs), and resisting arrest. What are the chances that your teen might end up with similar criminal charges?36.4% of high school seniors used marijuana in the past year8% report using synthetic marijuana in the past year15% report using a prescription drug for a non-medical reason5% used cough medicines to get high26% of high school seniors report getting drunk in the past monthStatistics from http://www.drugabuse.gov/publications/drugfacts/high-school-youth-trendsIf you get that call from your teen, you are well advised to seek the help of an experienced criminal defense attorney at Aretsky and Aretsky. As a boutique firm, we give highly personalized service. Below you will see the cell phone numbers of our senior attorneys. Call us 24/7 to discuss your case.

Aretsky & Aretsky Attorneys at Law

Do I Need a Lawyer if I Was Caught Shoplifting?

April 11, 2013 | by Aretsky Law Group

Shoplifting is a Serious Offense in NJ

Shoplifting is a very serious offense. Depending on the

facts of your case you might go to jail, although fines or community service are more likely. Whatever your sentence turns out to be, however, if you are found guilty, you are now in the criminal justice system as a criminal with a jacket. This can effect future opportunities for you when you apply for a job or to get an apartment. Even a future spouse can look up your criminal record.

Missed Your Court Hearing?

March 25, 2013 | by Aretsky Law Group

New Jersey Criminal Defense Attorney Explains Your Options

Whether you intentionally chose not to attend or circumstances prevented you from arriving, the court does not accept any excuses. You may have thought that missing the hearing would be easy to reschedule, not that big of a deal. However, in the eyes of the court, missing a court hearing is a serious offense. They assigned you a time to be there, and you failed to show up.

This will most likely result in the court forfeiting your bond and issuing a warrant for your arrest. The forfeiture of bail means that the money you pay to the court will not be returned to you. Having a warrant out for your arrest means that you will arrested on the spot if stopped for a traffic offense, but more importantly, you can be arrested without notice at your home or place of employment.

I’ve Been Charged With a Hit And Run

March 15, 2013 | by Aretsky Law Group

A Criminal Defense Attorney Can Help You

You stopped at the bar on the way home, hung out with a few of your friends, and had a few drinks. You’ve never thought twice about being able to drive home without any problems. After all, you live right down the street. You finished the last beer, and headed home. You were driving too fast, didn’t see the cyclist, and could not hit the brake fast enough.

You were afraid of what would happen if you stopped to talk to him about accidentally hitting him, so in a moment of panic you sped off. But what you didn’t know is that someone else was watching the incident unfold and somehow managed to get your license plate information. You were surprised to find that you had been charged with a hit and run.

Shoplifting is serious! Bergen County Shoplifting Defense Attorney

July 5, 2012 | by Aretsky Law Group

When most people think of shoplifting, they picture kids. However, retail theft charges are regularly brought against people of all ages, races, and income levels. Shoplifting can result in serious criminal charges.

Depending on the value of the merchandise, you may be facing a misdemeanor or a felony charge.

At the New Jersey criminal defense firm of Aretsky & Aretsky (also specialized divorce attorney Bergen County) , we have more than fifteen years of experience successfully representing people charged with shoplifting in New Jersey municipal courts. Contact us to learn how we can help reduce damage to your reputation and your record.

Shoplifting defense attorney: New Jersey shoplifting penalties

July 3, 2012 | by Aretsky Law Group

The penalties for shoplifting and theft can be serious. At our firm of criminal defense, employment, and divorce attorneys in Bergen County strive to get the charges reduced to Borough Ordinance violations, or to have them dismissed completely. If a conviction can not be avoided, we request community service, probation, or treatment in lieu of jail time

Theft Charges	Value of Merchandise	Potential Jail Term	Potential Fine
Disorderly Persons Offense	retail value of under $200	up to 6 months	up to $1,000
4th Degree	retail value of between $200 and $500	up to 18 months	up to $10,000
3rd Degree	retail value of over $500 but less than $75,000	3 to 5 years in prison	up to $15,000
2nd Degree	retail value of $75,000 or more	5 to 10 years in prison	up to $150,000

What is probable cause in a shoplifting case? part 3

July 1, 2012 | by Aretsky Law Group

In this series, our criminal defense, employment, and family lawyers in Bergen County discuss shoplifting charges, and probable cause. If you think that you were arrested for shoplifting without probable cause, you should speak with an attorney. (Even if you don’t think so, shoplifting charges can be serious, and something you should discuss with an attorney. Whether or not probable cause exists can be somewhat complicated and will require good representation. See this case regarding shoplifting and probable cause from last year. The supreme court ultimately ruled in favor of the plaintiff, who had been wrongfully charged with shoplifting at a Walmart store in New Jersey, and initially lost the lawsuit he brought against the store. The court first ruled that the store did have probable cause, but that ruling was reversed at the supreme court level. If you are facing shoplifting charges, contact Aretsky and Aretsky, with over 15 years experience in shoplifting cases.

What is probable cause in a shoplifting case? part 2

June 29, 2012 | by Aretsky Law Group

Our Bergen County lawyers are known for working in divorce, employment, and criminal defense cases. In our previous post we introduced probable cause and its importance in shoplifting cases. If you’ve been charged with shoplifting, its important that you speak with an attorney right away about your rights. There are a number of steps that a merchant must go through to show that they had probable cause to bring shoplifting charges against someone. 1. They must have observed the person select the item from the store. This is how they can establish for sure that the item came from their store. 2. They must have observed the person conceal the item. This might include putting something in your purse or pocket, or removing the tags from something and then attempting to leave with it in plain sight.3. The person must have attempted to leave the premises without paying for the merchandise while still under surveillance.

What is probable cause in a shoplifting case? part 1

June 27, 2012 | by Aretsky Law Group

We are attorneys based in Bergen County, NJ representing clients in divorce, criminal, and employment cases. Shoplifting is one of the most common crimes people are charged with.Before someone can be detained, and shoplifting charges can be brought against them, a merchant has to show there is probable cause to detain or charge the individual. There are steps that a merchant’s personnel need to follow to show probable cause. If they do not follow these steps, they maybe subject to a false arrest tort claim. We will describe these steps in detail in our next blog post. If you believe you were wrongfully detained or charged for shoplifting, you should speak with an attorney as soon as possible.

At our firm Aretsky & Aretsky, we have more than fifteen years of experience defending people charged with shoplifting and other crimes in New Jersey municipal courts. Contact us to learn more about how we can minimize the damage to your reputation and your record.

Client privacy in shoplifting cases

June 25, 2012 | by Aretsky Law Group

In addition to providing services as family lawyers in Bergen County, every year our firm represents people charged with crimes such as shoplifting. When our clients are charged with shoplifting, they are often feeling embarrassed, and ashamed of how this may reflect on them. They are concerned that the charges will negatively affect their reputation in the community and their employment opportunities. We handle our clients’ cases discreetly and professionally. If you require an especially high degree of privacy with regard to your case, let us know. We will treat your case with sensitivity and consideration. If need be, we can accommodate your needs by not calling you at your home or your place of employment.If you are facing potential shoplifting charges, you should speak with an attorney as soon as possible. The sooner you talk with a lawyer knowledgeable about criminal defense, the more opportunity you will have to respond to charges appropriately and protect yourself from conviction, financial penalties, and possibly jail time.