Facebook Post Leads to Defendant Being Charged with Terroristic Threats
According to nj.com, the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office has announced that they have arrested and charged a forty-three year old male from Princeton Township with one count of terroristic threats, in violation of NJSA 2C:12-3. The Defendant, who allegedly used an alias while being on Facebook, not only posted a picture of U.S. Rep. Chris Smith with a caption that stated “dead man walking” but also posted that “Anybody outside of my blood in Monmouth or Ocean County on my Facebook account, you are dead”.
The Defendant was finally taken into custody after one of his acquaintances on Facebook alerted a former New Jersey State Trooper of his posts. The Defendant was taken to the Monmouth County Jail, pending a Detention Hearing. During the hearing, which took place late last week, the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office was able to convince a judge that the Defendant must be detained in the county jail, without bail, pending trial.
Charged with Terroristic Threats in New Jersey?
Terroristic threats is a serious indictable offense in New Jersey. Pursuant to NJSA 2C:12-3, which is the governing statute for terroristic threats, anyone charged with this offense will be facing a third degree felony offense unless it occurred during a national or state emergency, then they would be facing a crime of the second degree. Anyone convicted of a third degree felony in New Jersey will be facing up to five years in a State Prison and a fine up to $15,000. Furthermore, depending on who the “victim” is, the Defendant could also find themselves being saddled with a temporary restraining order as well. As you can see, this offense is extremely serious and should not be taken lightly. If convicted, the penalties can be absolutely crippling.
Freehold NJ Terroristic Threat Defense Attorney
Keith Oliver Criminal Law is a Monmouth County based criminal defense firm. Our attorneys have dedicated their entire careers to defending those accused of crimes like terroristic threat, harassment, stalking, aggravated assault, unlawful possession of a weapon and at final restraining order hearings in towns throughout Monmouth County. If you would like to schedule a initial consultation, please contact our Middletown Office at 732.858.6959 or you can try contacting us online by clicking the link. As always, our initial consultations are free of costs, so please do not hesitate to contact us.
