Keith Oliver Criminal Law just finished up representing a client who was charged with two counts of terroristic threats stemming from an incident that took place in Lawrenceville Township.
Domestic Violence Terroristic Threats Charges Dismissed in Mercer County
Our client was arrested and charged back in October with two counts of terroristic threats following a verbal argument between her niece and her boyfriend. Based on the fact that the incident was considered an act of domestic violence, she was forced to spend 48 hours in the Mercer County Jail pursuant to the New Jersey Bail Reform Act which began in January of 2017. Once a public safety assessment was conducted, our client was released from the Mercer County Jail. Since terroristic threats is considered indictable (felony) offenses in New Jersey, the charges were transferred from Lawrence Township to the Mercer County Superior Court, which is located in the City of Trenton for disposition. When she was released from custody the matter was scheduled for what is known as Pre-Indictment Court (PIC).
Shortly after her release from custody the client retained our services. After following a lengthy discussion with our client it was evident that she was in fact the victim in this matter. Our client had raised her niece from a very early age and had been living under her roof for more than a decade. This is why the charges fall under New Jersey domestic violence laws. Once the discovery was provided, which include formal statements from both alleged “victims”, two separate 911 calls, one from our client and one from one of the “victims” and several police reports, it was evident that the “victims” version of events simply did not add up. The allegations in essence stated that our client had threatened to shot both victims in the head with her gun. Also that one of the victims had reentered the home to find our client rummaging through her room in an effort to locate her gun so that she could complete the threat.
After going through all the evidence it was clear that the victims allegations did not match up. As a result, the Mercer County Prosecutor’s Office dismissed the charges outright. Terroristic threats is a third degree felony offense in New Jersey. The offense in essence seeks to prosecute anyone who allegedly threatens to cause serious bodily harm to anther with the intent to terrorize them or threatens death to another with the intent to put them in imminent fear for their life. If convicted of this offense our client could be sentenced up to five years in a New Jersey State Prison and a fine up to $35,000. So instead of facing a lengthy jail sentence, high fines and be scarred as a convicted felony our client say the charges being dismissed in their entirety. Our client now has the ability to immediately file for an expungement of her underlying arrest as well and completely walk away from this nightmare unscathed.
Charged with Terroristic Threats in Lawrence NJ?
If you have been arrested and charged with a crime like terroristic threats, stalking, harassment, unlawful possession of a weapon or served with a temporary restraining order in Lawrenceville or elsewhere in Mercer County, the Keith Oliver Criminal Law can help. If you would like to sit down with one of our Lawrence criminal defense attorneys then please feel free to contact our Hamilton office at 609-789-0779 or leave us an email. One of our attorneys would be glad to go over the specific facts of your case and formulate a game plan that works best to suit your needs.
State v. M.J. (2018)
